Lumber Liquidators

Top 3: Click Vinyl

Vinyl wood plank comes in realistic wood and tile looks and is produced from recycled materials. Tranquility Click Resilient Vinyl combines beauty with an easy click-together installation, and is backed by a Residential 50 year warranty! Plus, these vinyls are moisture and stain resistant, reduce impact and noise, and are dust and fume free, so you can be confident in the durability and look of your floors!  

Here are the three highest customer-rated and  most popular Tranquility Click Resilient Vinyls!

Tranquility Golden Teak Click Resilient

Pros:
easy installation, looks great, easy to work with, easy to cut, hides scratches well, practical for many areas, no echo

Customers Say:

“I selected the golden teak click resilient vinyl for the kitchen and it looks great. It's easy to clean and I like the texture which resembles hardwood floor.”

 

“We used the vinyl plank flooring in the entire beach house to replace older laminate, carpet and tile. It totally transformed the house. Easy clean up. No more worries about water on the laminate floor in the kitchen and utility areas. The Golden Teak 5mm vinyl planks go well with all wood colors as you can see from the photos. Our installation crew even commented how easy it was to put down and how wonderful our home looked after installation was complete. We highly recommend this product.”

 

“Almost all the flooring in our cabin was replaced with this product.”

 

“We purchased this for our restaurant, and it looks amazing. People actually have to touch it because they do not believe it is not real wood. And it is very slip resistant even when wet.”

 

 

Tranquility Black Mountain Maple Click Resilient Vinyl

Pros: 

easy to install, easy to clean, looks great, durable, easily cut, professional quality

Customers Say:

“Easy to install and looks great. Only time will tell if it hold up but based on my observations of installations in commercial space I think it will.”

“You don't need much more than a box cutter and snips to cut the planks; installation was done in one day. I installed it in a bedroom over glued-down vinyl tiles and had no problems at all. It even looks better than the laminate flooring in the rest of the house. I may replace the old laminate with more of this at a later time...”

“I bought this for my units in an apt. bldg. We laid it in the kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and living area, it went down nicely after we got the hang of it. The comments on it is always how they look like wood floors. Also the fact that it keeps allergies away, no more carpet. Waterproof, and 50 yr guarantee, can't beat it.”

“I completed re-floored a large bathroom with this product and it looks spectacular.”

“Perfect setting for our living room”

 

 

Tranquility Lake Fork Creek Cedar Click Resilient Vinyl

Pros: 

easy to install, great texture, low waste

Customers Say:

“I used furniture pads on everything and have had absolutely no scratches. Product seems durable, time will tell.

The texture of this floor is delightful, the simulated hand scraped texture adds a realism not available in flat composite wood products. Be sure to use out of several boxes at a time and watch for pattern repeats next to each other.”

 

 

Like these? Get them, and all Click Vinyl, for 20% off with the coupon found on our website now through January 22!

More Than Floors

Step into a new year with some customers who updated more than just the floor of a room. Spiced up stairs and redone hallways can make a big difference in the look and feel of your home. See the spaces you can redo for a total transformation! 

Stairs:

“I LOVE my new floors! I replaced the carpeting throughout my home with the Spyder Strand Bamboo. I am very pleased with the size and color selection that I made. It adds such an elegant, rich feel to my home. It is like having a new house!”
(Qing Spyder Strand Bamboo)

 

 (Qing Scorpion Strand Bamboo)

 

“I wanted a real wood look for my basement floor. I was reluctant so I started with the stairwell into the basement. I can't believe how beautiful it turned out. I have received only the best compliments on the floor and I can't wait to finish the rest of the basement!”
(North Perry Pine Resilient Vinyl)

 

(Golden Zebra Strand Bamboo)

 

(Golden Zebra Strand Bamboo)

 

"...When you are going to be in the kitchen for hours you can almost forget how sore your feet used to be with tile or laminate. Also, I have cathedral ceilings, but experience no echoes when walking across the floor. With vinyl flooring that was not the case. I keep my thermostat low throughout the year, but the floors stay relatively warm..." (Lisbon Cork Castelo)

 

(Morning Star Strand Carbonized Bamboo)

 

(Tanzanian Wenge Laminate)

 

Hall/Entryways

“We put the floor in our entryway and dining room. It makes such a grand entrance. Installation was very easy.” (Tobacco Road Acacia Handscraped)

 

(Tobacco Road Acacia Handscraped)

 

(Schon Quick Clic Honey Red Oak)

 

Ceilings

“I bought this product to use on the ceiling of our Great Room and it was a fantastic idea! My ceiling has gone from very drab and un-noticable to being the room's show piece! It's really helped us give our home the "ski lodge" style we were looking for! It looks even better than I had hoped and was easy to install." (Matterhorn Birch Handscraped)

 

(R.L. Colston Utility Oak)

 

Walls

(Utility Oak)

 

Cabinets

 

"I used this pine to reface kitchen cabinets. Good quality #2 pine. 3 coats of clear semi gloss polycrilic were applied and made them look great." (New England White Pine)

 

Tree Houses!

(R.L. Colston Utility Oak)

 

Where have you uniquely used our floors? Let us know!

Top 3: Strand Bamboo

Strand bamboo is twice as hard as oak, making it a favorable choice for busy homes with high foot traffic, active children and even pets. As your learned in Wednesday’s post, strand bamboo is created by compressing pieces of bamboo into boards under extreme heat and pressure, greatly increasing the strength of the material.

Morning Star Bamboo is one of the best bamboo floors available today. All Morning Star strand bamboos are finished with a premium coating, supported by a 30 year warranty, made with real bamboo, and are a beautiful and ecologically friendly choice to make your home a luxurious place!

Here are our three highest customer-rated and most popular strand bamboos!

Morning Star Golden Zebra Strand Bamboo
4.8 stars
100% would recommend to a friend

 

Pros: beautiful color, attractive finish, durable, easy to clean, easy to install

Customer Photos

“This floor turned out gorgeous! ...The pieces come together with ease and our large dog and 3 kids have yet to leave a single mark in it. It is different than any other strand bamboo i could find with regards to shading and i have absolutely no regrets with this product!”

 

“...Great colors. Out of 36 cases I had only 4-6 boards that had minor defects. All sizes are precise.”

“It looks great !! Beautiful....”

More Reviews of Golden Zebra Strand

 

Morning Star Strand Natural Bamboo
4.7 stars
99% would recommend to a friend

Pros: attractive finish, durable, easy to clean, beautiful color, easy to install

Customer Photos

“My husband and father installed 500 sq feet of this flooring in our living room and kitchen. Not one bad board in the whole bunch. We had LL come out to do the measuring, well worth it. Only ended up with 2 extra boxes.”

 

“Extremly durable flooring...Out of 43 boxes of flooring purchased only one bad board! Absolutely no warpage whatsoever. Good stuff.”

 

“...The floor looks great. The picture of the flooring on the website does not do it justice. The variation in the color and the grain adds a warmth to our rooms that was never there with the old carpet. Definitely go with the strand bamboo. It may be more expensive than regular bamboo but it is worth it..." 

 

“Love the Floor -- easy to install”

 

More reviews of Strand Natural 

 

Morning Star Strand Carbonized Bamboo
4.4 stars
96% would recommend to a friend

Pros: attractive finish, durable, beautiful color, easy to clean, easy to install

Customer Photos

“The bamboo is very beautiful and has great variation in color...”

 

“The product was excellent."

 

“I liked the product on the first floor so I went ahead and did the stairs and second floor as well...”

 

“We purchased 850 ft^2 for our Foyer, Dining room & Living room. We found exactly what we wanted at LL in this product...”

More reviews of Strand Carbonized

All About Bamboo: Style, Color and Maintenance

Bamboo is a grass, making it an environmentally sustainable flooring choice. When it is cut down, more grows back! Bamboo reaches full hardness after three to six years, and Lumber Liquidators’ Morning Star is aged around 4 years. There are so many style and color options, making a decision can be confusing. This post will give you some things to consider, show you different style options, and teach you the difference between types of bamboo so when you’re ready to purchase you’ll know exactly what you’re getting!

Things to Consider

 1. Technically bamboo is a grass, not a wood.

2. Radiant flooring can be used under bamboo if surface temperatures do not exceed 85 degrees.

3. Many manufacturers bind planks with glue containing urea formaldehyde (UF) which contains chemicals. Carefully research the chemicals used in any flooring product to determine what is best for your home. With that said, our Morning Star bamboo is constructed using the best European glues available, creating a beautiful AND safe floor!

4. It is twice as hard as oak!

 

 Bamboo, like all wood floorings, can show signs of denting and surface scratching which is not covered by any manufacturer’s warranty. Like a new car, floor maintenance and the prevention of surface scratching and denting is an ongoing process!

 

Styles

Three common constructions of bamboo are horizontal, vertical and strand woven.

Horizontal- Pieces are arranged and laminated side by side flatways.

 

Vertical- Pieces are stood upright on edge and then laminated.

 

Strand/Woven- Created from waste strips of horizontal or vertical cuts, coated with resinous glues and compressed into boards with heat. This process significantly increases the overall strength of the material compared to other bamboo styles.

 

 

Colors

Bamboo flooring was originally available in only natural and carbonized colors. These colors come from the manufacturing process.

Carbonized bamboo is boiled for long periods of time until the material darkens.

Morning Star Strand Carbonized Bamboo

Natural (non-carbonized) bamboo is boiled just enough to remove the starch and sugar, so it keeps its blonde color.

Morning Star Strand Natural Bamboo

 Now, there are other color options, such as black or red. 

 

Maintenance

Sweep or vacuum regularly. Dust and dirt can scratch the finish of the floor.

Place mats with non-rubber backs at every entrance of your home to keep dirt out.

Clean up spills immediately to keep liquid from permanently staining the floor.

Check your warranty to see if a specific cleaner needs to be used.

Use chair and furniture pads to protect the floor. We recommend fabric or felt.

Rotate furniture and rugs periodically to produce a more even color and keep bamboo from fading in sunlight.

High heeled shoes and dragging heavy furniture can permanently damage bamboo with dents.

 

Have a question about bamboo that wasn't answered? Ask us here! Save up to 40% on select bamboos until January 7! 

Preventing Moisture Damage

 

Whether through a humid environment, wet shoes, a roof leak or a spilled drink, moisture damage can ruin a floor. Wood flooring is a big investment, which is why we want to share tips for keeping your floors safe from damage through all seasons.  

NEVER wet mop. Never damp-mop, swab or flood your floor with water or anything else.

Never leave liquid on your floor. Clean spills up as fast as possible with a soft cloth.

Lumber Liquidators does NOT recommend “water brooms,” “Wet-Jet Swiffers” or steam cleaners on laminate, cork or hardwood floors. The vapor can ruin wood or the urethane finish, causing cupping or warping. Use at your own risk!

Check your warranty for specific products to use or not to use, to avoid voiding the warranty.

 Place rugs and mats in “high-risk areas” where you expect spills, such as near the sink and stove. This includes welcome mats where family members and guests can wipe shoes, hopefully eliminating moisture (and dirt) from being tracked throughout the house. 

When using area rugs, use a rug pad with a felt, plant or PVC based backing. Never use a rug with petroleum based rubber backing. (This can cause permanent chemical damage and staining.)

  Virginia Mill Works Matterhorn Birch Handscraped

Virginia Mill Works Engineered Obsidian Plank

Morning Star Qing Kobra Strand Bamboo

 

If you want something a little different than a rug, we found this great idea on Pinterest! Leave wet shoes at the door without a soggy mat. Find it on our “Affordable at Home” board. 

 

 

Keep pet paws clean! Make sure the animals in your house don’t track in grease, oil, water or dirt.

  Chilton Woods Oak Laminate

Other ideas? Let us know in a comment!

Fix It Fast

Your floor can take a beating over the holidays. Whether it’s visiting family, holiday parties or winter weather, we have easy solutions for some of your biggest problems and advice from our installation professionals!

For Scratches and Gouges

Scratches can happen on all wood flooring. Luckily, our installation pros have a few ideas for getting rid of physical damage. First, repairs should be made immediately to fend off potential water damage. Second, always make sure the repair products you use are compatible with clear waterbase urethane finishes. For hardwood or bamboo:

Is it a surface scratch? Try a scratch cover, spray concealer or lotion to camouflage the scratch (but not remove it). There are also color satin markers which have a satin and urethane mixture, giving the repair a shine.

Is it a deep scratch? Wax color-fill sticks might work, which you can find at home repair stores. Just rub into the scratch and buff with a cotton rag. To see instructions for a light sanding and recoating, and for more detailed directions on scratch repairs check here.

Lumber Liquidators offer repair products that can help you, too:
Engineered Flooring Repair Kit
Solid & Bamboo Flooring Repair Kit
Engineered Repair Adhesive 

 

For Squeaky Floors

 

Squeaks are a result of board movement, whether wood-to-wood or wood-to-nail. If the cause is environmental, humidity can bring about noise. Humidity over 55%, for example, can cause boards to expand and rub. Always try to keep indoor humidity before and after installation between 30-50% with temperatures between 60 and 80. Another easy solution is to sprinkle baby powder in squeaky areas, as Bob tells us in the video above. Silica talc in the baby powder will work as a dry lubricant to lessen minor squeaks.

To learn more about squeaks and humidity, check here. 

 

Removing Marker

If you have laminate flooring, you’re in luck! Here’s one easy way to remove marker from your floor.

 

We hope some of these flooring fixes will help keep your floors safe and beautiful over the holidays! If you know of some others, share in the comments with your fellow floor fans!

Most Loved Laminates

We’re sharing our most popular laminates, customer reviews and more! If you want to know all about our top customer-rated laminates, this post is for you.

Customers love Dream Home Nirvana PLUS 10 mm laminates!

Rolling Falls Oak (4.6 stars)

What You're Saying:

Replaced wall-to-wall carpeting with this beautiful oak floor with area rug. The room has a warm, lovely new look, yet it seems like it's been this way forever. Love it. 

It really is beautiful once installed. We put it in the 3 bedrooms and hallway in the upstairs of our home. With attached padding and moisture barrier it is really quiet. We tested it with 3 grandkids and their parents visiting. Can't say how pleased we are.

 I wanted a floor that would withstand the constant use of people in and out. My den has three entries; back door, den opens to kitchen, & entry. All three areas are tromped thru with family & friends. Shouldn't have waited so long. Got is at great price. Looks smashing!

 Flooring looks good and fits good. Easy to install. We put it in daughters’ bedroom, they helped, it turned into a great family project. Doing another room soon.

 The Pros:

easy to install, easy to clean, beautiful finish, scratch resistant, feels great

The Look:

 

Hot Springs Hickory (4½  stars)

 What You're Saying:

The flooring was easy to install, not that it still wasn't hard work. I love my new floors. Makes the whole house seem more spacious.

Quality product, durable and attractive.

Great product. Easy to install. Since this was our first laminate floor to install, it took a while to finish the first room, but my husband and I were experts by the second room. It's very hard to mess up. The only time consuming part was try to match up patterns, but you probably don't have to. That's just me :-)

Very happy with laminate. Oh so needed, Oh so beautiful!

 The Pros:

easy to install, good price, great color, not super high gloss, great textured look 

The Look:

 

Boa Vista Brazilian Cherry (4.2 stars) 

What You're Saying:

Great flooring. My contractor had no issues putting this down.

Great look and feel

This is the first time I have ever ordered laminate flooring. I ordered it on line and hired someone to install it. Once the floor was installed I was very impressed with the look. The floor looks better in person once installed then in the pictures some people have posted...The planks are wide and have a beveled edge with a 2mm underlayment already attached. I also purchased the ECO Quiet Underlayment which makes walking on the floor very quiet.

We used about 300sqft for our living room and a small hallway in our condo. It turned out great. Wife was very pleased. Some of the boards were hard to snap in place, but it only took two days and two people (me being one of them who has never done this before) to finish. Very pleased with the quality and definitely would recommend this product to others.

The Pros:

easy to install, high quality, rich color, very scratch resistant, very affordable 

The Look:

Madison River Elm (4.2 stars)

 What You're Saying:

Great floor, great price. Also used a recommended installer, stiles flooring. Love the floors. Great job on install. Saved about $400 over big stores and got better floor. 12mm with padding.

Looks clean and brightens the room

This flooring is AMERICAN made, is very easy to install and really looks great!!!

I used it for the upstairs bedrooms, hallway and livingroom. Its not as bright as others, but not too formal as the darker woods, its a nice in-between pattern.

Product in easy to move cartons, easy to install, large planks look great, surface cleans easily - even paint glue or food spills!

The Pros:

easy to install, looks like real wood, durable, beautiful wood grain, pre-attached pad

The Look:

 

Lake Toba Teak (4 stars) 

What You're Saying:

I have been wanting a new floor in my kitchen for quite a few years and when this was put down I was not disappointed. Looks great and makes my kitchen look amazing.

It went down relatively fast for the first time ever laying down laminate. The hardest part was removing tile that we had in our house. That was horrible!!! But once that horrendous task was done, the laminate went down easy. It brighten up the room and what a difference it makes. The room picture is pretty accurate, but it looks even prettier in person. You won't be disappointed.

This is a very, very good wood laminate product. We put it in our kitchen and utility room. I really like the warm background colors and darker wood grain/striations.

We chose Lake Toba Teak for our attic floor. It was our first time installing a floor on our own, and while there was an initial period of trial and error, the installation was smooth and easy once we got the hang of it. We love the way it looks --- it has a bit of a rustic feel and complements the room perfectly. Very pleased.

The Pros:

durable, beautiful, easy to install, pad attached, simple locking mechanism

The Look:

Dream Home Nirvana PLUS 10 mm laminates aren’t the only floors our customers love. See the rest of the top-picked laminates, as well as other popular hardwood, bamboo, cork, vinyl and tools!

Flooring FAQs: Laminate

If you have questions about laminate flooring, we have the answers! Laminate can be confusing, so here is Part One of your Frequently Asked Questions and answers.

 

1.  What is laminate flooring? Laminates are made of wood and plastics compressed and bonded under high pressure. The result is an extremely hard plank! Laminates are made by bonding photograph paper to a fiberboard with heat and pressure, which is then covered with polyurethane to protect from fading, scratching and general wear.

2. What’s an underlayment? Any roll or sheet product designed to be installed between the sub-floor surface and laminate flooring material.

3. Why do I need an underlayment? It's used to improve acoustical properties, smooth out minor sub-floor imperfections, improve insulation properties, reduce walking fatigue, and help to protect the material from sub-floor moisture. Sound isolation can be increased with an additional Cork underlayment. Some laminates come with pre-attached foam pads, and in this case you wouldn’t need any other underlayments.

4. How does Laminate flooring measure up? Compared to other flooring types, laminate is typically more durable, less prone to indent, has better stain resistance, resists shrinkage and swelling due to seasonal changes, and is easier to install.

5.  How do I know the laminate I want is a good quality? Lumber Liquidators’ laminates are manufactured to stringent requirements and most carry an AC rating of 3.

6.  I have kids and pets. How would laminate flooring perform in my house? Laminate flooring is recommended for an environment where the "challenges" of children and pets exist! It’s not significantly noisier than other hard flooring surfaces. The underlayment chosen will have the greatest effect in reducing noise from foot traffic. We offer laminates with pre-attached foam backing, or you may want to use our Bellawood Premium  and Eco Silent Sound HD underlayments for additional sound deadening qualities.

7. Can I install laminate flooring on walls? Although laminates and wood flooring are primarily used on the floor, many DIY’ers have successfully applied flooring to ceiling and wall applications! When doing so it is best to first think safety and to consult with your local building codes.

8. Can I install laminate flooring in an unheated space (e.g., garage, cabin, porch)? Laminates like cork and wood flooring need to be installed in climatically stable environments, avoiding extreme temperature swings and excessive humidity. Ideal acclimation values are between (55°-85°) temperatures and (20% - 70%) humidity.

9. Can laminate floor be installed in a basement? Yes, laminate flooring may be installed in a basement in accordance with the manufacturer product specific installation recommendations. Always use a 6mm-8mm plastic moisture barrier over cement.

10. How long will a laminate floor last? It depends on the product you choose, the use it sees, and how well it is cared for.

11. Can laminate flooring be installed over a radiant heated floor? Yes. However, there are special installation procedures required for radiant heated sub-floors. The manufacturer's installation recommendations must be followed to ensure a successful installation! Most laminate flooring can be used in combination with many types of in-floor heating. The heating system can be embedded in a concrete floor or in a thin layer of filler on the surface of a concrete subfloor. It can also be installed retro fitted under a wood subfloor or installed on the surface of a subfloor as matting, electric or hydronic. Note the instructions from the supplier of the floor heating system. Before installation, the heating system must be in operation for at least 2 weeks prior to the installation of laminate flooring, this helps to dry out any remaining hidden residual moisture. The system may be turned off or set to a suitable installation temperature (65 – 72 degrees F.) After installation, the temperature may be increased slowly at the rate of approximately 5 degrees per day, and should not exceed 85 degrees F. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer of the floor heating system that do not conflict with the above requirements. 

12. Can laminate flooring be installed in a bathroom? Most manufacturers offer laminate products for use in ½ bathrooms. However due to high humidity, Lumber Liquidators recommends against laminates in full bathrooms.

13. Will laminate flooring fade? Not Normally. It is possible that over the years you may find a small difference under rugs and furniture due to UV light or cleaning products.

Right now, through December 17, 2012, you can get 20% off ALL Dream Home laminates!

Dream Home Nirvana PLUS Springer Mountain Oak is one of our highest customer-rated laminates. One fan wrote, "I laid about 400 sq ft of this in one day at one of my rehab homes and it came out great. Matched my standard builder grade trim very well and feels very solid with it being 10mm. Easy to cut, easy to work with and the number of 'misfits' in the box was very low, almost non existent. I would highly recommend this to others and I will certainly use it again."

The 5 Steps to Hardwood: Step Five

Once your new floors are installed, there’s only one thing left to do…
Step Five- Brag!

  

Our customers love their Lumber Liquidators floors! Watch customer testimonial videos to see what they’re saying. We have a bunch on our YouTube page.

To show off your project, post a review to the Lumber Liquidators website, upload photos, recommend helpful tools and products and give others advice.

You’ve seen Before & After shots from real makeovers in our customers’ homes.

 Now, send your own Before and After photos to gallery@lumberliquidators.com and “Like” us on Facebook, and we’ll send you a FREE Bellawood Floor Cleaner! It’s that easy:

You can also share your photos on our Facebook page. We love to see how your rooms turned out and we love rave reviews! Your photos may even be featured on Raving Fan Friday.
www.facebook.com/lumberliquidators 

Bottom line? We want you to be happy with your new floors and we want to hear about it!

 

 

The 5 Steps to Hardwood: Step Four

Once you've considered the investment of hardwood, done your research about different options, and planned out your new floors, you'll get to see your vision come to life off the screen and in your home. The next piece in the Steps to Hardwood puzzle is
Step Four - Installing Your Floor

 

Once you purchase your new floor, how will it be installed? Will you do it yourself or use a professional installer?

For the do-it-yourselfer:
If you have questions, ask associates in the store! They know what they're talking about and are always happy to help. You can also ask questions on our website: 

...or read questions other customers had and see the answers our installation pros gave: 

 

Always check out installation instructions we offer online for additional tips, or send an email to our in-house installers with your questions or concerns. 

If you need assistance immediately, use the online chat feature on our website to instantly connect with our installation team!  They can help you before you begin installation and during the process. If you run into problems while you're installing, stop and get help.

How To videos are also useful. Find them on our YouTube account: www.youtube.com/user/lumberliquidators and on our website!

To make your jounrey to hardwood floors even easier, you can now find the tools you need in your local store or online! Browse the tools we offer to make Lumber Liquidators your one stop shop. 

Installing flooring isn't for everyone, so if you aren't into DIY we can recommend installers to do the job for you. We want you to love your floors as much as you did when you first decided to purchase hardwood!