Many people today live in rented-out apartments, leaving them with a feeling of uncertainty about their future. Renters depend on the mercy of their landlords because they don’t own the space they’re living in. That’s why many people work hard to become homeowners themselves.
Once you have finally sealed the deal on your own home, you should make it your own by adding your personal touch to it. For example, you might want to tear down the old wallpaper, mow the front lawn, and replace the battered tiles across your home’s floor. Worry not because updating your floor need not be expensive!
TrafficMaster Allure vinyl plank flooring from Home Depot can give your home a fresh and new look without breaking the bank. Hardwood flooring might be appealing for most homeowners, but they are far from being cheap. Fortunately, the more affordable vinyl planks can mimic the looks of hardwood floors.
Sounds like a good deal, doesn’t it? So go ahead and read our review of Allure vinyl plank flooring from TrafficMaster!
What is TrafficMaster Flooring?
Home Depot is one of the major hardware stores in the United States. It boasts of having more than 2,000 physical stores across the country. The company has become the one-stop-shop for anyone who prefers to work with their own two hands to solve common house problems themselves.
Whether you’re a new homeowner looking to cut costs where possible or a DIY enthusiast, you should consider TrafficMaster flooring for your home’s floors. TrafficMaster is known for its very affordable product line featuring different kinds of flooring such as laminate, vinyl, carpet, and ceramic tiles.
What is Luxury Vinyl Flooring?
Throughout the years, vinyl flooring gained a notorious reputation for being less durable than other kinds of flooring. As a result, people avoided using vinyl for their floor, thinking they made their home interiors look and feel cheap. Besides looking tacky, they are prone to scratches and feel hard underfoot.
In response, manufacturers introduced a new type of vinyl flooring called “Luxury Vinyl Flooring,” an incredibly upgraded version of old vinyl flooring.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring comes in two kinds: luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and luxury vinyl plank (LVP). Does this sound overwhelming? Don’t worry; we have your back! Here are the differences between LVT and LVP.
Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)
Created in response to the inferior vinyl sheets, the Luxury Vinyl Tile or LVT is the much-improved version of the old standard vinyl sheets. Due to their overhauled construction, they offer greater strength and flexibility in style than traditional vinyl flooring.
LVTs usually feature stone patterns on their image layer. Thus, if you wish to imitate the looks of actual stone tiles on your floor, you can easily do it for cheap with LVTs. In addition, interior designers may prefer the stone patterns on LVTs to incorporate stone-like elements into their contemporary designs.
Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)
Due to its elongated rectangular shape, the Luxury Vinyl Plank or LVP often features a wooden design as opposed to stone patterns found on LVTs. LVPs can imitate genuine hardwood floors due to the photorealistic wood reproduction on their image layer. Whether you want mahogany or oak, you can find an LVP that features such wood prints.
LVPs can come either as Wood-Plastic Composite (WPC) or Stone-Polymer Core (SPC). These two types of LVPs refer to the materials used in the core layer of the LVP. Both options are rated as being waterproof, which can be useful in numerous applications, such as bathroom and basement flooring.
Introducing Allure Vinyl Plank Flooring by TrafficMaster
As mentioned before, TrafficMaster is an affordable flooring brand that specifically caters to budget-minded homeowners. As part of their diverse and ever-growing product catalog, Allure offers stylish and inexpensive luxury vinyl flooring options.
Allure comes in three grades: Allure, Allure Plus, and Allure Ultra. These grades differ in the thickness of their wear layer—the part of a vinyl plank that serves as the topmost protective layer. Naturally, the price of the vinyl plank goes up as you spend more on Allure’s higher-end product lines. Spending a bit more for more durability would do a lot for your peace of mind, don’t you think?
So let’s take a more in-depth look at what Allure vinyl plank flooring has to offer!
Advantages
TrafficMaster’s luxury vinyl flooring line can be alluring for first-time and budget-conscious homeowners. Allure offers many advantages that you can benefit from. If you’re looking for a stress-free and hassle-free flooring solution for your home, consider the following advantages that you can get with Allure.
- Due to its synthetic construction, Allure vinyl planks are highly resistant to water damage. You can install them in areas of your home where there is high moisture content and humidity, such as your bathroom and basement floor.
- If you have heated floors, you can use Allure vinyl planks on them. They work great with radiant heating that warms up the entire room and with electric heated floors. In addition, vinyl holds up heat pretty well.
- Allure vinyl planks are easy to install across your home’s floor. With clearly written instructions that come with every purchase, you can simply follow them without any issues. If you lost your copy of the installation instructions, Home Depot provides a digital copy of it on their website, along with helpful tutorial videos.
- As already mentioned, luxury vinyl planks are composed of many layers. One of which is the image layer that features a photorealistic reproduction of wood and stone patterns. As a result, you can choose any style from Allure’s diverse product catalog to suit your home interiors.
- TrafficMaster has always offered affordable flooring solutions to the masses. Allure is no exception. With Allure, you can have a wood or stone aesthetic on your floors without spending as much money as you would on genuine hardwood and stone flooring. As a result, you can spend the money you save on other parts of your home.
- With hardwood flooring, you have to be meticulous in maintaining it. Every few years, you have to spend money on having it refinished to maintain it in good condition. Fortunately, with Allure vinyl planks, you don’t have to spend money at all to keep in good shape.
Disadvantages
Despite all these advantages, Allure flooring also comes with a few downsides. So before rushing to your nearest Home Depot branch, consider the following things first.
- The thickness of the vinyl plank could be improved. Vinyl planks from the Allure and Allure Plus product lines are only 4 millimeters thick. This may not be thick enough to withstand blunt force from sharp objects.
- Allure vinyl planks are installed either by using the adhesive on the outer edges or the grooves beneath them. These installation methods are good enough for most cases, but we wouldn’t recommend them for stairs and similar use-cases.
- Due to the materials, vinyl planks can change size and shape by expanding and contracting depending on the surrounding temperature. As such, you should only use them in areas where there is good ventilation and room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where can I purchase Allure flooring?
Allure is the luxury vinyl flooring line of the TrafficMaster brand. While TrafficMaster products are manufactured by a third-party company, Shaw Industries, all its product lines, including Allure vinyl planks, are exclusively sold by Home Depot.
As of March 2021, there are 2,312 store locations across the country. Homeowners can simply drive up to any Home Depot branch and purchase Allure vinyl planks over the counter.
Do I need to hire flooring contractors?
Other flooring options such as hardwood and stone are difficult to install. These materials require extensive knowledge and years of experience to properly handle and install. Fortunately, Allure vinyl planks are easy to install and can be done by anyone who has enough patience and time to spare.
Resources on installation and maintenance are available on the Home Depot website. They also have instructional videos and other helpful video content on their official YouTube channel.
Are Allure vinyl planks expensive?
The most attractive feature of Allure vinyl planks is that they’re inexpensive. Any homeowner seeking to save a few bucks on their flooring should consider Allure vinyl planks. They are significantly less expensive than genuine hardwood flooring but can give you the same wooden aesthetic with numerous wooden patterns to choose from.
Is Allure flooring recommended for homes with pets?
While vinyl planks do have a protective layer, they may not be enough to endure regular beatings from animal scratches and unusually high foot traffic. Consider other flooring options for these special cases.
Final Thoughts
Luxury vinyl flooring is a great option for homeowners seeking a durable, affordable, and beautiful flooring solution for their homes. Vinyl planks don’t cost too much, are not difficult to install, and can withstand moisture and minor scratches. By going with vinyl planks for your home, you can save up on construction costs without sacrificing quality and durability.
TrafficMaster has become a well-established brand that targets the budget-conscious demographic and continues to live up to its reputation. Choosing TrafficMaster’s Allure flooring products over those from other flooring brands is a no-brainer decision. They are affordable, easy to maintain and hold up against scratches and moisture.
Allure ticked all the boxes in our checklist, making it one of our most recommended luxury vinyl plank flooring solutions!
June 3, 2022
