4 tips on how to pick a laminate flooring
There must be at least 150 different laminate flooring brands out there on the Vancouver, BC market. You have found something you like finally, great! But how do you know if the floor isn't just a pretty face that won't last? How do you know if it pose no danger to your family's health? Here are a few quick tips. Afterall, flooring is hard to put in, and even harder to take out!
Is the Floor safe?
|
|
Unfortunately there is no Canadian government ban on potentially harmful flooring materials. They simply is not doing nearly as good in this field as they are at collecting taxes. So it is up to us to pick the right product. Look for these labels on the display and samples. “FloorScore” , “CARB II” “A+”. These things tell you how much VOC the floor emits. When you see these labels, you know the product has passed rigorous testings in a reputable laboratory.
Products that has these three labels "FloorScore", "A+" and "CARB II Compliant" means they have been tested for rate of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emission and they have been certified non hazardous to our health. VOCs are organic matter that are very low in boiling points. Although not acutely toxic, they to tend to have negative health impacts. One of the most infamous VOC is formaldehyde. At low concentrations, it can cause respiratory irratation, head ache, watery eyes. Long term exposure to it will increase cancer risk.
"FloorScore" tests flooring product against a volley of VOCs and is considered one of the most reputable standards in safety for flooring materials. "A+" is the equivalent in European Union standards. "CARB II" is the toughest standard world wide. It stands for California Air Regulatory Body Phase II.
Products that has these three labels "FloorScore", "A+" and "CARB II Compliant" means they have been tested for rate of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emission and they have been certified non hazardous to our health. VOCs are organic matter that are very low in boiling points. Although not acutely toxic, they to tend to have negative health impacts. One of the most infamous VOC is formaldehyde. At low concentrations, it can cause respiratory irratation, head ache, watery eyes. Long term exposure to it will increase cancer risk.
"FloorScore" tests flooring product against a volley of VOCs and is considered one of the most reputable standards in safety for flooring materials. "A+" is the equivalent in European Union standards. "CARB II" is the toughest standard world wide. It stands for California Air Regulatory Body Phase II.
Don’t Go TOO Cheap!
If you have decided to go with laminate flooring in your project, I am guessing affordability is on your mind. Compared to other flooring products, laminate flooring is one of the least expensive option. But beware of dirt cheap products. Unless you are just flipping the property and run with the money, flooring is best to last.
Try not jumping on the cheapest no name brand you can find. Even though prices are usually more attractive than brand name products, these generics usually don’t come with proper warranty, missing information on how to install. Some are discontinued old stock that you will not be able to find again. If you are short at the very end of the project, or you need to replace some damaged floor boards in the future, or the flooring failed due to quality issues, you are on your own.
Wait for sales events at big box stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. They blow out dead stock all the time and they will back their products themselves. Smaller retailers rely on the manufacturers to provide warranty.
Get at least 10 percent more than what you actually need, in case you need to do an extra room. And putting some extra flooring away in storage in case of future needs is not a bad idea too. Whether it is pet’s pee or over flow from the planter, it is hard to avoid damaging your floor. Extra boards are a must if you need to fix your floor.
Try not jumping on the cheapest no name brand you can find. Even though prices are usually more attractive than brand name products, these generics usually don’t come with proper warranty, missing information on how to install. Some are discontinued old stock that you will not be able to find again. If you are short at the very end of the project, or you need to replace some damaged floor boards in the future, or the flooring failed due to quality issues, you are on your own.
Wait for sales events at big box stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. They blow out dead stock all the time and they will back their products themselves. Smaller retailers rely on the manufacturers to provide warranty.
Get at least 10 percent more than what you actually need, in case you need to do an extra room. And putting some extra flooring away in storage in case of future needs is not a bad idea too. Whether it is pet’s pee or over flow from the planter, it is hard to avoid damaging your floor. Extra boards are a must if you need to fix your floor.
Talk to Real People, Don’t rely on Reviews
Best way to find out what is a good laminate flooring for your intended purpose, is to get off the internet and visit a few real flooring stores. Talk to real sales people who worked a few years in flooring stores that have been in business for a few years. You will soon find out how much confidence the sales people have about any particular brand.
Laminate flooring takes a lot of time and hard work to install. Guess what, it takes even more time and effort to rip out and re-install if there is a quality issue!! So if a particular brand of flooring receives frequent complaints, it quickly looses their popularity with the retailers. Those brands who gets recommended, either has a stellar track record, or they dealt with complaints promptly.
No flooring retailer that has been around for more than 5 years would have lasted that long if they didn’t care about their reputation. The sales people almost always recommend the brand that gets them in the least amount of trouble. Because they know it is not worth it to make a quick buck now only to pay twice the amount back in damages.
The reason to not rely sole on what the internet review has to say is they are mostly fake!! Most people who are driven to post in-depth negative reviews, usually have a lot of anger to vent. There might be valid reason for his or her frustration, but they most likely are biased opinions.
Those who write full page 5 star reviews, are also rather suspicious in my humble opinions. I have never heard anyone I know rave about the quality of their new flooring. There is a usually a financial reason for someone to take a lot of their own time to write a long review about laminate flooring or any other product or service for that matter.
Laminate flooring takes a lot of time and hard work to install. Guess what, it takes even more time and effort to rip out and re-install if there is a quality issue!! So if a particular brand of flooring receives frequent complaints, it quickly looses their popularity with the retailers. Those brands who gets recommended, either has a stellar track record, or they dealt with complaints promptly.
No flooring retailer that has been around for more than 5 years would have lasted that long if they didn’t care about their reputation. The sales people almost always recommend the brand that gets them in the least amount of trouble. Because they know it is not worth it to make a quick buck now only to pay twice the amount back in damages.
The reason to not rely sole on what the internet review has to say is they are mostly fake!! Most people who are driven to post in-depth negative reviews, usually have a lot of anger to vent. There might be valid reason for his or her frustration, but they most likely are biased opinions.
Those who write full page 5 star reviews, are also rather suspicious in my humble opinions. I have never heard anyone I know rave about the quality of their new flooring. There is a usually a financial reason for someone to take a lot of their own time to write a long review about laminate flooring or any other product or service for that matter.
Test the Product Yourself!
If you want to find out if the flooring is made with premium raw materials, there is a very simple yet very very reliable test you can do yourself. Ask for a small piece of sample, sometimes it will cost you a few dollars, sometimes you can get them for free. Most stores have these little pieces of cut offs readily available for customer to take home and match against their furniture, cabinets, wall color and what have you. Then dunk the laminate flooring sample in a bucket of water and let it submerge in water, take it out at 10 minute intervals and see if the samples shows signs of swelling. High quality laminate uses high density fibre board (HDF) as the core material. Only boards that weights more than 50 pounds per cubic foot can be called a High Density Fibre board. While it is not impervious to water, it is much harder for moisture to get in and destroy its integrity like lower density fibre boards. And remember, moisture is the worst enemy of laminate flooring. Once a laminate flooring has absorbed water, it will irreversibly swell up and start to break down. The worst quality laminate flooring will swell up in water within 10 minutes. If the sample showed no change in 30 minutes, it has met the minimum standard. Swiss and German made commercial rated products such as Swiss Aura and Euro Loft will last hours even a full day.
If the wood flooring samples starts to swell in under 30 minutes, it means the manufacturer has probably used cheap fibre boards as the core. And lower quality fibre boards are usually made with urea-formaldehyde resin, the main cause of formaldehyde emission and other VOC off-gassing.
Some laminate flooring makers are very smart and they treat the 4 sides of their products with wax. That will slow down the absorption of water, but it will not change the fact it is not made with High Density Fibre board. This is also why we should a cut off piece of laminate or the water test. The cut offs don’t have waxed edges to protect them against water and its true colors will show in the test. Needless to say, if the sample starts to swell under ten minutes, it’s time to reconsider your pick. Household spills are almost unavoidable, and a lot of times we won’t even noticed until it is too late. Water damages are always not covered under warranty. The only way to fix it is to replace the floor boards, a messy and costly option.
Contact us if you have any questions regarding laminate flooring!
Email: kingswayfloors@gmail.com
If the wood flooring samples starts to swell in under 30 minutes, it means the manufacturer has probably used cheap fibre boards as the core. And lower quality fibre boards are usually made with urea-formaldehyde resin, the main cause of formaldehyde emission and other VOC off-gassing.
Some laminate flooring makers are very smart and they treat the 4 sides of their products with wax. That will slow down the absorption of water, but it will not change the fact it is not made with High Density Fibre board. This is also why we should a cut off piece of laminate or the water test. The cut offs don’t have waxed edges to protect them against water and its true colors will show in the test. Needless to say, if the sample starts to swell under ten minutes, it’s time to reconsider your pick. Household spills are almost unavoidable, and a lot of times we won’t even noticed until it is too late. Water damages are always not covered under warranty. The only way to fix it is to replace the floor boards, a messy and costly option.
Contact us if you have any questions regarding laminate flooring!
Email: kingswayfloors@gmail.com