Trafficmasters Best Feature Is Its Cost
Again: TrafficMasters best feature is its cost. You can buy 7mm TrafficMaster Laminate for about $0.60/sq. ft.
The thicker 8mm and 12mm options top out at about $2.20/sq. ft.
Most laminate, by comparison, ranges between $2 and $4/sq. ft. And higher-end products like Shaw laminate flooring cost even more.
Its Probably Better To Hire A Pro For Installation
Even though Home Depot markets TrafficMaster laminate like its the worlds easiest flooring to install, TrafficMaster flooring reviews tend to disagree to some extent. Many buyers note that the locking system on their floors is flimsy and makes installation overly difficult.
Considering that improper installation voids TrafficMaster laminates warranty, it might be safer to hire a professional to minimize the chances of breaking planks before theyre even installed.
Look For Warranties Or Protective Features
Your total budget for carpet should include installation, the carpeting, and the carpet cushion, or backing, which improves comfort, provides insulation, blocks moisture, and stops stains from reappearing, according to Lowes.
On average,replacing 2,000 square feet of carpet which includes removing and disposing of old carpeting costs about $14,220 to $24,440. If your homes subflooring is unstable, you may need to hire a carpenter to replace it, which costs an average of $70 an hour.
Those costs aside, different types of carpeting include different warranties. For instance, STAINMASTER Signature and STAINMASTER Essentials carry warranties of 25 years and 10 years, respectively, against abrasive wear, which your agent could use as a selling point.
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Trafficmaster Flooring Reviews Also Say Its Durable Enough
TrafficMaster flooring reviews say the durability is acceptable it should handle ordinary wear and tear for the bulk of its lifespan. However, dont expect it to look pristine years after installation.
Remember, this is a budget floorits meant to substitute the look of the most durable wood flooring, not the performance.
Installing Laminate Is Cheaper Than Installing Hardwood
The cost to install laminate is about the same as the cost to install vinyl plank flooring: between $1$6/sq. ft.
If that sounds high, consider this: the cost to install engineered hardwood floors usually runs between $4 and $8/sq. ft. And since the best engineered wood flooring brands already cost a lot more than laminate brands like TrafficMaster, youre saving thousands of dollars per room by opting for laminate.
This also applies to replacement costs. So, if youre thinking about the cost to replace carpet with hardwood, for example, TrafficMaster flooring could be a more value-conscious choice.
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What About Home Depot’s Low
They say they will beat any competitor’s price by 10%, but according to their fine print, that’s only on identical in-stock items. That makes it virtually impossible to substantiate a claim because they use private labels on all their carpet samples.
They change the name of all their carpet styles and colors to make it difficult for you to comparison shop. A low-price guarantee sure sounds good until you read all the fine print. In the end… You Lose.
The Big Box home improvement warehouses have been charging homeowners a measuring fee just for coming to your home and sizing you up. From what I hear, the licensed & certified measuring specialists they contract with… are required to measure your home using a “special measuring method”.
Does that mean they add another 5, 10 or 15% of material to the total? You may never know for sure, but basically they want to make darn sure there is MORE THAN ENOUGH carpet to work with so they never have to worry about running short of carpet and padding for your home. Yet it still happens…
Over-measuring translates into you paying for a lot more for new carpet & pad then you might actually need. Adding just an extra 10 yards of material to your order could easily add $500 to your total cost of your job. Ouch!
When you call their toll-free number, they will send a sales professional to your home who will show you samples and try to “close the sale” on the spot. Here are some questions for you to consider…
Have A Carpet Complaint
You’ll first have to contact the carpet manufacturer if you think your carpet is defective. Have a carpet installation problem?
You’ll have to contact the carpet installer directly if you think your new carpet was installed improperly. Did the salesperson misrepresent the product you purchased? You will have to contact the independent contracted salesperson.
If you can’t get a remedy from any of these sources you may have to file a claim in small claims court, but against who? Get ready for some serious headaches trying to figure out who is to blame for your carpet problem.
Costco members may be shown a small display with a rack full of miniature carpet samples or brochures. If you grab their free brochure you will be provided with a phone number to call to start your in-home Carpet Consultation Process. A salesperson will bring samples to your home and be happy to write up your order and arrange for installation.
While they may carry some good quality carpet, be prepared for sticker shock when you see what the total cost will be. Again, you can’t comparison shop easily because they change the carpet style names and color names to thwart you.
You would need to take their carpet samples with you into other local carpet stores to try to compare both samples side by side. It’s definitely not easy to do, and is time consuming.
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Oak Flooring Cost Calculator: The 2022 Guide
How much does oak flooring cost to buy and install? The answer is its complicated! Sorry to burst your bubble if you were looking for a quick solution. If youre buying hardwood flooring, youve almost certainly considered oak as an optionits one of the best hardwood floors on the market today. Which makes sense, since oak is one of the most common hardwoods in the United States.
Were Focusing On Trafficmaster Laminate Flooring
Again: all 3 of Home Depots in-house brands offer both laminate and vinyl plank.
TrafficMaster is largely seen as Home Depots flagship in-house laminate brand, while LifeProof is largely seen as the stores flagship in-house vinyl brand.
With that in mind, were going to be focusing this review on TrafficMaster laminate flooring only. Were not talking about laminate made by Home Decorators Collection or LifeProof . If you do want a breakdown of LifeProof vinyl flooring reviews, click that link.
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Trafficmaster Laminates Minimum Acclimation Period Is 2 Days
TrafficMaster laminate flooring has an acclimation period of 2 whole days. Basically, this means the floor has to adjust to the environment of the room itll live in before it can be installedotherwise, it might warp or crack once the humidity or temperature changes.
Many laminate floors have acclimation periods, but 1 day is closer to the norm. Then again, hardy premium products often dont need to acclimate at all.
How To Install Trafficmaster Laminate
Trafficmaster laminate flooring can either be glued down or floated, which is pretty standard for most floorslaminate, vinyl plank, even some engineered hardwood
Glue-down laminate flooring is exactly what it sounds like, and you install it in the same way youd install glue-down hardwood or glue-down vinyl plank flooring. The advantage here is that you can lay planks down in any pattern you want. Want to get cool wood floor patterns like chevron or herringbone parquet flooring? This is the installation style for you.
As for floating TrafficMaster laminate, the process is even easier : simply attach planks together using the provided locking system and then place them down over the underlayment. Voila! A snap-together floating floor.
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Texture Retention Or Appearance Retention Warranty
This is the key warranty to consider. This is the warranty against the carpet losing its original appearance due to untwisting of the fibers. All carpet fibers are twisted together but can become untwisted as a result of wear and tear, causing the carpet to look flat or fuzzy.
Not all carpets carry a texture retention warranty, so be sure to read the warranty information carefully. This warranty will tell you a lot about what you can expect in terms of the performance of the carpeta 20-year texture retention warranty indicates that the manufacturer has a lot of confidence in the product and it will likely be very resilient the lack of any texture retention warranty is a pretty sure bet that you would be looking to replace this carpet within five years.
Which Means Only Some Of Its Products Are Low
A GreenGuard certification is a good indicator of eco-friendly flooring practices, but these products still arent entirely VOC-free. Even 100% synthetic PVC flooring can earn a GreenGuard certification if the manufacturer can demonstrate that the chemical contents are within EPA standards. That said, these products are absolutely more eco-friendly.
The problem here is that most TrafficMaster flooring doesnt have any kind of health or environmental certification. At all.
If you want environmentally friendly flooring, wed suggest choosing one of the few certified products TrafficMaster offers or an entirely different brand instead.
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Trafficmaster Flooring Reviews Say Its Noisy
Synthetic flooring can be noisy, especially if its installed as a floating floor without the proper underlayment . But TrafficMaster flooring reviews seem to highlight this as a particular issue.
If you want quieter floors, look into the best cork flooring products. Of course, one of the disadvantages of cork flooring is that its not the best hardwood substitute in terms of authentic looks.
Looking For Qualified Installer For Home Decorators Flooring
Some readers complained that they cound’t find the local installers or overpaid the installation. Then we developed an online free estimate tool to help you get at least 3 local bids in 24 hours.
This tool is powered by our partner Networx which has been specializing in collecting, vetting and rating vinyl flooring contractors for more than 20 years.Comparing the 3 bids can help you get the reasonable installation cost and avoid getting ripped.
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Who Makes Home Decorators Collection Vinyl Plank Flooring
Halstead New England is the manufacturer of Home Decorators Collection LVP. The company also produces LifeProof LVP for the Home Depot and Allure flooring too.
The fact that Halstead makes it exclusively for Home Depot reduces distribution cost and allows Home Depot to sell it at a very competitive price.
OK, lets look at the two lines
Buying Carpet From Lowe’s Home Depot Empire Or Costco
What Homeowners Need to Know… Before Signing the Check!Please Don’t Fall For Those Relentless TV Ads… Offering Free Carpet Installation! Learn the honest Truth about Choosing New Carpet wisely, How to quickly spot common retail Carpet Scams and how to make Smarter Carpet Choices!
The last time I checked, all four of these Giant National Carpet Retailers use OTHER companies to facilitate their carpet sales and their measuring and installation services too. That means if you ever have a carpet installation problem or carpet complaint, you may have a hard time getting anyone to help you or accept responsibility for making things right.
Did You Know?
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Home Depot, Lowe’s and Costco contract out all their flooring sales, measuring and installation services to different companies?
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Empire Today REQUIRES all their salespeople to form their own CORPORATION so they will be Independent Sales Contractors?
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Home Decorators Collection Vinyl Plank Flooring From Home Depot
Has anybody used the Home Decorators Collection vinyl plank flooring from Home Depot? I’m curious about how the floor stands up to regular use after a couple of years.The reviews are mostly positive on the Home Depot website, but I’m not sure how trustworthy they are. It’s obviously a cheaper option for vinyl plank flooring at only $2/sq-ft and I would only need the flooring to last around 4 years or so until my kids are a little older and we can start considering putting in hardwood.My wife and I really like the Stony Oak Grey and the sample from Home Depot holds up pretty well to a key scratch test.
My Best Carpet Shopping Advice
I suggest you visit several locally-owned carpet stores near you and get several FREE estimates. Visit one of my preferred carpet stores if you can. You can then decide for yourself who to buy from when you see your estimates side by side and consider everything.
When it’s all said and done, I think you will agree that my preferred dealers are the most knowledgeable, most reliable and most reputable! I bet you you’ll be treated with respect, get a fair & square deal and enjoy first-class customer service… before, during and after the sale!
Visit my free List of Recommended Carpet Dealers There’s a lot more you need to learn before you head out to shop for new carpet.
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And Trafficmaster Reviews Are Relatively Decent
Despite its low price, TrafficMaster flooring reviews are actually pretty decent. Yes, complaints are commonbut most are relatively trivial. The quality seems to be a little better than what you might expect from a floor that costs around a dollar less than most other laminateand much less than the average cost of wood flooring .
Prioritize A Soft Fiber With A Short Pile
When choosing carpet, youre considering the style of the carpet as well as its fibers. Textured or twist carpeting is flexible and stylish than more tailored loop carpeting or the upscale look of a pattern. As for fibers, synthetic fibers such as polyester, triexta, nylon, or polypropylene comprise more than 90% of carpeting on the market, the WFCA says. Bell recommends a soft fiber with a short pile for easier maintenance, unlike berber, which adds texture but can snag. When people walk barefoot, they want something that feels soft on their feet, she says.
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The Best Way Is To Sort By Color Family And Species
We found that the easiest way to sort through TrafficMasters catalog is to filter the results in one of 2 ways:
- Color Family: Brown, Gray, Tan, or Yellow
- Species: Oak, Hickory, Pecan, Brazilian Cherry, or Teak
You can also sort by Style, Plank Size, and Gloss, but they dont eliminate many products from the list. Most of the catalog mimics wide plank wood flooring, and there are relatively few gloss options offered.
Trafficmaster Laminate Is Made By Several Different Companies
Pinning down who makes which version of TrafficMaster laminate flooring is surprisingly difficult. Some third-party sites suggest that the bulk of TrafficMaster laminate flooring is made by Shaw, one of the best hardwood floor brands, but theres not much to substantiate these claims.
This probably wont be a problem for most buyers but it may make it hard to determine if a particular product is made in the USA or elsewhere.
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Only Some Trafficmaster Laminate Products Have A Greenguard Certification
If you want non-toxic laminate flooring, TrafficMaster offers a few products with GreenGuard or and/or other low-VOC flooring certifications. Basically, these certifications ensure that a floor doesnt emit unsafe levels of VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds.
However, theres no easy way to sort through Home Depots online store to find these products. You literally have to look through all 35 products to see which ones are low-VOC certified.
Trafficmaster Flooring Is Home Depots Most Popular In
TrafficMaster is Home Depots flagship laminate line, but it also competes with Home Depots other in-house brands: LifeProof and Home Decorators Collection.
LifeProof also offers laminate flooring, but its mostly known for its LVP.
Home Decorators Collection is Home Depots direct-to-consumer brand and offers everything from furniture to lighting, and of course flooring. Since its direct-to-consumer, you can only order it online .
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Some 12mm Trafficmaster Laminate Flooring Has A Solid 7
Weve mentioned this before, but this is very important:some 12mm TrafficMaster laminate flooring products have a commercial warranty. Again: Home Depot does not offer a commercial warranty for all of its 12mm TrafficMaster laminate flooring products.
The reason for this most likely comes down to who makes the individual product .
Home Decorators Collection Vinyl Plank Flooring Reviews
You have a limited selection of 65-70 styles in 2 lines compared with up to 200 styles in 10+ lines from brands like Shaw, Mohawk and Armstrong.
The two lines are:
- 4mm thick planks with an 8 mils commercial-grade wear layer
- 4.2mm planks with either an 8 mils or 12 mils residential-grade wear layer
Those are Home Depots descriptions.
Note: Home Depot does not offer a commercial warranty on either line.
|
Thickness |
|---|
Thickness: This is total plank thickness.
Warranty: The first number is the residential warranty. The second is the commercial warranty.
Price: The cost shown is for the flooring only. It does not include trim or transition pieces needed when LVP butts up to other flooring types.
Installation: LVP costs $1.50-$2.75 per square foot depending on the job complexity.
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Trafficmaster Laminate Is Not Water
No version of TrafficMaster laminate is water-resistant. To be fair, water-resistant laminate flooring is fairly rare , but TrafficMaster doesnt even attempt it.
So: dont use it for kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or mudroom flooring.
If you want a waterproof hardwood alternative for that wood-floor bathroom look, we would recommend high-end LVP or concrete flooring that looks like wood instead.
