You must have been to different homes and seen a lot of flooring styles in your lifetime. So it doesn't take an interior designer to know that the tiniest change in flooring—perhaps a shade lighter or two—can change the overall feel of your home, and sometimes, that's all it takes to improve one's quality of life.
There's just one problem: Changing floors can really burn a hole in your pocket, all the more if you want an elegant finish. Luckily, vinyl tiles and planks are made affordable, durable, and easy to install, even for first-timers.
Time for a budget-friendly change of scenery. If you're considering a life-changing home improvement project, starting with flooring, then you may want to look into vinyl options to beautify your home. The TrafficMaster flooring brand, a Home Depot exclusive, has been a staple in many homes. But aren't you curious about their luxury line? Do you want to know the elegant options you can get from this flooring giant? This article will give you a closer look into one of TrafficMaster's premium flooring lines: Allure flooring.
Read more about TrafficMaster Allure flooring vinyl, the pros, and cons of Allure tiles and planks, where to find them, along some installation tips.
An Overview of TrafficMaster's Allure Vinyl Flooring
TrafficMaster is a brand that has been making vinyl floors for over 50 years. Their Allure line of luxury vinyl flooring features the premium LVT, or luxury vinyl tile, with extremely durable features. Of course, this includes a good thickness of 3 1/8 inches. This type of luxury flooring also does not contain any PVC or formaldehyde, making them eco-friendly.
Allure's luxury vinyl tile comprises five layers: starting from the bottom, it has the (1) heavy-duty backing layer, (2) grip strip, (3) solid vinyl core that ensures flat installation, (4) the decorative pattern in wood, tile, or carpet designs, and finally, (5) a wear layer that keeps it safe from scratches and dents.
This product also allows you to be flexible in design because they can come in many different colors and finishes. You can expect sleek wooden designs that are common in earthy, Scandinavian homes to the more traditional styles like stone or tile flooring. In addition, there are plenty of shades available, ranging from very light tones up through dark grays and blacks. You're sure to find the perfect shade for your room from their wide collection.
TrafficMaster luxury planks and tiles are flexible enough to be installed over any subfloor. As long as it will support the weight capacity of these tiles—which is about 220 pounds per square—you should not have an issue with installing them right on top of it. That makes this product easy to install even without special preparation beforehand.
The Pros of Using TrafficMaster Luxury Vinyl Flooring
The highlight of the Allure luxury vinyl flooring is that it looks expensive while actually being affordable. So you won't have to spend so much on flooring, especially if you are working on a big project using vinyl tiles or planks. Additionally, buying a few pieces for a small apartment home improvement project won't seem wasteful, knowing the materials you are using are within your budget.
Moreover, these tiles and planks reduce the amount of work and prep time for bare cement flooring since you can just lay them easily on top. However, first, you must consider if the floor is leveled—you can do this by checking the size of the grout.
Unlike other luxury planks, Allure already comes with a grip strip. This means you can easily peel and stick each plank overlaying each other. The planks are also fully floating since they won't be directly sticking on the floor—this makes way for comfortable and quiet steps.
Another great benefit of this luxury flooring is that they are heat, water, and scratch-resistant. That being said, these planks can last for years, even as kitchen floors where moisture and dirt build up the most. You can make it last even more with great care and periodic check-ups.
The Cons of Using TrafficMaster Luxury Vinyl Flooring
The downside to using Allure LVT flooring is that it's exclusive to Home Depot stores only. TrafficMaster doesn't have an official website, and unfortunately, it's not sold in other hardware stores. You'll need to look for the nearest Home Depot branch and hope TrafficMaster's luxury line is available.
So, if you have picked a color or style that you like and found a store to source it from, you may want to buy more than what you need to avoid repurchasing. Make sure your choice is correct from the start so you won't have to buy a whole different batch.
This flooring may also not be ideal for some parts of your home. For example, it is not recommended that you use it on stairs, areas with unpredictable temperature changes, and walls.
Locations and Prices
As mentioned earlier, you can find TrafficMaster's Allure luxury planks and tiles at Home Depot's many branches across North America. However, the models and prices may vary from store to store, so it's never a bad idea to do some price checks beforehand.
What's been established, though, is that this flooring option is cheap but does not shy in quality. The average cost for vinyl in 2021 is between $2 to $10, and Allure's offers retail at a minimum of $2 to $4 for each plank. The price is not bad at all if you're looking to get started on your home improvement project on short notice.
Installation
The process of installing the luxury vinyl tile is not very difficult. The tools you may need are a square ruler, a utility knife, and a roller (optional). Since the planks are not heavy, picking them up and putting them down for hours is not much of a hassle.
Before installing
Before you think about lining up your planks and starting the installation process, you must leave the box of planks unopened for at least two days or 48 hours inside the room you plan to install it in. This is to allow the planks or tiles to properly acclimate to the temperature of the room. Lastly, you need to check for moisture inside the room to determine whether or not you need an underlayment.
During installation
The next step requires using a measuring tape to have a more clean and uniform vinyl flooring cut. It takes quite a bit of math, too, so have a pen and paper handy. First, measure the width of the entire room and then divide that number with the width of the planks. Each corner end must have at least a quarter-inch space. Then, when you line your planks on one side of the room and notice the last piece of plank or tile is too short compared to the average size of the rest, you can adjust the size of the first tile with a cutter so that the whole row will look a little bit uniformed.
Next is to place the flooring beside each other by putting it at a 45-degree angle first then snapping into place. You can then use a roller to add height to the bond or use your body weight. The weight can help stabilize the bond, and it is an important step in the installation.
It's best to check the installation instructions that came with the box. However, you may hire a professional to install your luxury vinyl tile if you aren't familiar with how they work or don't have enough time to do it yourself. You can also check some videos on installing allure tiles to check if your methods are correct. There are specific instructions for doorways and difficult areas, such as open closets within the room, so planning beforehand is crucial.
The Bottomline
This type of flooring is affordable and resilient, making it a great option for those looking for elegant, high-quality flooring without spending too much. It can easily resist heavy foot traffic as well as scratches from furniture moving over time. The tiles are also easy to install, so you don't have to worry about hiring someone else to do it. On top of that, the wood and tile designs are classy and clean, which can enhance the entire atmosphere inside your home.
Do you think this flooring line from TrafficMaster fits your alley? Explore more flooring options with our other articles!
June 3, 2022
