The 25 year warranty covers what??? Actually read what that 25 years covers

as a former factory rep for Bruce I can tell you that there were legitimate factory claims but the vast majority of problems people have with hardwood are not covered by warranty. Its sort of a roll of the dice but I personally don't always think that the warranty should be the deciding factor. That being said I have no knowledge of the brand you are speaking of or its quality

product purchased through their retailer are isntalled by professionals, so you are guaranteed a professional installation.

Products purchased online doesnt ahve that guarantee.

thats the only reasons i can think of beside retail protections you mentioned.

I think Konnecto might be in some legal trouble on this one, especially if they are denyng valid manufacturing defect claims on perfectly installed products even if not installed by a professional.

ik now years ago that many manufacturers tried denying valid manufacturing claims becasue the floors werent installed by professionals, and class action ensues, and the flooring manufacturers lost.

i do not know about the legality of limiting a warrenty because its purchased over the internet, unlss the internet products are a lower grade.

This sounds like an attorney should look into it.

seems shady !

I agree, this seems really bogus. Konecto is billed as a DIY dream -- it's a floating vinyl plank floor with a "stick together" system (like the Trafficmaster Allure from HD). You're *supposed* to DIY. Even if they're trying to make sure their warranty only holds if a "professional" installs the product, simply buying this particular product through a retailer wouldn't "guarantee" that a professional installs it. It's supposed to be DIY! (They even have a video on how to install it and they tout how easy the installation is.)

Also, 2 grades of Konecto are commercially rated. If a business buys it over the internet for *commercial* use, do they get the 25 year warranty or is the product still considered a residential product?

And if I buy it from a retailer but THEY bought it off the internet (unlikely, but hey, I'm on a roll), do I still get the 25 year warranty or do we have to prove "provenance" as it were (like in the art world)?

What if I CALL the online retailer to order? Is that "ordering over the internet"?

Of course, affording an attorney to go to battle with them would be difficult not to mention a PITA. It would probably cost more than just re-buying all the material anyway. It's the principle of the thing, though.

Now, if their stuff sold over the internet is not the same as what's sold in the stores, that's a whole 'nother problem. How would one know what one was getting, even from a retailer?

Sheesh.

I think 1 year is enough time. The only possible negative I've read is that some people have had problems with the Traffic Master Allure installation (made by the same people). The problem was that some of the adhesive seams didn't stay sealed. I'm planning on using the Konecto in my basement. I'd use the HD product, but it comes in limited styles.

you would be suprised how many valid manufacturing defects can occurr in flooring prodcucts after a year.

For example?

Well, if the Konecto "sticky" strips are going to become un-sticky at, say, 18 months, I'd call that unacceptable and would want them to replace the product, for sure.

clg7067,

for example: the wear layer failing, uv warrentied flooring becoming sun damaged (uv protection failure), adhesive failure, hidden defects not visible at the time of installation to come to bear after it has been installed and only occurred with traffic on the floor over a period of time, micro fractures and such.

I will agree that the lions share of claims come within a few months of isntallations, but there are many claims that happen after a year that are inspected and found to be a manufacturing defect.

Now i am certainly no certified flooring inspector but we use them on occassion and our factory reps call them in on questionable claims to find the problem and state responsibility.

If you buy from a retailer who has a store, you'll get the full warranty. We advertise online, but we have a brick and mortar retail store. You are purchasing it from an authorized retailer. It would be no different than buying it at our retail store in Illinois and driving it back to California. Of course you have a warranty.

That being said, I would make sure whoever I bought it from did have a retail store.

The Konecto Prestige, Sunrise, or Country Collection is only made one way. If you buy it from us it's the same thing you saw at your local retailer - Konecto only comes one way.

Floorman67 is right on. This is just a way to try and appease local retailers who are upset because they can't make huge profits on everybody who walks through the door these days. Customers are too savvy and knowledgeable today.

Thanks for letting me have my 2 cents. If anyone has any questions about Konecto please let me know.

Robert Sandlin
Co-Founder
Flooring Market

It is a bogus statement, to steer you toward your local retailer, who pitch a B.... when they see products they carry, dirt cheap,while they have to add a substancial mark-up to keep employees, and all the overhead associated with a brick & mortar store, they are building a business, not just making a weekly wage.
On-line E-tailers, don't have the overhead. Most don't even have the warehouse space. They are order takers, and then call the distributor or directly to the manufacturer and have it drop shipped directly, saving lots of money on overhead. Thing is, you get the same product, either way.

Ask your retailer about cash and carry, to see if they will price match the internet, since most is made up for the way marked up installation labor cost, compared to what the actual installer sees for slaving over your floor.

I looked today at the Home Depot product which is similar, or perhaps absolutely identical, to the Konecto. Three colors, oak, hickory, cherry. They look good, but certainly not like genuine wood. 25 year warranty, $1.69 per square foot carry-home price. Panels are 6 x 36. HD calls it Allure, made in CHINA. I have not seen the Konecto product at all. Has anyone made a direct comparison between the two?

The local Konecto dealer told me he thinks it's the same product. He wasn't able to get me the Konecto in time for my laundry room project, so told me about the HD stuff. I guess the Konecto is back ordered for awhile. Smart guy--when I can finally re-floor the entire basement (2000sq ft) he's getting the contract.

Well, shoot, I hope it's not all made in China. I just like, on occasion, to buy things made in other places for variety's sake, LOL.

It's so weird. Our flooring store in southern NH said they were told the Sierra line wasn't in production yet and they couldn't get it until the end of September. They don't even have a sample board. But I contacted two online retailers who assure me they've been selling it for months, and Metroflor itself sent me the phone number for a distributor, who gave me two Massachusetts retailers who carry it. So. I wonder what the real story is?

If we don't buy through the store we've been using (and we probably won't because they charge $4.29/s.f. whereas we can get it elsewhere for $2.50 or so), we'll be sure to buy from a retailer who has a brick and mortar store so we get the warranty.

Thank you all for chiming in. I appreciate your help and advice.

I researched this product for months trying to decide if it was the way to go. I have been able to ascertain (to my satisfaction anyway) that Konecto and the Allure (HD) product are by the same manufacturer. If you go to Home Depot and ask to rent the installation video (which BTW is really nothing more than the sales pitch for the product) you will see that the scenes in the video are identical for the most part to the scenes in the Konecto video you can see online. Same set, same floor, same actors....

We are nearing completion of a 500 sq. install of the HD grade and let me tell you it ain't as easy as they portray it to be. *IF* you are working with a sqaure or rectangular room of the right width and length it isn't too bad. However, our rooms sort of meandered from one to another with hallways, cabinets, differing length stem walls and differing room widths...Frankly, in this application it was a real PITA to get this stuff laid.

I would strongly suggest anyone using this product in odd shaped rooms where continuity is important to plan on spending considerable time in planning. It can be done but you can end up in a pickle if you don't plan the entire project from the first strip to the last.

We laid this product over plywood sub floor that two out of three conventional vinyl installers said they would lay vinyl over. However, the bids for laying sheet vinyl came in at between $3000 and $4500 for mid-grade vinyl. Even with a good floor you will want it smooth or the product *WILL* telegraph major imperfections.

$995 for the Allure product was a much more affordable option for us. However, it was not a walk in the park and it a lot of time spent on you knees and scratching you head trying to figure out how to stagger joints using the 1/3, 2/3 cuts when working with 3 foot strip lengths in a 15.5 foot room. (can't be done as far as we can tell unless you manufacture your own splines)...Which while I am thinking of it is a suggestion I would make to anyone planning on using this product. Learn how to make a spline in the event you need to reverse lay or shorten a full strip to avoid ending up with a itty bitty fill piece.

As to warranty- I would buy the product on the internet. Generally, warranties aren't worth the paper they are written on... And, I can tell you from personal experience that offering me all of my money back if the product fails wouldn't begin to cover the amount of work it has taken to get this floor down!

Since I seem to be writing a book on the product I will add that I thought the Allure product looked cheap and ugly when we purchased it. Much to my surprise that phony looking grain pattern looks really, really beautiful when you get it on the floor. Distance improves this product!

One last hint for the Allure product...Don't believe Home Depot when they say there isn't a variance in color. They repeatedly assured as that there was no need for matching lot numbers and they lied. Luckily, I didn't trust them so I pulled product from each lot and intermixed it. You can still see patchy color variances but it actually enhanced the look to appear even more like a real wood floor.

And yes, it is a much quieter floor than laminates and even the existing vinyl that it is being laid over.

Elise

Elise, thank you, THANK YOU for sharing your story. Every bit of information I can get my hands on is incredibly valuable in helping me figure out exactly what we're going to do. I have ordered samples of the Konecto from a couple of online retailers and hope they'll come in soon. I keep meaning to stop in or call the local HD to see if they're stocking the Allure -- just keep running out of time after work. One of the flooring stores I went to in person gave me good advice: Make a small "investment" in a box of the Allure and try laying it out "wherever" to see if (a) you like it and (b) you can do it. With your story of the difficulties you've encountered, I do believe I will take his advice and give it a trial run before we're in it for the whole shebang. We'll be installing almost 700 s.f. and there will be some tricky spots. I'll have to have DH help with a detailed drawing so I can plan it all out before we start laying it down.

So glad to know it doesn't look cheapo when it's down. I like knowing that something reasonably affordable can look nice. :-)

Again, thank you for posting. I really appreciate it!

Alice

dejacat,

GREAT POST !!!!!!

your post states MANY concerns for DIY'ers that are second nature to seasoned flooring professionals, such as proper preparation, layout/piece size and fitting concerns, and area squareness in relation to the product layout requirements for the area in general.

Many DIY'ers do not think about these things until its way too late to do anything about them, then they get a floor they are unhappy with, then blame the product, the company manufacturing it, or the store they bought it from for their lack of forethought and experience.

NO FLOORING is a easy for everyone in every area no matter what any advertising says.

If people arent avid hands on DIY'er with a qucik mind for mathmatics and forethought, it might behoove them to hire a professional for the installation, even if they purchased the product online or at a bog box product retailer.

again ... great post and well stated !

dejacat (or anyone with knowledge)--

We will be doing a small Allure install Sunday-and were unable to get the demo video from HD. (Clerk in flooring claimed he'd never heard of such a thing.) I snagged the written instructions off the Konecto site.

Our room is, essentially, 75" by 85" (or 6'3" by 7' 1".) It's a large closet we are converting to a laundry room. We are laying over a concrete slab. Any advice? I bought an extra box of Allure...just to be on the safe side. I'd already planned to "batch" the boxes...I do it with paint, I figured it only made sense to do it with flooring.

I'd love to hear how one makes splines...no reason to re-invent the wheel. I plan on graphing it out before we start...anything else? I was thinking of dry-laying it...but can't figure out how I would do that with the contact cement aspect.

This is a trial run for us...we have 2000 square feet of basement that will need re-flooring eventually. I want the flooring to match--hence a removable surface in the "new" laundry room. If we like it, GREAT. If we don't, I've only laid out a couple of hundred dollars, tops. That's if we make a LOT of mistakes and bust into all the boxes...HD said I could return anything we hadn't opened.

thanks!
melanie

just saw the ALlure today at HD - and then read alot online and saw Konecto Prestige - seems to be a bit more sturdy, and since I have 3 large dogs who are inside while I work, I may go with the prestige - it is about 2.87 on the internet while Allure is 1.69 at HD. I really need to do my entire house, so I want to get the right thing!
MY QUESTION IS:
I have a rock fireplace with a raised CURVED rock hearth - do I need to just butt the vinyl planks up to the edge? figured I'd make a template first to cut it to shape. There are currently no quarter rounds at the base of teh fireplace and they wouldn't work anyway since there is a slight curve and uneveness due to the fireplace edge.
ANY IDEAS anyone? or has anyone faced teh same problem? Thanks!!

We installed our Allure today. I can't IMAGINE doing an entire house by myself. Honestly...if we decide to do the whole basement in the stuff I'll be paying an installer. It wasn't THAT difficult...and we were working in a difficult space. Essentially a 6' by 7' closet with a 40" by 40" low ceilinged alcove--seemed like every other piece needed to be cut to make the flooring work. I can already tell I'm going to be really sore tomorrow.

We used the HD Allure--this is an experiment. If it wears well I WILL use Konecto the entire 2000 square foot basement.
Before pic:

I have no wisdom on how to handle your curved FP...except to say it's NOT going to be fun. Seriously--get a quote for Konecto installed.

I will say, DH and didn't fight during the afternoon...but that large closet (it's going to be our new laundry room) took us the better part of four hours, not counting our lunch break.

melanie

Fire place?? I dont know if it is stone, tile, or brick, but you can use a Crain Undercut saw with a mosonry blade on it. The blades cost roughly 10 bucks each and roughly do 5 to 10 l/f each depending on the hardness on the material being cut. Just undercut it the height of the material so you can slide it under the fireplace a bit. It makes a good clean look if you cut it slowly and evenly. You can rent one of these at rental tool stores. Put up tarps or plastic, it will make a dusty mess. Hoped this helped.

So I just received my samples of Konecto products today ( I called them and merely request it )..

The difference between the Sierra and Prestige lines over what is in Home Depot is significant.. The Prestige has beautiful color !!

The are both over twice as thick as the Allure product and I highly recommend ordering these samples before settling for the sub-par Allure product from the Depot :)..

-Steve

Steve---

When I put in my "sub-par Allure" one couldn't BUY the Konecto...at any level. It was backordred "indefinitely." I had serious time constraints...so allure it was. It's been fine for a laundry closet.

What is the cost differential between the higher end Konecto and the Allure? Additionally, have you compared the bottom-of-the-line Konecto with the HD Allure? I thought the two looked pretty comparable...

Several points re:25 year warranty

Thanks to all of you for posting your comments. They have been quite helpful.

Alicepalace's observation may not be current any longer (August 7, 2007). Also the link to the warranty at the bottom of her comments does not seem to be a working site at this time (8/25/2009).

After some search I did find the Konecto Limited Warranty. The current warranty does not make any reference to any difference in terms on "internet purchased product" vs. product purchased from a local dealer/installer.

What it does seem to be saying is "This warranty covers materials and reasonable labor costs if professional installation was paid for when the floor was originally installed." I interpert this to be saying Konecto is not going to pay for labor to correct a problem if labor was not paid for in the original installation, i.e. a do it yourself iunstallation gone awry. That seems to be reasonable to me.

I would appreciate any of your comments confirming or correcting my interpertation. I would also like to have an email contact address for Konecto to run this understanding by them for their comment.

Thanks

reamscpa