The only time I've had any issues with Allure grip strip is with seam separation. That can be minimized with proper installation, but unfortunately if you get a tenant who allows the electric to be turned off (no cooling) and it gets to be 95 degrees inside, yes, you're going to have some problems no matter what.

The only truly tenant-proof floor, I'm convinced, is concrete slab painted with battleship gray oil-based paint. Anything nicer than that, and you're going to have some problems.

I find the mono-colored Allure to be more of a problem than, say, Khaki Oak, which is more variegated and hides minor problems very well.

We put dark cherry (the kind they used to put on sale all the time) on a slab floor and every.single.bump.and. imperfection shows. We put Limed Oak (another variegated color) on another such slab and it looks fine after several years.

We've had one severely scratched floor: tenant had heavy recliner with metal feet. Dragged over floor, scratched it bad. It was dark-colored, so DH colored it with a furniture repair pen and it came out great. That chair would have ruined any floor it was dragged across anyway.

We've only had seam separation in our own house, near dishwasher that leaked underneath :( Oh and the horrible project house where all the sub-floor swelled but that wasn't the Allure's fault.

Really depends on what you are willing to spend.

Allure is still best buy for the price.

Yes it does scratch and we have had some problems with water.

If tenant has a pet. Like around the place they sit a dog bowl. And of course if dog urinates. Anything that is not cleaned up right away.

Really depends on how lucky you are with tenants. Had it last 10 years and some just a few years.

We are now switching to a much better but more expensive

flooring. 3.79 sq.ft.

Looks better, much thicker wear layer. If scratched it is the same color underneath so does not show. Waterproof.

Even tho Allure with sticky strip feels stiff when new, after a few days/weeks it will conform to what is under it and those bumps or grooves will show. The subfloor MUST be smooth.

The glue does not like water but if it gets wet the Allure can be re-glued.

I have a sample of Khaki Oak, so I deployed my trusty pocked knife and executed an aggressive scratch test. Just as WMH said, it hid the scratch very well. Difficult to see unless you view it from a certain angle, and even then it's almost invisible. Same with Cayman Ash. The darker colors resulted in highly visible scratches.

RR78,

What is the better quality flooring that you are switching to? And what is the type of floor that it is, just in case your specific flooring is not available in our area?

I mean is it click type, glue down, glue strip like Allure?

Any info on how well it stays clicked together if it is that type?

I am about to stop using carpet for the first time? Hoping to avoid learning through trial and error.

I get it that on balance Allure is a good choice, but I am willing to use a more time consuming (costly) install on a better product if I can avoid hassle of separation at glue strips, etc.

Thanks.

The Allure "I" (carefully avoiding dust & fingers on the glue strip) installed in a MH several years ago, had NO loose seams when I repossessed it about 1 1/2 years later - still looked like new.

So, I put it in the entire rooming house. Had "professionals" install it. (Boy, I'm being generous calling them that!). They obviously ignored my instructions about how to handle and install it, and I have had many bad joints.

I wonder if the quality of the product has been reduced. The allure that I installed in rentals when it first came out still looks good, no scratches, no seam separation.

DJ,

Worn to the white?? Unless you got a bad batch (warranty) this is serious abuse and should be charged to the res.

The only time we have had white show thru is spilled nail polish remover (acetone) or a spot under something that moved and rubbed like a glider chair or dragging stuff or a nail pop in the traffic lane.

I watched an installer bang the seams with a deadblow hammer. “Seemed” like a good idea:)

I have seen scratches on the floor from heavy furniture being dragged across it.

I had a tenant spill molten grease and burn holes through the planks. Heat gun (or hair dryer) to loosen the glue, pull damaged plank out, put a new tile down. No one ever knows anything happened there. You don't get that with sheet vinyl or carpet.