Opinions on Costco or Sams laminate flooring brands?

[is250]

Im a newbie here, but I did take the time to search the forums to see if there were any posts on the topic and found nothing. I've been looking around at flooring options and have seen that Costco and Sams has pretty good pricing on their brands of laminate flooring. Both are priced between $1.25-$1.75 sq ft. From what I have read Costco's Harmonics laminate is made by quickstep and the brand sold at Sams Club is made by Pergo.

Just wondering if anyone has some experience with either of these products.

[Lo Down]

I don't have any experience with them, but it would help to know where you are planning to use this product.
Kitchen, living room, entire house, apartment? There is a tremendous difference in the construction and quality of laminate floorings. It's like comparing Formica to granite as far as durability......... ok, a bit of a stretch, but a cheap price will tell you a lot about the product.
HPL & DPL Laminate Flooring
When you see any laminate flooring approaching 99 cents per foot........... except for the smoke and stink that it would make .....those are better suited for use in the wood stove.
That said, I have never seen the products you mentioned. I'm just suggesting that depending on the performance expected, that more information is needed as to your expectations and where this product will be used.

[kwfloors]

We carry Quickstep in our store which is a better grade than the Costco grade. You get what you pay for. I have installed some of it for a friend and it worked for them just fine. What I saw was a cheaper core of mdf and not as much moisture sealer on the joints. It installs just the same as any of the Quickstep line. You just need to be sure you don't leave water standing on any brand of laminate or it will blow up on the seams.

[DJ]

i've installeds the costco stuffno problems its been 5 years like dude says don't let it get wet

[is250]

thanks for the responses guys. I was over at my dads house the other day and learned that he used some of the Sams Living Flooring in a bedroom in his house about 2 years ago. It looks like it has held up pretty, but its not a high traffic area. The sound isnt too bad, but does sound a little hollow when something is dropped on the floor. He also mentioned that this material came with padding attached.

If anyone is interested in the Costco laminate, they are running an $8 off per box coupon until 2/28. Ultimately, i'll probably go with the Costco stuff since they have the coupon available.

[ortiz34]

If it's pad attached then it's probably pergo.
Anyhow good luck

[Kman]

I installed about 300 feet of the Sam's brand a couple of years ago. It was for a couple that had no children, although they do have one now. I haven't talked to them recently as to how it's held up, but I know they kept they are not the type to abuse the flooring. It's pretty much like the others said, don't let it get wet, don't drag anything across it. I'll add that the expansion joints around the perimeter of the room are very important.

I had only one issue with that floor. When I put the pieces together, sometimes a tiny strip of MDF would peel off the tongue and get into the locking mechanism, causing a tiny hump in the floor. If I was right on top of it, I couldn't see it, but when I stepped back and looked it was very obvious. Just something to watch for it you end up using it.

[Peter Kodner]

Clean up gritty dirt promptly. DO NOT use Swiffer type mops, wet or dry!!!
Wet ones swell joints and dry ones will eventually leave a haze. The haze is brutal to remove.

[JeepGal]

We are getting ready to lay down 800SF of Costco Harmonics.

We tested a section, first in the kitchen. We dropped pots and pans, etc from the counter. It did not dent. We than moved the section to the front door. We've had alot of wet weather, and between muddy dog prints, and wet shoes, it performed admirably. I cleaned it up with a damp mop and we were good to go!

So were starting to lay it today. Ill post my opinion when were done.

Tam