NEW YORK, July 16 (Reuters) - Mohawk Industries Inc., the No. 2 maker of commercial and residential carpets in the United States, on Wednesday said its second-quarter net earnings were little changed but sales were up slightly.

Mohawk reported net earnings of $74.9 million, or $1.12 per share, from $75.5 million, or $1.10, a year ago.

Net sales for the quarter rose 2 percent to $1.24 billion due to strong sales of hard surface products, the company said.

The Calhoun, Georgia-based company said it expects third-quarter earnings of $1.25 a share to $1.35 a share. Analysts on an average expect earnings of $1.28 a share for the third quarter, according to Reuters Research.