Cheap Laminate

[Polestretch]

We are touching a little bit on this in another thread, so I thought I would start it's own.
I hear Home Repo advertising laminate for $.68 a foot.7 mil! they make it sound like it is top of the line! I have put some of the cheap stuff from Blowes in an apartment, and it was starting to delaminate before it was actually rented.
Today,at the shop I work out of, a cusstomer came in that we had installed top of the line Pergo in their kitchen and dining room about 6 years ago and couldn't stop talking about how great of a floor it is.They have a bunch of children.
It goes to show you, you get what you pay for.

 

[Nick]

I think Don has it in his trailer .

 

[Ernesto]

I've installed it, I reckon it's like your base grade carpet used in track homes but not as dusty, probably last longer. Worst one ever was from Ikea. ugh

 

[Isola96]

It's all depends on how carefully you install the cheapest laminate flooring inspect each piece before you install it and most of the time people beat them in which will pop up the corners and chip.

 

[Ernesto]

I gotta beef with Mannington right now, don't get me started.

 

[Isola96]

What size mm did you use? May I ask with out getting you started lol

 

[Ernesto]

What size mm did you use? May I ask with out getting you started lol

It's not about the size...mm. IMO thickness does not matter much as far as performance. I've installed tens of thousands of sf of 7-8 mm with no issues at all. It's the way they package the stuff. You will pull 3 to 4 exact same boards out of every box, one after the other, they do not mix them up, picture wise. Oh, and only about six different pictures on the planks. Always got to keep an eye out to see if you get to many of the same in one area, even working out of five boxes at a time.

One other thing........they insist you put all ends together then install the full row. I hate that if your installing alone it takes longer than installing each plank seperately. It's got a deep V groove so I suspect they don't want lots of end joint damage. It will install tight doing one plank at a time, I tested a couple and saw no locking mechanism damage and they would not pull apart even with my foot kicking on them.

 

[Nick]

But Mannington is a pain to install one at a time .

 

[Isola96]

It's not about the size...mm. IMO thickness does not matter much as far as performance. I've installed tens of thousands of sf of 7-8 mm with no issues at all. It's the way they package the stuff. You will pull 3 to 4 exact same boards out of every box, one after the other, they do not mix them up, picture wise. Oh, and only about six different pictures on the planks. Always got to keep an eye out to see if you get to many of the same in one area, even working out of five boxes at a time.

One other thing........they insist you put all ends together then install the full row. I hate that if your installing alone it takes longer than installing each plank seperately. It's got a deep V groove so I suspect they don't want lots of end joint damage. It will install tight doing one plank at a time, I tested a couple and saw no locking mechanism damage and they would not pull apart even with my foot kicking on them.

Yeah good points I'm not a fan going the entire row at a time either.

 

[Ernesto]

But Mannington is a pain to install one at a time .

Nick, this 5 5/16 inch nomonal goes together great one at a time. The locking mechanism looks just like a miniture version of a UNICLIC mechanism. Usually a true rotating lock will not tap together at all on end joints and causes damage to the mechanism if push comes to shove. I dunno, call me a UNICLIC lover.

 

[Nick]

Rarely do Lam. the one i did a few months back you had to do lock a full row at a time .

 

[Isola96]

Love laminate and Mannington is used alot.

 

[TNT]

It's not about the size... IMO thickness does not matter much as far as performance.

Sorry, I'm being bad. Anyway, I went to measure a very expensive home on foreclosure yesterday, and the entire downstairs had a probable .79 cent laminate, apparently self-installed (not under jambs and so on) ... the very top layer was peeling up at every single corner. The client didn't even see it, so I didn't mention it. My job was only to measure the steps and upstairs.

You definitely do get what you pay for. Very surprised to hear anything on a Mannington issue. The only one I've had was to clean the residue off boards from the machine slipping on the moisture-barrier seal and putting it on the top surface as well as in the end seams.

Tia

 

[Isola96]

Yikes?!... Although the cheap LAM can look good if done correctly I have put so may rooms in and only having to use the block maybe twice it's all by hand for me.

 

[Ernesto]

I like laminate too. I make much more money per day than with it than installing hardwood. Probably cus most of the hardwood I put down is gluedown and takes longer, troweling, strapping and rolling etc.

If I can talk to the consumer prior to their purchase I go over the benefits of cheaper vs quality laminate, first generation types are usually the cheapest, less layering of the surface pictures, less patterns, less protective layer and all that jazz. I don't think the thickness has that much to do with it untill your down to 5mm or something. Pricing can dictate quality allot.

 

[TNT]

I like laminate too. I make much more money per day than with it than installing hardwood. Probably cus most of the hardwood I put down is gluedown and takes longer, troweling, strapping and rolling etc.

If I can talk to the consumer prior to their purchase I go over the benefits of cheaper vs quality laminate, first generation types are usually the cheapest, less layering of the surface pictures, less patterns, less protective layer and all that jazz. I don't think the thickness has that much to do with it untill your down to 5mm or something. Pricing can dictate quality allot.

Agree. Today I went to another home - when the young couple purchased it, the kitchen/dining/family room had cheap laminate. It was finished around the edges okay, but once again peeling and chipping. They asked for the "good stuff" this time. There are some darn good laminates out there. Mannington is one of my faves, so still not understanding the problem on that.

Tia

 

[TNT]

Yikes?!... Although the cheap LAM can look good if done correctly I have put so may rooms in and only having to use the block maybe twice it's all by hand for me.

Since they click together now, do you even need a block? Just asking ...

Tia

 

[Ernesto]

Agree. Today I went to another home - when the young couple purchased it, the kitchen/dining/family room had cheap laminate. It was finished around the edges okay, but once again peeling and chipping. They asked for the "good stuff" this time. There are some darn good laminates out there. Mannington is one of my faves, so still not understanding the problem on that.

Tia

I'm wondering if your seeing a cleaning maintenance problem, I rarely ever see that peeling.

Anyway, on the click. Most of them need a little coaxing with the block. I always give them a tap just to make sure. With the square edge you can absolutely tell if it is engaged fully. Not so much with this one I did that has a dark deep V groove. Course the eyes are going on me too. Plus it was a rotating lock. Never seen one of those just snap the whole row in.

Gimmie a UNICLIC and I can snap and click all day, backwards, forwards and sideways.

 

[Isola96]

You can also tell if it alclamated fully if they lock in my hand easy. I have seen so many horror LAM jobs done cuz they beat them in with the block hence that's why I have a toy hammer next to the block in my picture. Lol

 

[Ernesto]

I acclimated this Mannington )%($*&^ for 72 F'ing hours so they can stick it.