I've been looking over the past few months, and I have to say, the cherry wood Real Touch Elite laminate flooring at Home Depot looks and feels beautiful. It is on sale this week for $3.77. Several boards out there have pointed out that Home Depot 10% discount coupons are out there, so keep an eye out for them.
AzFred at the the ISW bulletin board points out that it is in fact a new import from Spain.
This import from Spain is new to the USA and not in general distribution nor does it have a track record. There are similar products in the flooring stores that feature better brands, have a longer track record and similar warrantee periods.
Another user had not so kind words:
Well folks - here's the straight scoop on the new DuPont Real Touch Elite lamninate. IT IS A TOTAL DISASTER OF A PRODUCT AND SHOULD NOT BE SOLD. I consider it an a faulty interlock design and ti thin edge design is too easy to crack and damage. After two weeks of attempting to get some installation tips from both Home Depot and the DuPont Tecnhical Flooring rep, I have given up and contacted Home Depot and, my lawyer, and the N.C Attorney General's Office. This design is a total disaster and installation impossible. I have trashed three boxes before finally calling it quits. The Home Depot flooring people have absolutely no track record on the product not do they have any type of training on the product. Their only reference is to the Pergo and Shaw lines. The problem with this product is that is has a verey thin edge to work with and, for all practical purposes, can be installed only by the snap-lock edges. Instructions call for you to connect the narrow side to the adjacent edge in a snap lock manner and then to lift up the long edge along with the adjacent, previously installed piece, then to snap them down together. This does not work at all. It leaves minor gaps. The DuPont technical folks emailed me instructions that are provided to the installers. It references the same pictures contained in each carton of the product. It does mention that you may have to use a pull bar or tap block in tight situations. The problems that I am experiencing it that it takes multiple people to work with this product and the joints leave gaps after you pass a prior course of installed flooring. I have make complaint to Home Deport and asked for a DuPont rep to come to my home and show me how they can accomplish this installation. And, for those of you reading this posting - I have previously installed multiple rooms of laminate (both Shaw and Pergo) with absolutely no problems. Although this is a very nice looking product I would suggest that you stay with one of the thicker laminate products that is easier to work with.
Yikes! Fortunately for Dupont, he posted an update.
My previous post got some attention. I did get a call from the DuPont SE technical rep in N.J. He agreed that the documented installation process was sketchy. He says that the only way to install the Elite is by using the snap-lock process. I did find after following his instructions that it went pretty well but not as easy an Pergo. In the documentation it indicates that you need to life the adjacent board. This is not what it seems. Actually you only have to raise it about and inch or so. You practically push the joints together at a very slight angle, not the exagerated angle depicted in the installation guide. That was my big problem. You may still get some minor gas where the "snap" process will not fully pull the joints together. There is no "tap" block tool available for use with this product. I did experiment and find that by cutting a scrap piece (retaining the "tongue" groove side) and cutting the other end as a flat cut that you can "engage" the scrap into the groove at several points along the long edge and tap gently with a rubber mallet and remove any minor gaps left. Evidently DuPont is in the process of trying to train installers and Home Depot personnel. The finished floor does look absolutely great as compared to anything else that I have seen. And, I also noticed that in walking across the finished floor that you do not hear the plastic like click that you hear when walking ascross Pergo and Shaw. Thers is a noticeable difference in sound when I leave the Pergo room and enter the DuPont room - a more solid feel. So far I have put down about 600 feet by doing a couple of rows each night after work. If it works out as well as it is going now I should complete my 25x32 foot room over the holiday weekend and make a decision on ordering enough to complete the rest of the house.
