Allure Flooring (From HD) anyone?

[ArtMulder]

Hey folks,

Anyone had any experience with the new Allure Flooring from Home Depot? It's a vinyl floor that you install sort of like click laminate, only instead of click edges, it has adhesive edges. Seems to be a step above 'peel-n-stick' vinyl tiles.

Our kitchen/nook/hall floor is getting old and decrepit and we're looking at various options to replace. My wife doesn't want ceramic tile. Conventional vinyl would require professional installation. Laminate floors are not a good idea in a kitchen, IMHO... and so on.

...art

[willr]

Originally Posted by ArtMulder

Hey folks,

Anyone had any experience with the new Allure Flooring from Home Depot? It's a vinyl floor that you install sort of like click laminate, only instead of click edges, it has adhesive edges. Seems to be a step above 'peel-n-stick' vinyl tiles.

Our kitchen/nook/hall floor is getting old and decrepit and we're looking at various options to replace. My wife doesn't want ceramic tile. Conventional vinyl would require professional installation. Laminate floors are not a good idea in a kitchen, IMHO... and so on.

...art

It's really sticky, and miserable to cut.

Once it's down don't even imagine moving it.

[Bill MacDonald, Toronto]

I haven't used the wood flooring, but I have used the Allure 12x36 tile in my bathroom. It uses the same "sticky edge" treatment. Its a bit tricky to put down, as the glue really grabs when you mate the two parts, so you want to make sure its in the right place. Other than that, the product is great to use. Its very flexible but is also quite hard and stands up well to lots of traffic and water spills. I'm thinking of redoing my kitchen floor with it. I don't think you'll be disappointed with it Art.

[aussie]

What kind of underlay do you need to use with it? I have to re-floor the basement since the laminate down here is ruined thanks to a cat with a bladder problem!

[Wayne - Oakville]

I installed Allure (hickory) about 1-1/2 years ago in our kitchen. I installed it at 45* over an existing one piece vinyl that had been down for about 35 years -- the Allure just floats. So far it's holding up well and looks really good -- the seams are not visible since they are located at the edge of each wood-looking plank, and cannot open like a normal peel and stick tile. My only concern is where the chairs slide back and forth -- I installed vinyl runners on the bottom of our wooden chairs. So far there are no wear marks.

As mentioned, the sticky joints make it a bit tricky to install -- you start from one edge or corner (as I did) and work across the floor. I had to add a couple of pieces in the reverse direction (because of the 45*) in the fridge and stove areas, but not a big problem. I cut it with a utility knife (2 or 3 scores and then snap it) and aviation tin snips. I found that you can pull the glued surfaces apart once (it's not easy) and they'll stick back with no problem. Because of the glued overlap, you can only butt the factory cut ends together -- a waste piece cut from one end can be used at the opposite end, so there's not a lot of waste.

I like it and am considering doing my main hall with it.

...Wayne

[Bill MacDonald, Toronto]

Originally Posted by aussie

What kind of underlay do you need to use with it? I have to re-floor the basement since the laminate down here is ruined thanks to a cat with a bladder problem!

This will probably answer most of the questions about this product.

As for cutting it, I found it fairly easy, using a sharp box-cutter and or heavy duty kitchen shears.

[Scott]

Co-worker redid his bathroom and his kitchen with this product. Bathroom was easy to do since it didn't require removal of the old linoleum, just put it right overtop with no underlay. He just trimmed it to butt against the toilet, then caulked all around the base. Same procedure for the kitchen (minus the toilet).

Trims easily with a knife and a small square. The stickiness is a big pain, but can be slightly shifted by warming it with hairdryer or heat gun. Considered it for the sunroom, but since it is unheated, the glue was only rated to -5C. My only concern with laying it in a basement would be that if its layed directly on concrete, it will be quite cold on the feet.

Only complaint I have is that they seem to rotate the colours and selections quickly. My dad wanted the Allure Tile and was unable to source it, even though HD has it on the website. Same same for other wood 'styles' they seem to not permanently stock them.

Scott

[Wayne - Oakville]

Originally Posted by Scott

Only complaint I have is that they seem to rotate the colours and selections quickly.
Scott

True -- be sure to keep a spare piece or two after you're finished. Also, when we decided on the colour we wanted, of the 3 nearby HD's, we found each store stocked a different combination of patterns/colours.

...Wayne

[ArtMulder]

Originally Posted by Bill MacDonald, Toronto

I have used the Allure 12x36 tile in my bathroom. It uses the same "sticky edge" treatment. Its a bit tricky to put down, as the glue really grabs when you mate the two parts, so you want to make sure its in the right place. Other than that, the product is great to use. Its very flexible but is also quite hard and stands up well to lots of traffic and water spills. I'm thinking of redoing my kitchen floor with it. I don't think you'll be disappointed with it Art.

Thank-you, Bill! The 12x36 is exactly the stuff we're thinking about for our kitchen/hall/nook area. One negative, as someone else mentioned, is a limited selection in colour/pattern. The HD here only has 6-8 different kinds, and only 1-2 of them are a light coloured tile.

Originally Posted by Wayne - Oakville

My only concern is where the chairs slide back and forth -- I installed vinyl runners on the bottom of our wooden chairs. So far there are no wear marks.

Thank-you Wayne, that is a very good point, considering that the kitchen nook is where we eat all our meals, the wood chairs are constantly sliding back and forth... Hmmmm.

[wilburville]

Hi Art, I put it in my Airstream trailer this past spring and it worked great, the fact that it is a floating floor proved to be ideal for the trailer when in transit and exposed to flexing. As it is a "floating floor" and it does expand quite a bit if in direct sunlight i would make sure that it is not fastened or bound at any point otherwise it will bulge, buckle or separate. It seems to be very durable and apparently no subfloor is required and it can even be laid directly onto a concrete floor. Good luck. bill.

[aussie]

Hmmmm..... I wonder what this stuff would be like in my garage/shop?

[Bill MacDonald, Toronto]

Originally Posted by aussie

Hmmmm..... I wonder what this stuff would be like in my garage/shop?

The only caveat I might have for installation over concrete is that this stuff makes a pretty tight seal between the joints. If the basement or garage floor shows any sign of moisture (try the clear plastic trick), then this may trap it and not allow it to evaporate. I doubt moisture will affect this product too drastically, but by holding moisture underneath it might provide a dandy growth area for mold and other nasty stuff. Since I've no first hand experience in that kind of environment, I merely offer this as something to consider.

As far as standing up to heavy duty shop use, I think it would probably be way better than normal asphalt tile for example.

[aussie]

Bill I already have the roll of Delta-FL and rolls of Reflectofoil ready to go down in the garage. I was planning on using 5/8" T&G OSB but this might be an alternative that won't be affected by the gunk melting on it from the blower or what gets tracked in through the garage door. No such thing as a stupid question so how much does this stuff go for?

[Bill MacDonald, Toronto]

Originally Posted by aussie

No such thing as a stupid question so how much does this stuff go for?

My very hazy recollection is under $60 for a box that covers 24 sq.ft.

[aussie]

Originally Posted by Bill MacDonald, Toronto

My very hazy recollection is under $60 for a box that covers 24 sq.ft.

I fold! It's going to take 6 full and part of another 4'x8' osb sheets for the floor so that would work out close to $600 for a garage/shop. I think not.

[Bill MacDonald, Toronto]

Originally Posted by aussie

I fold! It's going to take 6 full and part of another 4'x8' osb sheets for the floor so that would work out close to $600 for a garage/shop. I think not.

Ah yes, but the OSB will get all scungy and rot, and then you'll wish you'd done something different.

[aussie]

Originally Posted by Bill MacDonald, Toronto

Ah yes, but the OSB will get all scungy and rot, and then you'll wish you'd done something different.

So I pull up the tapcons, take out the bad panels and replace them at around $C10 for 32sqft. 7 sheets of osb is all I need with bits left over from the 7th sheet. My name Willy, not bloody Silly......

[Scott]

The seem to put certain colours/styles on clearance pretty often and they also have a 'garage' version which is just grey or black with small raised dots for traction which was a bit cheaper.

What about putting just a bit of it down in the area near the front? Go two tone on the floor. Put a box of it down on the front area to park the blower and things on. That or look at the heavy weight linoleum that is a floating floor and get yourself a 6xwhatever width it comes in (12 ') chunk to do the front area near the door?