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Costco laminate flooring?
February 9, 2008 at
12:13 AM
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I believe the brand is called Harmonics? Does anyone have it in their home?
We have carpet in our room, and it always gets so dirty. We have laminate in our kitchen and family room so I really like that it's easy to clean and mantain.
Next month there is a $5 off coupon from Costco so I was thinking about doing it then?
We have carpet in our room, and it always gets so dirty. We have laminate in our kitchen and family room so I really like that it's easy to clean and mantain.
Next month there is a $5 off coupon from Costco so I was thinking about doing it then?
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We have carpet in our room, and it always gets so dirty. We have laminate in our kitchen and family room so I really like that it's easy to clean and mantain.
Next month there is a $5 off coupon from Costco so I was thinking about doing it then?
I have it -- installed it myself in my daughter's room. I would say it's OK. Looks pretty good (for the most part), and I MUCH prefer it over carpet.
I have installed another brand that I bought at Home Depot in another bedroom, and it's a far superior product. It also cost a lot more.
I installed yet another brand in our basement -- bought it at Sam's Club. Once again, I prefer this brand over the Costco (Harmonics) brand.
The Costco floor will ripple if it gets enough water on it. Our puppy had a couple of accidents on the floor which I didn't catch in time. The floor has now buckled a little bit where the seams meet. (Well, I guess it's not actually a buckling of the entire board, but the top laminate has lifted a bit.) I have read about similar experiences from other people who have installed this floor, so it wasn't totally unexpected.
I was also disappointed by how quickly the gloss disappeared. If you use anything other than water to mop it with, you might take away the shine permanently. I think I used vinegar and water -- apparently this is a big no-no, as the acid in the vinegar etches the surface and removes the shine. We have hardwood floors in the rest of the house, and vinegar and water works great for them, but not for laminate flooring. Live and learn.
Compared to the other two brands I have installed, the Costco (Harmonics) floor has proven to be the least durable. The flooring in the other bedroom and the basement have taken a lot of abuse (kids, dogs, spills, etc.), yet they still look as good as the day they were installed. The Costco flooring has been in for about 3 years now, and I'm ready to tear it out and start over. I think if you aren't worried about spills, though, the Costco laminate would work out fine. HTH
I have installed another brand that I bought at Home Depot in another bedroom, and it's a far superior product. It also cost a lot more.
I installed yet another brand in our basement -- bought it at Sam's Club. Once again, I prefer this brand over the Costco (Harmonics) brand.
The Costco floor will ripple if it gets enough water on it. Our puppy had a couple of accidents on the floor which I didn't catch in time. The floor has now buckled a little bit where the seams meet. (Well, I guess it's not actually a buckling of the entire board, but the top laminate has lifted a bit.) I have read about similar experiences from other people who have installed this floor, so it wasn't totally unexpected.
I was also disappointed by how quickly the gloss disappeared. If you use anything other than water to mop it with, you might take away the shine permanently. I think I used vinegar and water -- apparently this is a big no-no, as the acid in the vinegar etches the surface and removes the shine. We have hardwood floors in the rest of the house, and vinegar and water works great for them, but not for laminate flooring. Live and learn.
Compared to the other two brands I have installed, the Costco (Harmonics) floor has proven to be the least durable. The flooring in the other bedroom and the basement have taken a lot of abuse (kids, dogs, spills, etc.), yet they still look as good as the day they were installed. The Costco flooring has been in for about 3 years now, and I'm ready to tear it out and start over. I think if you aren't worried about spills, though, the Costco laminate would work out fine. HTH
i've always wondered about buying this laminate from costco, but i am less likely to do so because of your experience.
as for real hardwood...lumberliquidators.com is a great place to get real hardwood flooring at a lower-than-you-expect price.
i've always wondered about buying this laminate from costco, but i am less likely to do so because of your experience.
as for real hardwood...lumberliquidators.com is a great place to get real hardwood flooring at a lower-than-you-expect price.
I will say this, I took a regualr house key, and GOUGED a pre finished pice of Bruce Cherry hardwood floor, where as the home depot traffic master laminate would not really scratch, other then a hairline mark if held at the right angle. I have basic #2 oak on the first floor and while i like it, its needing a re-finish after 10 years and there is a ding and scratch here and there
Also there is the Engineered floor...which has a quater inch real wood layer, lumber liquidators has a brand that can float like laminates, so there is no nailing needed. Thats like $5.00 per square. I did not give that the "key" test.
So both hardwaood and laminates have pro's and con's. though I cannot speak for the Costco brand....
good luck
I researched it extensivingly before buying. From detailed evidence I found it is actually a relabel of a brand name product. Uniclic Quick Step Classic 800 which is sold at a much higher price. I've attached installation instructions I got fro the Quick Step product. When I compared them to Haromonics they were identical except for a change and replace of the product names.
My experience is different than slick-as-snot. I am very happy with how it has held up with normal kid abuse and daily traffic from a heavy electric wheelchair. One reason for the difference in experience is likely that we avoid any wet cleaning. We regularly sweep to prevent dirt erosion of the sheen. Otherwise we only use a damp mop (not wet) and immediately dry behind by dragging a dry towel with our feet. I use acetone to spot clean. If you read the instructions I attached you will see that they strictly forbidden wet cleaning.
People assume that for the great price you will only get the quality you pay for. I suggest looking for reviews of the Quick Step Classic 800 and you will be more confident with the decision.
Edited:
I just came back from Costco and noticed that the Harmonics product I was reviewing and comparing to Quick Step Classic 800 has been replaced. The current Harmonics laminate on display is totally different. Different wood grains, different color, longer-narrower planks. It may still be a rebrand of a Uniclic - Quick Step product but it is definitely not the Classic 800 product any longer.
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First off, for $1 sq/foot, you get the thinnest laminate there is. Pergo is twice as thick, so you do get what you pay for. You can easily see this for yourself if you examine Pergo at a Home Depot and then look at the flooring at Costco or Ikea.
I installed it in a 2nd floor bedroom 3 years ago, and it's held up very well. I wouldn't put this in a kitchen or one of the high-traffic areas. For that, I'd use the better stuff, like Pergo.
Ikea have a bamboo pieces called KVIST which is not too bad, around $2.80/sf I think