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tnkrer1

Recommendation for a floating floor

Moz Tn
9 years ago

Hi,
We have a small room. 16 x 11. It serves as a play room. It was carpeted. We decided to switch to wood flooring. My kids have asthma and carpets are not good for that. So we started looking and price-wise Lumber Liquidators seemed great. The reviews on their site were great too. So we went to LL and got some of the samples of bamboo flooring. (Forbidden city click strand bamboohref>) Then I started searching in general about the quality of those and found this and other sites that talked about the fumes from LL bamboo, (Formaldehyde use) so that floor is now out. While cost is always a factor, since the room is small enough, I am flexible about the per sf cost. We want durable floor that is an healthier option to asthma sufferers. Also, we want to do it ourselves, so floating floor is what we want. I am in MA. What floor is recommended and where can I buy it? We are looking for a color similar to forbidden city bamboohref> from LL.

Also, we have taken out the carpet. There is some kind of tile underneath. It is glued to the wooden subfloor. We plan to float the floor above this tile. What should we do in terms of prep? There is some glue residue (glue was used to keep the underlayment down I think). Does it need to be removed?

Thanks

Comments (5)

  • FLOORJOCKEY
    9 years ago

    Hey tnkrer... I recommend staying away from LL (who got into trouble for lying to customers about formald. levels in their floors) and the home centers. Most local stores will be very competitive with a cash and carry deal because all they have to do is make a phone call and take delivery.
    I'd also think twice about bamboo. Bamboo is actually a grass that is compressed into a "hardwood". The question to ask if you're worried about kids with asthma is what kind of VOCs are being expelled from bamboo.
    Kahrs Hardwood is a great choice for engineered wood floors (in fact they invented it). Their Spirit line is specifically designed for people with allergies, etc...
    Mohawk makes some really nice wood floors with a Uniclic locking system which makes for easy install. Also Quickstep flooring just got into the hardwood biz and their floors are some of the most friendly to install.
    As for the tile that's down in the room, if it's down good and the floor is level, just leave it. Don't worry about the glue residue. Put down a good pad with a vapor barrier even if you are above grade. And I can't stress enough to acclimate the floor and leave the appropriate space around the perimeter.

  • lmccarly
    9 years ago

    We had Kahrs in our last house. We had an active dog with two adults and it held up very well! It was 4 years old when we sold that house and it looked brand new. I wouldn't hesitate to use it in the future.

  • Moz Tn
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for all the responses. We spent last couple of weeks going to different showrooms and looking at samples. Kahr's is allergy friendly, but we did not like any floors we saw. We liked Armstrong performance plus (one of the cherry versions). It does not claim to be formaldehyde free, but they do have the certification that they conform with California requirements.
    One of the showrooms had Eddie Bauer floors, which are made by Iconic floors, they claim to be formaldehyde free, but they are a very recent player, and I did not see any real user reviews in forums etc,
    Another one we liked was Mannington floors Exotic flooring, Amendoim. Mannington claims to be formaldehyde free and 0 VOC, so that one is currently top in the running, but it does not look as good as some of the other amendoim floors, so currently looking for more information on Indusparquet amendoim engineered floors for formaldehyde and VOC information.

  • PRO
    Eddie Bauer Floors
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Hi Moz, Just saw your mention of Eddie Bauer Floors here. Thanks for giving us a look. All of our flooring is made without any added formaldehyde glues. This is an important indoor air quality consideration when looking at engineered hardwood flooring from any manufacturer. You can find our complete product line here on Houzz.com and we invite you to order samples so you can review our fashion and quality. We are happy to provide any product data you would like to see. Eddie Bauer Floors offers a lifetime structural and wear warranty on all our floors. Our three new collections, Alpine Trail, Beach Cove, and River's Edge are Made In America, and offer styling and durability that brings your active lifestyle into your home. #LiveYourAdventure

  • PRO
    Cancork Floor Inc.
    7 years ago

    2.5 year old post