Aquaguard By Floor & Decor
Approved for Standing Water
Courtesy of Floor & Decor
- Water Resistance: 30 Hours
- Price: $$$
AquaGuard is a Floor & Decor exclusive that, if the reviews are to be believed, is surprisingly great.
Why surprisingly? Floor & Decor is a big box store, which doesnt always bode well for product quality. Key example: NuCore flooring. This is Floor & Decors flagship vinyl plank productand lets just say its budget-friendly for a reason.
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.
This Full Farmhouse Comforter Set
Theres nothing that says Im an adult like a matching five-piece comforter set. This set has a near perfect 5-star rating, with people saying its high-quality, easy to clean, and designed beautifully. Some reviewers have paired it with pillows of differing colors to add variety to the design , but most agree that the best part of this set is the pillow embroidered with a happy bee.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on , , and for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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Will Laminate Flooring Add Value To Your Home
This is a subjective question through and through. Some buyers love the idea of laminate floors because theyre durable and easier to maintain others prefer the real thing.
Generally speaking, wed probably say that laminate is more valuable than other budget floors. If youre comparing laminate vs. linoleum , laminate probably offers more resale value.
Ok But Just How Waterproof Is It
We get it. There are a lot of conflicting claims out there about the actual waterproof qualities of waterproof laminate floors.
Heres the real scoop. Some products marketed as waterproof laminate flooring will only survive casual exposure to liquids: spills, accidents, etc. These are really just water-resistant.
A few, however, can survive some level of standing water. And those are fully waterproof. Well be super clear about which are which in our brand breakdown below.
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Waterproof Laminate Warranties Often Have A Lot Of Restrictions
This is important: a lot of waterproof laminate flooring options have restrictive warrantieseven some of the high-end products.
Most likely, brands are trying to cover their ahem, backsides, in the event that too much water hits their productwhich can be a situation-by-situation issue. For example, a floor in a high-humidity environment may be more susceptible to standing water than one in a dryer environment.
The point: read a laminate products warranty before you buy it .
If A Plank Gets Damaged The Entire Floor May Need To Be Redone
On that note: if you have a floating floor and a plank needs to be replaced, theres a decent chance that you will have to uproot your entire floor to access that broken plank.
This problem isnt strictly limited to TrafficMaster flooring its a disadvantage of floating floors in general. But given TrafficMasters flimsy locking system, this can be pretty dauntingbecause its possible that you might break several more planks while trying to replace the original broken plank.
The inability to repair floors in-place is one of the reasons many buyers still prefer engineered hardwood vs. laminate, or even bamboo flooring vs. laminate. Laminate cant be repairedit has to be entirely replaced.
On the other hand, you can refinish bamboo flooring or hardwoods to keep them looking new indefinitely. And while the cost to refinish hardwood flooring can be expensive, its better than having to replace an entire floor.
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How To You Install Waterproof Laminate Flooring
Most waterproof laminate is sold as snap-together flooring. These planks click together like puzzle pieces, making a seamless surface. That way, water has a harder time penetrating between planks.
That doesnt mean youre limited to just basic patterns, though. Waterproof laminate can stand in for hardwood in most wood floor designs, like herringbone or mixed-width patterns.
Remember: Unless Your Laminate Is Protected On All Sides Its Only Water
We know were hitting you over the head with this, but its for a reason. Even the best laminate flooring brands are only waterproof if they are protected on all sides .
Water-resistant floors, on the other hand, only have surface-level protection. Thats why prefinished hardwood flooringeven with a factory-fresh water-resistant finishisnt fully waterproof. Water can just get below the plank and soak in from there!
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First Of All: What Is Laminate Flooring
Fake wood flooring is super popular these days, and for good reason. Vinyl, cork, and even concrete flooring that look like wood can all give you the appearance of hardwood with tons of added benefits. So: what is laminate flooring? Where does it fit in the mix?
Laminate is a multi-layer flooring made of both natural and synthetic materials. From the bottom, those materials are:
This construction makes laminate both durable and affordable. And best of all, it does a stand-up job of mimicking hardwood. If you compare the appearance of high-quality laminate vs. hardwood flooring, you probably wont be able to tell the difference.
Waterproof Laminate Vs Water
Weve spent hours upon hours going through warranty information for different products, and found that many waterproof laminate flooring brands will dot their catalogs with the word waterproofonly to say the flooring is water-resistant in the accompanying warranty.
Again: well be super clear about which is which.
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Home Decorators Collection Vinyl Plank Reviews
After extensively scouting for Home Decorators Collection Vinyl Plank Reviews online we found the majority of reviews on the Home Depots website.
In fact, we found a huge amount of reviews on their site with some of the products having over 2800 unique reviews in total. All of the Home Decorators Vinyl Plank products scored an average of over 4 out of 5 stars.
Home Decorators LVP Reviews
When looking at the LVP products with over 2800 reviews we found that 1919 of these reviews scored 5 out of 5 stars and only about 150 reviews scored 1-2 out of 5 stars.
One of the 5-star reviewers stated
Did both the upstairs and down with True Cherry planks. 1500 sq ft in all. Product was in perfect shape no damaged pieces in over sixty boxes. I really like Home Decorators click and lock design. A patient person can get a professional job. It takes a limited number of tools to accomplish the installation, but a saw to cut around the door casing is about necessary for a neat job.
Whilst on the other hand an unhappy customer wrote
Doesnt snap together like Allure or other high end products. Many of the end seams didnt go together well. If I could do it again, I would spend a little extra on better materials.
We also found several discussions on forum websites such as houzz.com with both positive and negative reviews. However, a lot of these negative reviews are due to things like bad installation and too-high expectations.
Home Decorators Collection Pricing
The major benefit of the Home Decorators Luxury Vinyl Plank is its cost. Prices of some products are as low as 1.79$ per Sq. Ft and only as high as $3.29 per Sq.Ft for their most expensive line. Even the flooring products with thick 20MIL wear layers sell for as low as $2.39-$2.79 per Sq.Ft.
Considering the wear layers Home Decorators Vinyl Planks are some of the most affordable floors on the market that have decent durability. Home Decorators Collection LVPs are cheaper overall than leading vinyl plank brands such as Shaw, Coretec, Mohawk, or Cali Bamboo.
| Home Decorators Vinyl Line |
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Can I Install Laminate Flooring Over Existing Floors
This is another one of those check the warranty first questions, but in general, you should be able to install waterproof laminate flooring over existing floors. It really depends on the product, though.
Of course, the standard option would be to install it over the subflooring rather than an existing surface.
How Long Does Waterproof Laminate Last
Quality waterproof laminate flooring should last around 25 years, but a lot of factors can go into this .
However, many high-end brands offer lifetime residential warranties. So: its possible that these products could last much longer.
That said, if you want something thats going to last for generations, maybe think about buying hardwood floors instead. Some of the most durable wood flooring options arent that much different from laminate in terms of hardness, and they can be refinished indefinitely.
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Quick Aside: Waterproof Laminate Vs Waterproof Vinyl
Moving on from the pros and cons of waterproof laminate flooring, theres one thing we have to add: a comparison between luxury vinyl plank vs. laminate.
Before waterproof laminate, there was a strong case to be made that vinyl plank was the superior floor. Why? The best vinyl plank flooring brands offer high-quality, long-lasting products that were equally affordable, but waterproof.
Plus, the cost to install vinyl plank flooring is about the same as it is for laminate, and both floors offer realistic looks and textures. So, the argument basically came down to this: vinyl plank was waterproof, but laminate was a more environmentally-friendly flooring choice because it wasnt 100% synthetic.
Waterproof laminate flooring evens the gap, minimizing vinyl planks biggest advantage. Though, theres still no waterproof laminate equivalent for loose lay vinyl plank flooringyet.
Laminates Durability Is Measured By Its Ac Rating
The AC rating system spans from 1 to 5. The higher the number, the more durable the product.
Laminate with an AC rating of 1 is basically the flooring equivalent of a paper plate. At the other end of the spectrum, an AC rating of 5 supports heavy-traffic, commercial use.
Most products fit somewhere in between, with the majority of the best laminate flooring brands offering products with an AC rating of 4.
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How Do You Install Laminate Floors
As we mentioned above, waterproof laminates are almost always installed as click- or snap-together floors. This installation style creates a surface seal, making it harder for water to seep between planks.
If that sounds odd to you, dont worryclick-together or floating setups are some of the most common installation styles these days. And as an added bonus, floating floors make for some of the easiest flooring to installeither for professionals or do-it-yourself flooring aficionados.
And what is a floating floor, exactly? Its simply a floor that rests on top of the subfloor without being attached. Again: if you havent looked into buying a floor before, we know this sounds weird, but reallythe disadvantages of floating floors are minimal. After all, its 2022even magnetic flooring is a thing now!
Caution To The Bidder:
For demonstration purposes, various pieces of equipment may be joined together. Do not assume a lot consists of more than one item simply because they are connected together. You are bidding on the item as it is described and not the item in the photo. Equip-Bid makes an effort to ensure the descriptions are accurate and the photos match as well. However, an error can occur in the listing and in that case it will be the description and not the photo that will be the item won. If you feel there is a discrepancy or error between a listing and a photo, contact Equip-Bid for clarification and notification of error.
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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 .
Does Trafficmaster Laminate Flooring Need An Underlayment
Yes. All TrafficMaster laminate flooring products need an underlayment so moisture cant come up from the subfloor .
Fortunately, most underlayments are fairly inexpensive. There are even a few high-tech options available, like underlayments that turn your laminate into magnetic flooring thats super easy to install.
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Lifetime Warranty Or Is It
Home Depot calls it a lifetime warranty, but we think that is misleading.
First, the warranty is prorated.
- 100% years 1-5
- 10% year 15 and beyond
The warranties of most of the better brands of vinyl plank flooring are not prorated.
Secondly, labor reimbursement isnt impressive. It is 100% for the first two years, 50% for years 3-5 and 0% after 5 years.
Given the warranty limitations, it is clear that Home Depot expects this flooring to last 7-10 years in most settings.
The Best Waterproof Laminate Flooring Absolutely Compares To High
Even though there are few problems with luxury vinyl tile , its an all-around fantastic flooring option and its waterproofing is arguably more waterproof .
That goes double for rigid-core luxury vinyl flooring , which is even more durable than ordinary vinyl plank.
Still, waterproof laminate flooring offers a similar degree of performance in the same price range.
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Home Decorators Collection Silverton Oak
Home Decorators Collection Silverton Oak is a top seller recently at Home Depot. It looks good and people are buying it up quickly for their home as well as commercial uses.
Verified Review: Beautiful and durable! We decided to change the flooring in our daughters play room and were so happy we chose this flooring! Its beautiful and durable! It puts up with toys being thrown around and 3 dogs and a cat running all over it without any scratches! I hope the centennial oak comes back in stock soon so we can do the rest of the home since its such a great price!
Home Decorators Collection Silverton Oak is a beautiful addition to any home. The wide width, light gray color and embossed finish are able to transcend well beyond just one design style to put itself to work in any home or business. This design is one that will span many years of trends allowing you to know youve made the right choice for your space.
Shaw Repels Waterproof Laminate Offerings
Shaw Repel offers a surprisingly slim selection of styles . But these styles do hit all the staples, like oak and maple looks. There are even a few darker looks like walnut, but nothing as dark as ebony flooring.
Heres something ironic though: Shaw makes almost 200 non-water-resistant laminate options. So if youre looking for flooring ideas and want to use Shaw laminate flooring, you might have to go with an option thats not in the Repel collection.
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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.
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.
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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 .
Untangling Who Makes Which Version Of Trafficmaster Flooring Is A Nightmare
Trying to figure out which manufacturer makes which version of TrafficMaster laminate flooring is like trying to untangle headphone wires after youve shoved them into your pocket
You might assume that the 7mm, 8mm, and 12mm versions each have a singular manufacturer, but that doesnt seem to be the case. If you search through several products on Home Depots site, youll note that the warranty policies largely say the same thing , but the format and branding tend to change.
Why is this the case? The most obvious possibility is that these products dont share the same maker. That is, Home Depot is sourcing its products from a lot of different manufacturers, including its other in-house brands.
This isnt a problem in itself, especially considering TrafficMaster flooring reviews are mostly consistent between products, but it does make it hard to pin down where your flooring comes from and some of the finer detailsespecially when it comes to VOC compliance.
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