Trafficmaster Allure any good or bad reviews

[PhilipGreen]

Does anyone have any good or bad reviews with the Trafficmaster Allure Plank flooring? I would like to put it in my basement over plywood subfloors and I have read good and bad reviews, it is very confusing?

 

[Floorist]

First, I would not use plywood on a concrete floor. It won't last. Most of the failures that I have seen with Allure have been below grade. You need to moisture test the floor before you put anything down.

 

[etana]

I just had Home Depot install TrafficMaster Allure in my townhouse basement/finished den, removing 25 yr old carpet.

I fell in love with the cork pattern, but would probably not recommend TrafficMaster Allure or use it again. Within the first 2 days I see scuff marks and scratch marks on the soft vinyl. I am sure this will not come off with washing.

The Home Depot installers were not very competent:
1. they did not use a roller on the floor until I insisted (from reading the forums)... Then they bought a pathetic hand roller instead of a heavy roller
2. I am not sure if the left it floating under the quarter-round molding; It looks like the molding is too tight touching the vinyl and this year through the Maryland seasons will tell if it buckles or not
3. They put quarter-round molding around the brick fireplace instead of finishing it with a nice cut or I'm not sure what exactly they should have done around the fireplace, but they glued the quarter round onto the brick I think. It looks ugly. I've never seen molding around a fireplace
4. They said they would bring a moisture measuring tool with them, but did not. The flooring went over concrete, and they put a plastic sheeting down. I had bought a $3 hygrometer from Home Depot and it seemed pretty steady and normal, and the den never feels moist, and the concrete looked brand new and dry under the carpet, but time will tell.

I do love the way it looks, and I probably could easily have installed it myself, but even though I'm a young 65, I thought, 'hmm it will take me a week and Home Depot a day," so I paid for installation... but it seems very very easy to do yourself.

I recommend probably to try the TrafficMaster Ultra which seems harder surface.

I still love how it looks; time will tell if the cork pattern continues to hide the scuffing and scratching. I would not use it for a high use, dogs and kids running around, area.

etana
Silver Spring, MD

 

[Floorist]

Welcome to the forum. Document everything, so if you have problems down the road, you have what you need. As far as the fireplace, that stuff contracts and expands, so they are required to leave a gap. Any trim, such as 1/4 round, can't be fastened to the floor. Good luck. IMHO, Alure is temporary floor covering. There have been a lot of complaints and the company is reluctant to take care of problems.

 

[Ernesto]

It's supposed to be rolled with a 50 or 100lb roller. The hand rollers and or not rolling at all with the specified roller is cause for many flaiures.

Undercutting fireplace hearths isn't hard.

I don't trmember there being a moisture spec for concrete before, did they change that? If it's six mil that should take care of it.

 

[etana]

Undercutting fireplace hearths isn't hard.

What does this mean? Undercutting?

I think it's too late, since it's installed

 

[Ernesto]

Undercutting means using a speciality saw that undercuts the brick, stone or what have you so the flooring can slip underneath it. Much like how you undercut doorcasings for hardwood, except you use a diamond blade on the saw.