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Swiftlock laminate flooring is manufactured by Armstrong and sold at retail stores like Lowes. Like many other brands, it’s available in a range of colors with some options to suit your individual style preferences. I personally installed this product in two rooms myself. This review is based on my own experience.
The Heritage pine color has a kind of rustic look that complements modern styles nicely without being too dated or outmoded for contemporary spaces as well. The result was good after installation. Not only did the Swiftlock have an attractive appearance but I found installing it to be surprisingly easy (no need for any special tools!).
However, there are drawbacks to consider, all products have different durability levels.
This particular product is 8mm thick and the color was heritage pine. This product is at Lowes for 1.67 per square foot – that’s a steal! This amazing material also included three additional colors: Chelsea oak, Antique Oak and Fireside Oak to help you achieve your desired style in any room or space without sacrificing quality or durability.
Related: Laminate flooring thickness: 8 vs 10 vs 12mm
Installing this type of flooring can be tricky, but with the right tools and expertise it should not take too long to complete. Make sure you have all sorts of measuring equipment available because calculating square footage is essential for gaining a good estimate on how much product will need to be purchased. Additionally, make sure that there are no doorways in your room as these floors glue together well-enough without adhesive!
One thing I like is that the Swiftlock laminate locking system locks together by tilting it up at an angle to engage and then pushing them flat for easy installation anywhere without any tools required!
You will need to be creative and use the glue if you are doing this project on your own. It is not impossible, but it can take a little more time or attention than some other projects might require.
To fit two boards together you’ll need to shave off a little on one side and then the other. When it comes time to glue them there’s an important step at hand: make sure your surface is level! Before applying any adhesive, use a spirit level or some heavy books as weights in order for both sides of your board project come out perfect when they’re finished drying.
I was really disappointed when I installed this at the door jamb according to the directions. When I went back and checked it after following all of my notes, there were 2 edges where they didn’t line up flush. The solution to this is to lay them flat on the ground and tap together until everything lines up again!
The Swiftlock laminate locking system is not the same on both ends and sides of a board. Side joints cannot come apart when locked together, but this isn’t true with end boards – you could have separation at one point in time if using these types of locks because they’re only as sturdy as their weakest points – which in this case would be the weaker type: End Joints
I have had issues down the road because of this. To fix it, I would put some glue in the joint and use my foot to kick them back together or take a piece off baseboard from wall and pull boards with bar until they’re aligned again.
Related: Why you must acclimate laminate
Buying Online vs Retail
I have looked around on the net and after talking to some of my clients I compared pricing between the internet and local retailers. Even after I factor in freight, ordering laminate online is much less expensive than buying locally.
I’m not exactly sure what other people pay for Swiftlock laminate flooring but it’s much more expensive at major retailers.
In Conclusion
- The core was very fragile. I had to be careful while handling it so the edges wouldn’t break and that there wasn’t any loose debris on the ground before laying a board, which would have been dangerous for me.
- It’s easy to install flooring until you get to the door jamb. Make sure that before starting, you have some glue for your door jambs!
- The side joints of the fingers were sometimes tight but not always. When they fit tightly, occasionally one finger will have a proud edge on one end and another joint that is lower than any other point in time.
- The room looked absolutely stunning after the paint dried. I was really pleased with how it turned out!