Installing “Allure” flooring – thoughts
My clients had previously purchased an interesting kind of floating vinyl floor from Home Depot, called “Allure.” Yesterday, the task fell to me to start installing this stuff.
This product may or may not be old hat for you.
I did a search and it didn’t come up, so I figured I’d share some thoughts. At first, I was very nervous about installing it in a professional capacity, but it turned out OK.
“Allure” is essentially a heavy resilient vinyl floor, about 1/8″ thick. Unlike vinyl tile or sheet vinyl, it doesn’t adhere to the subfloor. It’s a floating floor, but with no foam underlay. And it doesn’t click together. Instead of a tongue and groove system, it has a corresponding lip and rabbet, both of which have adhesive. You mate the surface with a little pressure.
Thankfully, the installer has more than one shot. You can unstick and re-stick the joints two or three times. Otherwise, this would be a nightmare product unfit for ordinary fellows to install.
To keep this focussed, I’ll list the advantages and disadvantages to this floor product.
Pros:
– Unlike sheet vinyl or self-stick vinyl tile, this product can be installed over pretty much any old floor
– It can be installed in bathrooms
– The planks are stiff but the material is soft. It’s easy to cut on the table saw or miter saw, but I also used tin snips and carved it with my utility knife
– Unlike Pergot floors, this flooring shouldn’t expand or contract much, if at all. There were a couple instances in which I scribed it directly to another surface, like a bathtub. Very easy!
– Unlike Pergot floors, there’s no foam underlay. There were a couple tiny slivers that I pieced in, and I just glued them down.
– Installing it “backwards” is a cinch. I had to back into a closet, which would be tough with a click floor. When I reached the wall, I trimmed the lip back a bit to make it easier.
– On the version I installed, the pattern was pre-distressed. There were very subtle faux scratches and blemishes on the planks, which you can only see up close. At first, I really thought the product was damaged! Any minor scratches or damage should be imperceptible, which is good news.
Cons:
– Unlike a click floor, the connection between the planks isn’t ‘positive’. Hairline gaps do appear, which hurts the illusion. There didn’t seem to be a way to fix them. Forcing planks together seems to work at first, but then they spread apart slowly 30 seconds later. I have one gap that I find totally unsatisfactory – about 1 mm – but no amount of effort helped. It really bothers me, but I didn’t recognize how bad it was until the next day. Way too late now.
– The fake tile pattern wasn’t quite consistent. I’d have one faux grout line aligned perfectly, and the next would be slightly off. This can get unsightly over the length of a room, so I started anticipating the creep and deliberately mis-aligning the left side so the it averaged out. A running bond pattern would make things easier.
– Cutting the planks with the table-saw throws a lot of chunks. Each tooth seemed to take a little bite and hurl it directly at my safety glasses. I ended up completely coated in vinyl bits.
Final analysis: I would feel hesitant to install this kind of floor again unless the client was completely OK with some unavoidable imperfections – or I learned some new tricks. Overall, though, my installation appears professional and neat, and it’s conceivable that no one will notice except me.
Installation went relatively quickly. I don’t have a sliding miter saw, and my table saw is junk. A proper setup would make installation very rapid. Shaping it with snips and a utility knife made artful scribing simple and quick, and saved a few trips to the saw when I was hunched over in the closet.
It’s kind of a cool product. I’d probably choose ceramic for my own home, but I’d be perfectly satisfied to live with it.
Replies
Thanks for the info.
Edited 12/14/2007 5:49 pm ET by rez
No problem, rez!My misgivings were unfounded. My clients were absolutely pleased with the floor, which is good. I paid very close attention to the layout, making sure that the kitchen cabinets' toekick was aligned half-way on a "tile."
Biff
did you open the flooring packages and let it acclimate to the house (about 3 days)before it was put down. I have seen this floor being done & talked with the installer and he told me to do that before laying the floor . He also put a plywood underlayment
Zeeya
The installation instructions didn`t mention this anywhere. I don`t think it`ll end in disaster. The packages were in the next room for weeks prior to installation. Time will tell! Shrinkage would really be a problem. Those joints would open up very easily. Most importantly, my clients were aware that I wasn`t familiar with this kind of flooring. I told them, explicitly, that I was winging it.I was installing this over an old plywood underlay that formerly had an old vinyl floor over it. The homeowner had scraped it clean and flat. I double-checked the whole surface before installing it, and I`ve walked over the whole floor with stocking feet. I can`t feel anything telegraphing through the floor; it just feels flat like a floor should.
Edited 12/14/2007 7:29 pm ET by Biff_Loman
one thing to note on this product. it does state that it needs to acclimate so there is apperently some type of movement going on somewhere.
Do you think the trick of installing the saw blade backwards would have helped when cutting this flooring? Seems to work for other vinyl products.
It's kind of thick. Probably worth a shot, but I can easily see the blade grabbing it as opposed to tearing through. It's 1/8"; it is absolutely going for a ride if it starts to climb the blade.But this stuff cuts with anything at all. There are probably better ways of ripping it, but I didn't have the time or inclination to experiment.
Edited 12/14/2007 8:33 pm ET by Biff_Loman
Would tape have held the joints together?
Good idea. . . I'm not certain if the glue cures, or remains soft and tacky permanently. If it cures, tape would definitely help, no question. If it doesn't cure, tape might still help, because it would keep all the joints tight and aligned, and pressure of additional flooring planks might prevent the gaps from opening.I will bear that in mind if I ever install the stuff again.
Edited 12/15/2007 7:17 am ET by Biff_Loman
Biff
Thanks for your reply.
You wrote "It's kind of thick. Probably worth a shot, but I can easily see the blade grabbing it as opposed to tearing through. It's 1/8"; it is absolutely going for a ride if it starts to climb the blade."
I was thinking possibly using a wet saw would be worth a shot it might stop the vinyl from grabbing and possibly give a cleaner cut
Zeeya
Good thinking. A smooth diamond blade, backwards, might be just the thing.