Thoughts and opinions on "Trafficmaster Allure" flooring from Home Depot? - DIY Chatroom

zel · 07-02-2007, 01:08 AM

I am considering this floor as a cheap alternative to wood/laminate, over my concrete basement floor.

For anyone unfamiliar with this floor, it is a floating vynil floor that comes in planks similar to laminate. On one short and one long side of each plank, there is a piece of vynil sticking out roughly 1" with adhesive on it. The install is similar to a T-n-G type floor in that the pieces have to go in the correct direction. Every piece you install adheres to the previous pieces on 2 edges.

I'm wondering if anyone has installed this and what has been your experience with it? Also, how has it held up over time? Do the seems separate?

07-02-2007, 07:48 AM

I've seen one like this from Congoleum but I've never seen it down. It's suppose to be a thinner version of the classic no-wax vinyl plank flooring they use in auto dealerships and similar commercial environments. I have no idea of it's performance but the congoleum is speced for light commercial use so it should be fairly tough.

zel · 07-02-2007, 09:18 AM

Thanks for the reply. I found another forum site with about 8 pages of info about it, and even a company rep was there asnswering questions. I got up to page 5 and all the info was positive. The biggest complaint was the lack of color choices available at that time and the unforgiveness of the adhesive. They said you pretty much had to get the plank in position right the first time, because you couldnt pull them apart and reset the piece. In the end they agreed it was a good thing and would mean less chance of the planks moving once installed.

07-02-2007, 02:31 PM

I seem to recall congoleum's being the same way. Once it's stuck you aren't getting it apart.

RLNCC · 09-25-2007, 10:53 PM

I Have Seen This Traficmaster Allure Flooring And Would Like Some Thoughts Of Useing It In A Manufactured Home And How Good It Would Ware Especially With 2 Dogs And Lots Of Foot Trafic. Just How Good It Would Be To Cross The Seperation Of The 2 Sides.

Concordseeker · 09-27-2007, 06:39 PM

I tried it at Home Depot and could get the sections apart and restick them. Maybe it's after the glue sets up that you can't move it. I have to say I really like the look of it, for what it is.

Martin A C · 03-02-2008, 04:10 PM

I have recently installed the Cherry Allure flooring in our basement, first thing "Heelys" the kid shoes with the roller wheels in the heel are a No -No! Our flooring now has skid marks that I cannot clean up at this moment. These skid marks are most noticeable on an angle as the light reflects upon the markings.

As for the installation it went real well. There has been no separation of the planks other than the ones that I had not placed very well. They can be removed (with patience so not to brake off the glue tabs) and re-installed, but you would have to do this prior to installing the next pieces or it becomes a bit of a project. There may be some edges that rise a bit which I applied my foot to press back down.

I can answer back later in more detail, I gotta run - Grandma's 94th B-day.

Tony M

mike costello · 03-02-2008, 04:13 PM

Take your time, nobody has posted in this thread since September

techdude · 03-05-2008, 01:33 PM

I'll be undertaking this project as well. It's going in the basement and i'm not too concerned with it taking a beating. The real stuff is in my upstairs. I just can't believe HomeDepot.com wants to charge me 400 bucks online to ship the stuff. They're insane. I'll just purchase one of the few selections they have at my local shop. Currently it's only Cherry, Oak, Hickory and saw some Teak in there recently. Anyone install something that they liked? My family all seems to like the Cherry.

Argy 78 · 03-05-2008, 02:48 PM

Due to it's light weight I was thinking of installing the Allure flooring in my travel trailer but I am concerned about the product holding to the wood floor with all the temperature changes and our dog. Has anyone installed Allure or any other light weight type flooring in a travel trailer that has held up in this type of environment and use?

mngal · 03-12-2008, 12:46 PM

Just wanted to share our horrible experience with this product to spare others the heartache and frustration we have had this past year. First the seams lifted, which eventually led to Halstead (the manufacturer) refunding our total amount spent on this product. Then upon removal of the product, we found solid MOLD growing under the flooring!! We had installed it in a "dry" walkout basement which is actually a foot above grade/ground level. We had carpet and padding down for 7 years with no moisture/mold issues. Now our cement subfloor has been compromised, and even after cleaning with bleach and water 3 times, we are still told by professionals to seal it with a mold inhibitor paint to prevent any mold spores that are still in the cement from growing in the future. In my opinion, based on our experience, this product has a flaw in it's application for use. It seems to set up conditions for moisture to be trapped and breed mold. You don't have this issue with carpet as it breathes, and you don't have this issue with traditional vinyl because it is glued completely to the subfloor or sealed around the perimeter. This product doesn't require any floor prep in it's install and it doesn't seal out air with any type of gluing down of the floor. In my opinion this allows air and moisture to be trapped under the vinyl, and presto! you have a science project growing in your home! I feel we were lucky to have the seam lifting issue which led to us removing the flooring from our home after only 8 months....what if we had left it for 5 years...can you imagine the mold levels that might have existed then?! Contact me if you want pictures!!!

Gerry12 · 03-20-2008, 01:14 AM

Would like to see pictures if possible of the mould problem expressed by MNGAL. My wife and I are considering putting Allure TrafficMaster in our basement for a games room where we we now have a pool table and air hockey table. Currently it is bare cement. I was going to maybe glue a layer of wood first for warmth. But after reading about your problem not sure what to do. Did you put it down on top of bare cement? Would love to get email sent to Gerrytwa@aol.com. Can't always get on the forum and look for possible writings

Argy 78 · 03-20-2008, 04:11 PM

After talking with the people in the paint department at Home Depot about the probability of moisture and the probability of mold growth. They suggested that I fist clean the floor with a mold inhibitor to get rid of as much mold as possible then apply some sort of protector, like Thompson's or a water based urethane for wood sub floor before installing the Allure.
My concern is of the lifting of the edges with Allure and how to replace pieces that might lift with any of these products. My RV repair man stated that most RV's now come with glued vinyl flooring to help prevent any moisture problems and carpet over the vinyl in the areas that are requested.

PS I was at Costco and looked at some composite flooring, like Pergo, that is about the same price range if not lower than Allure but not as easy to install.

madeyoulook · 04-23-2008, 09:55 AM

To start off I work in the flooring department at Home Depot. As I read through all the comments posted I have to put in my two cents. Overall this is a great product. I sell this to a customer almost everyday I work. I have worked there for 1 year. And out of that year I have had 3 complaints. All 3 times it was the edges coming up. So you do the math. Any flooring or product, at that, will have somebody that is dissatisfied. In all actuallity the customer that said they installed it in a dry basement and they had a mold problem because the floor wouldn't breath, the basement obviously wasnt a dry basement to start with. I am not trying to bash on that person but they could have install a pergo that you put a plastic vapor barrier and had the same mold problem. All I am trying to say is that there is a risk with and product you buy but I have had more satisfied customers than dissatisfied ones.

PS. this is not a sales pitch, i hate my job. This is a opinion from a person that has it in there house and has seen this product bring satisfaction to many many people.

techdude · 04-23-2008, 12:20 PM

I've installed this product in my basement over vinyl tile a few months ago. It was about a 60 sq ft hallway and so far so good. I installed the Cherry color and the only issue i have is that it shows dirt/dust more so than a lighter color. There are no seams coming up and installation was relatively easy, except for those places you have to cut. I was going to do a bigger area, but it would have been a two person job and I didn't have the extra set of hands. I'll probably do the bathroom with the tile version of the same product. If you have a dry basement this product is great.....and I rarely take the time to post a comment or review about products unless they work for me. Good luck all.