Laminate - Lowe's Swiftlock Plus (Kronotex)
Note: pictures should show up below, if not you can browse here: Flooring pictures - Windows Live Floor info: Eastport Oak Auburn 8MM 36390200076 Lowes # 295647 I am having some issues installing this floor, this is not my first laminate floor, but it has been a while.. so maybe I am screwing something up.. - Floor is flat - I am using proper tools - Floor was allowed to sit for over a week in my home, nothing has changed humidity-wise. Issue: When I click the long side in (45 degree angle, click, push down slightly), I have no issues at all, it clicks in as it is supposed to. When I go to tap the short ends together, it gets about 75% of the way locked together, but you can feel a slight ridge and you can visibly look and see it is not 100% clicked together (1/8th to a 1/16th gap, this is NOT the bevel, you can see the tongue). I have to tap it quite hard to get it to finally click 100%. The issue is, the boards tongue and groove mechanism actually starts to crush together. Looking closely I can see the top part of the groove board is sheering off the top part of the tongue from the tongue insert on the tongue board. I also noticed some of the boards from preceding rows begin to bind slightly and come apart from the force I am applying. I tried tapping lightly with swift semi-soft strokes, I tried several hard whacks, etc. I am able to assemble an entire length end to end, and then get some help to click the whole run lengthwise in, but that is a real pain and not the way this is supposed to work. Am I doing something wrong? I followed the kronotex example (Kronotex - Installation Guide) of install the flooring to a T and it still doesn't work. It just seems like the tongue and groove has tolerances too tight to be 'tapped' in, or I am really not doing something right. Side view of the tongue and groove mechanism, notice it is not fully seated, this is after some moderately vigorous tapping, it just will NOT seat! View from the left (X axis, install side), you can see a slight raised edge. View from the other side on the X axis. Damage of one of the boards that looked to be seated just fine after I noticed another boards seam splitting. View of the long sides tongue system. View of the short sides tongue system This is actually made by 'Domco' Not sure if Domco bought Armstrong or Kronotex or if they are all different these days... domco at Lowe's: SwiftLock Plus Auburn Laminate Flooring Well the solution is simple for me, RTFM. The laminate I purchased is a rotating assembly type which you CANNOT tap into place. It says to pre-assemble the row right on the box and then snap the WHOLE row into place. So be careful when you buy laminate to understand which type you have.... even if you've installed laminate before. 4 posts in 30 minutes? And at 11pm edt. Sometimes we sleep. Sometimes we don't. Some of the older Armstrong flooring isn't made to tap together, as you have found out. It has to do with the taper of the locking mechanism. But, I thought you said you were following their instructions to a t? Did they say to tap it together? Hi, I am new to this site, but after reading that others are having trouble with Kronotex swiftlock laminate flooring I decided to jump in. We also bought the tile look laminate. If we had opened the box and read the directions we never would have purchased it. You are supposed to sort it out by grout size lines--the directions said there are three different sizes!! It is a pain--will not click in right and we are also having issues with the corklike backing falling off. We talked with Lowe's management and the vendor is supposed to come by and check out what is already on the floor. We are planning to take the unopened boxes back, but we have over 11 boxes opened!! We will most probably lose our money on that. Will let you know how that turns out. Has anyone heard of any recalls on this product?? No recalls that I am aware of, but please let us know what the rep has to say. It could be very helpful to others who may be having similar problems.
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