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So raise your hand if you like laminate flooring. (I’ll abstain)
I’ve installed it many times to date, usually Armstrong or the like, and have yet to walk away from a job saying to myself,”Wow this is great” Usually more along the lines of,”Oh good it’s done.” I’ve also laid alot of hardwood and that simply turns out great every time.
I work out a Do Jang with laminate floors. There is alot of kicking and jumping going on in there. It’s aprox. 1250 sq. ft. ,25’x50′, and the flooring is popping apart at the seams in a big way.
2/3 of the floor is in need of being reglued.
Anyway the questions I have: Any input on like situations? Anyone think that over all size plays into it; expansion and contraction popping the seams? What’s the optimum humidity for laminate flooring to be stable. Does anyone think that the product simply is not up to snuff for abuse?
I’d like to help the owner out. She’s having the typical problems with her contractor not wanting to warranty his work and the flooring co. like wise dragging their collective foot.
Any input is appreciated as usual.
David
Replies
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Try Kahrs (umlauts over the a) from Sweden. I've had Kahrs floors in for over 10 years and they perform very well. It's real wood, cross laminated in to a kind of high tech plywood. Installs as a floating system. Very little expansion and contraction. High quality finish. Sells from 5 to 10 dollars per square foot plus installation, which is a joy.
*David,I've done 2 Dojo, one with solid wood and the other with custom mats. With all the jumping and such, framing to reduce deflection is a must. I can't see how anyone with the knowledge of what goes on in a Dojo would recommend a floating laminate floor. I really can't see any long term solution to your clients problem other than starting over. Begining with rethinking the finish floor material.
*Mark,I tend to agree that the contractor should not have suggested laminate floors for such an application. I personally would have suggested a hardwood or mat. I know that the owner does not want the mats as they absorb sweat and can easily transmit foot fungus. With that in mind it's nice to land on when upside down although we tend to pad the people not the floor.Any other solutions for using the materials at hand... anyone?David
*I never understood the mentality behind laminate flooring(except it is very sellable). When Pergo first started setting up selling in Home Depot I was setting up the new stores. Pergo had this real cute display with a ladys high heel shoe cabled to a chunk of their product-the idea being that you could wack the flooring sample as hard as you could with the shoe and not damage the product. The Pergo rep told me the product "is virtually indistructable". I put his sample on the ground, held my hammer at counter hight (claw up) and dropped it- it didnt actually penitrate, but caused enough damage that after a few moppings the substrate would be absorbing moisture- & since its all glued together you can't properly replace one strip....
*I made the HUGE mistake of letting a homeowner install Armstrong he got at Lowes in his new custom home. He did it one very long weekend(turned into 7 days) Long story short, he layed it 32 feet(perpendicular to the long dimension) with no expansion strip, and right in the middle of the great room got one package of a different lot # with a gloss finish in the middle of all that satin finish. Looks like shit, and everyone is looking at me like I had my guys do it and my work stinks. Lesson learned....JUST SAY NO...err HELL NO, and give me that key back, if you want in, call me I'll let you in and lock it up as I escort you out after a quick "look see". Keith C
*Hi, fellas, been lurking a while. I love my laminate floor. Just found out I could use (SLOP-GLO) on the Armstrong brand. It's great for the bad back in the kitchen. Floating and all. I did a test area too see how well it holds up.Curtsey,Fledgep.s. I bring beer............(you know in case) uh I mean cases.
*Loc makes a laminate flooring that "clicks" together, no gluing required. Doesn't seem like the joints would be waterproof, but they claim they are (they fit quite tight). Guarantee it for 3 install and disassemblies. Guess in Europe the big thing is to rent a place, throw down laminate, when you leave you take the floor with you. Good or bad, if you get a damaged piece with this stuff it's at least possible to unclick it back to the damaged piece and replace it. Only a couple of pieces of baseboard to remove and re-install. Call it laminate flooring maintanence, if you will. Oh yeh, and at 2.79 sq/ft CDN it sells itself.
*David,The merits of laminated floors aside, is your question how to retain the floor, repair, adapt?Luck
*Humidity?I have to admit I've seen too many problems with laminate floors and high humidity as the stuff will "grow" more than one would expect. Definately leave more expansion area than the suggested amount. In that 25 X 50' area, I'd leave a good 3/4" around the perimeter.David, I have a good feeling the problems you are seeing could be the result of a wavy subfloor which would cause the seams to open up.
*David, I agree with Mark. The owner will have to start over. Laminates have their place in a house, if that is what the home owner wants. But I can't think of too many commercial applications and not in a karate facility. I have done one floor in a dojo. Hardwood. Still kicking.
*I've done a few laminate jobs. All were fairly small, most were kitchens, a halls and powder rooms thrown in. No problems at all. Every product has it place, and limitations. Expectations are another big thing. I don't expect this stuff to be better than sliced bread, and neither do my customers. The contractor and the flooring company may be dragging their feet, because the customer was told the options, and went with the cheap and pretty. On a side related note. Anyone ever compare to manufacture's listed on the various brands. I've seen Pergo, Bruce, and Ikea......all made in the same twon in Sweden! I'm thinking there's one big plant.....and the only difference is the box it's sent out in! Jeff
*I used Poliface (marketed by Husky) in several rooms in my personal house (slab construction), along with Pergo accessories (poly-film, foam pad, glue, straps, etc.). I liked the high-density fiberboard in mine better than the particle board I saw in the Pergo available at the time. I've installed hardwood in spec. homes because it's more sellable, but my laminate floor works fine. My home was a show home for about a year and took an awful lot of foot traffic (not to mention our own cat traffic). The only problem areas were where I noticed a small nick on a plank or two and installed the piece, anyway. Any small nick is a weak spot that will chip later. Otherwise, in the 18 months or so that I've had it it's been excellent. I'd use it again.
*Mark,I've got a handle on how to repair the floor. My question is to what end? Fix it and how many weeks to do the job over. I told the owner I'd reglue the floor without guaranty. There is just no saying when it will bust apart again.Does anyone know real numbers on the humidity vs. holding strength of the glue used with laminate flooring?David
*David,The short answer is that it will bust again. The owner will have to put a value on how often she wants to deal with it and the knowlege that the frequency of repairs will increase over time.Glue is no match against humidity. Humidity creates movement and glue is made to hold through rigid adhesion. The more humidity, the more movement, the more failure.Be careful.Luck
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So raise your hand if you like laminate flooring. (I'll abstain)
I've installed it many times to date, usually Armstrong or the like, and have yet to walk away from a job saying to myself,"Wow this is great" Usually more along the lines of,"Oh good it's done." I've also laid alot of hardwood and that simply turns out great every time.
I work out a Do Jang with laminate floors. There is alot of kicking and jumping going on in there. It's aprox. 1250 sq. ft. ,25'x50', and the flooring is popping apart at the seams in a big way.
2/3 of the floor is in need of being reglued.
Anyway the questions I have: Any input on like situations? Anyone think that over all size plays into it; expansion and contraction popping the seams? What's the optimum humidity for laminate flooring to be stable. Does anyone think that the product simply is not up to snuff for abuse?
I'd like to help the owner out. She's having the typical problems with her contractor not wanting to warranty his work and the flooring co. like wise dragging their collective foot.
Any input is appreciated as usual.
David