Menu
Armstrong

Armstrong review: Poor customer service 17

T
Author of the review
5:34 pm EDT
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Featured review
This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

Armstrong Flooring will not honor manufacturer warranty on a defective
laminate flooring product. Said product was actually discontinued due to
known defects.
A Local Carpet One franchise was hired to install an Armstrong laminate
hardwood floor in 2001. The floor was designed to be installed by sliding
planks into place in a tongue-in-groove fashion and gluing together
(different from the current locking laminate products). After one week of
product "acclimation" and then installation, there were problems. In a small
number of places, some seams began to rise, creating small ridges where the
floor pieces joined. In other areas, some adjacent to the peaks, the planks
separated by up to 1-8". In three places, Planks did not properly fit at
corners, resulting in sharp points.

Honoring product and installation warranties, within 6 months of the
installation Carpet One sent an installer to repair the floor three times.
For every correction made, however, a new issue presented another area. The
result was less than perfect, but still for the better. I wrote the floor
off as being a little higher maintenance than planned.

This year, I hired the same franchise to install more flooring, including
Armstrong vinyl. The installer, who was a certified by Armstrong for
laminate installation, immediately recognized the floor as a glue-together
product that was defective. The installer alerted a Carpet One sales rep,
and the company sent a sales representative to look at my floor. The floor
was defective and needed repair or replacement, in his opinion as well.

A claim was filed with Armstrong via Carpet One in October, and Armstrong
sent one of their distributor reps to my house to examine the problems. She
immediately decided that each of my problems "must" be related to bad
installation or uneven subfloor, without thorough investigation other than a
moisture reading. Armstrong denied the claim per the rep's claims of
moisture and uneven subflooring. 1) Moisture: Armstrong determined the
flooring contained some excess moisture. This is a climate controlled,
humidity-controlled home built on a crawlspace in which the ground is
covered in plastic and lime. The floor was found to contain some excess
moisture, but the areas she tested were not even the defective areas,
moisture causes expansion and not separation, and she based her findings on
current product standards (the current products are moisture resistant on
all sides and not held together by liquid glue -- of course they will retain
less moisture). Also, between my subfloor and laminate floor lies
Armstrong's own moisture barrier underlayment...so if moisture is coming up
from under the house, they provided defective underlayment. 2) Uneven
subflooring: My home has some uneven subflooring, but actually not in the
areas in which the defects are occurring. No mention in the claim denial was
made of plank separation...and neither moisture nor uneven subflooring can
possibly be accountable for that issue.

Additionally, I continuously had to remind Armstrong's distributor rep while
inspecting my floor that my floor was a glue-together installation, not
interlocking. Even at the end of her "assessment" she claimed separation
would be "due to bad installation since the pieces are made to lock
together"...she had absolutely no idea the glue-together flooring was not
designed to interlock!

An independent inspector recently invalidated the distributor
representative's reasons for denying the claim, but Armstrong was quick to
decide afterward that it would then be the fault of the installer. An actual
Armstrong employee has never come to see the floor.

Armstrong and Carpet One have both acknowledged known problems with
Armstrong glue-together laminate flooring significant enough for them to
discontinue them shortly after my purchase, and the interlocking products
are designed so problems such as mine do not occur.

It's not my fault I purchased a floor that had been poorly
engineered-designed at the time of purchase. Factory warranty on the floor
is 20 years. To date, they refuse to even repair even a few of the most
apparent defects. Armstrong advised on 12-14-05 installer confirmed that
problem is not manufacturer's defect. I have confirmed this statement is not
truthful. Installer believes sales representative who inspected the floor
was not knowledgeable of the product and biased toward Armstrong's interests
because she is with a company affiliated with Armstrong.

Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

More Armstrong reviews & complaints

Armstrong - Powder Post Beetles 9
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Armstrong - Terrible service
Resolved
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
17 comments
A
A
AimeB
, US
Apr 13, 2016 9:08 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I bought Armstrong laminate flooring with 20 years warranty from Carpets for Less in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada six years ago and their flooring is defective. It is curling up at many of the seems in many areas with no traffic and high traffic. There were no spills and we were very careful not to wet it to much when cleaning it. We even bought Armstrong cleaners to make sure it wasn't going to cause problems. For over two years I have been trying to get warranty from Armstrong only to get excuses like warped floors, humidity and floor structure. On twenty two feet of floor in my living room there is a gradual warp of 3/8" which is well within their guidelines and the humidity level in my house is always controlled and never higher than 46% also within guidelines. I had two inspections and was told that there was no problem with the installation and that is was done very professionally. Armstrong flooring is a very low grade high priced garbage product and they do not back their warranty. I'm also disgusted with Carpets for less for their lack of support after 28 years of buying product from them and sending everyone I know to do the same. To this day I am still attempting to get warranty with no avail but I am not going to stop until I get results.

A
A
aclair218
, US
Mar 10, 2016 8:00 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

The sellers of the home we purchased had Bruce EEL5200 floors installed 3 of the rooms in the home 2 months before we purchased. Once we bought the home, we continued the floors through out the home. During one year, we have noticed the floors are horribly scratched and cloudy. Within the last 6 months, the floors started to darken A LOT, then they started to have little black dots/bubbles appear. Now the clear coat is just peeling off. I had a mold inspector come out and it tested positive for mold. It is spreading like a virus. We had a leak detection company come out and we have no plumbing leaks or leaks in our slab. I am PISSED! We have spent over $10K installing the floors. Like previous complaints, the first response from Bruce was it must be something I am cleaning with or I was leaving water on the floor. Or maybe I was letting my dog urinate all over my house. GET REAL! If anyone is interested in starting a class action lawsuit, please contact me at alisonmartin218@gmail.com. We have already contacted a local lawyer and I am not going to give up on this. I have attached a picture to see if anyone else has experienced this. DO NOT EVER BUY ANY OF THE BRUCE/ARMSTRONG PRODUCTS! Unless of course you just like to throw money away!

View 0 more photos
P
P
Paul Flynn
Westfield, US
May 27, 2015 3:47 pm EDT

call [protected] if you wish to converse with rude "know-it-alls" who in truth know nothing. I was suffering under the delusion that Bruce Flooring had people with product knowledge. They will swear that the things they are telling you make sense even though this disinformation defies the laws of physics.

R
R
Robin-Egg
Harwinton, US
Jun 24, 2014 1:45 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We just completed a 10 day moisture test and found no moisture, whatsoever, underneath the plastic. So I shall report this to Armstrong, in response to their letter of denial. Apparently, no only do we have moisture, according to their rep, I also wash the floor incorrectly. Even though I told him that I used Bona, for laminate flooring, he suggested to my husband that perhaps I use water when no one is around! Class action lawsuit? Sounds good to me!

R
R
Robin-Egg
Harwinton, US
Jun 23, 2014 7:50 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We just completed a 10 day moisture test in our basement and found absolutely no moisture, whatsoever. Now I can reply to Armstrong's denial of our claim. And I'm sure I'll hear a deafening silence from them. Apparently, we're all idiots and wash our laminate flooring with water. After 7 years of owning another laminate floor, why would I suddenly switch to water to wash it? Class action lawsuit? Sounds good to me!

R
R
Robin-Egg
Harwinton, US
Jun 23, 2014 7:47 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We just finished a 10 day moisture test in our basement and didn't find one bit of water anywhere. With this, I'll reply to Armstrong's denial of our claim, where they stated that the damage to our flooring was from moisture, as well as how I cleaned the floor. Meaning, I'm an idiot and washed it with water, instead of a product like Bona. Like you, I will probably hear a deafening silence. I have no repect for Armstrong, whatsoever.

R
R
Robin-Egg
Harwinton, US
Jun 23, 2014 7:33 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We just completed a 10 day moisture test in our basement and found absolutely no moisture, whatsoever. So now I can go back and reply to Armstrong's denial of our claim. I'm sure I will hear a deafening silence from them, as well. Apparently, we're all so stupid that we wash our laminate floors with water. After having laminate floors for 7 years, why would I suddenly decide to use water? Armstrong's rep left much to be desired, and if this is who they have representing them, then the whole outfit is out of touch. Class action lawsuit? Sounds good to me!

O
O
Ollie B
The Villages, US
Jun 23, 2014 12:15 pm EDT

We had Lowe's install Armstrong Bruce flooring four years ago in the belief that we were buying a good product with a good warranty, it has deteriorated to the point of disgust. We spent over $8600 to put this junk though out the entire house. Both Lowe's and Armstrong checked on my complaint two years ago and again just last week, they've concluded it is a moisture problem but nothing covered by warranty, I asked them if they thought we just let water or liquids set on the floor without ever mopping it up, I got no response.
Sounds to me like maybe we need to get a class action lawsuit somehow because they blame moisture on a floor that should never be installed, who doesn't spill liquids or have moisture on their floor at some time, I even said "so if we spill something there is no time to dry it before damage is done", you know the answer to that, total silence.

R
R
Robin-Egg
Harwinton, US
May 31, 2014 1:49 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Oh, I forgot to mention, 2 boxes of the same flooring were found and they're "ours, for free", should we want to come pick them up from the flooring place. Naturally, we pay for installation. Guess even they think we're being taken for a ride by Armstrong!

R
R
Robin-Egg
Harwinton, US
May 31, 2014 1:43 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

We've found Armstrong to be an awful company to deal with. We've had problems before, and as usual, it is ALWAYS our fault. This last time, the rep actually insinuated to my husband that, when he's not around, I just go ahead and wash the floor with plain water.
Funny how, even the guy from the flooring store agreed there was something wrong with our floor. And how odd that, from DAY 1, this flooring looked like crap, yet it is our fault, and only our fault, that the floor looks as it does. No one could explain to us how bubbles showed up in the middle of a floor board (several boards, actually). Suddenly, after living here 30 years, we find out we have moisture issues in our sub-flooring? Says who? Oh, says Armstrong's rep. How did he know? He went downstairs and looked up. How he saw moisture issues is beyond us. Especially since the last time Armstrong had to replace our floor, the rep could NOT find any moisture issues...which was why they ended up giving us a new floor. Guess instead of admitting this is an inferior product, they just prefer to blame us, instead. What a joke this company is.

J
J
John Moore Flooring
Sun City Center, US
Apr 30, 2014 5:11 pm EDT

Alice I do not know Bill, but you cannot imagine the stalling and run around the flooring dealer gets from Armstrong.

It cost a lot of money for the dealer to honor claims like this himself.
I have stood behind my work then battled with Armstrong trying to recover loss.
The claims process is ###ic, when they do approve a claim and send new material they Bill the dealer.
The dealer has to receive a credit on account then apply it to other purchased goods.
The dealer then must file a separate claim for labor and hope it gets approved!

We bought over 100, 000 in flooring from Armstrong in 2012, we still have claims coming up even now.

J
J
John Moore Flooring
Sun City Center, US
Apr 30, 2014 4:58 pm EDT

I am a flooring dealer in Florida who has had many complaints with the same problem.

At first Armstrong honored some complaints by paying for us to pull up and glue joints together.
As. the problems increased Armstrong started to deny claims and some of the jobs we glued together started to crackle again.
To date this product line holds the record for costing me time and money.

The inconvenience to our customers has been disturbing as well.
Armstrong manufactures in China, they claimed to change manufactures but the New product is the same and same problems.

A
A
Alice Friel
Raleigh, US
Sep 07, 2013 3:11 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

In February 2012 I had Carolina Flooring in Raleigh, NC install 935 sq. ft. of Armstrong Grand Illusions Laminate Flooring with Silent Step underlayment. This price included $5, 600 for floor leveling upstairs and downstairs and hardwood stairs. The total cost was $19, 869.00. A thousand dollars was for new baseboards and quarter round. Three months after installation the floors began to squeak and move up and down. Bill Turley of Carolina Flooring sent two of his men to check out my complaints. Bill said his men determined the problems were due to Armstrong manufacturing, not his installation. I submitted a complaint to Armstrong who sent an inspector in January 2013 (seven months after my initial complaint). Carolina Flooring blamed Armstrong and Armstrong blamed Carolina Flooring. Bill Turley of Carolina Flooring stated the report by Armstrong faulting his installation was not true because the inspector was hired by them and according to Bill Turley "he is their guy". I did not hear from Bill Turley until June 2013. He said he would fix my flooring even though he did not believe it was an installation problem but that I had gotten a bad lot of flooring from Armstrong. I don't trust Bill. He is an unethical business man. I hired a lawyer for $2, 000 to deal with Bill on my behalf. At first Bill did not return their calls. Eventually he did. Bill stated he would fix my floors "for free". Work should begin sometime in late Sep or early Oct. some 20 months after initial installation. Why offer customers a 25 year warranty if neither the manufacturer nor the installer will honor it? I'm hiring my own inspector for $500.00 in hope of not being ripped off and cheated again. All total Carolina Flooring and Bill Turley and Armstrong have cost me an additional $3000. If I have to go to court, then I have to go to court and let the people in this town know how disreputable Carolina Flooring and Armstrong are. BUYER BEWARE! Alice Friel, Raleigh NC, [protected], amf118@outlook.com

S
S
SheriMcg
St Johns, US
Aug 11, 2013 3:50 pm EDT

I too have had issues with Armstrong. Within 1 day of installation, nicks were coming up where the floors came together. This has been over 6 months ago. We contacted Armstrong after two weeks because of the "lifetime" warranty. They have denies us saying that here product is not defective. We are at a loss. We spent over 10k to put our floors in. now, we are left with bad flooring. We are considering contacting a lawyer. There is no way we are going to take this loss laying down. I cannot believe they can get away with this.

S
S
Snoman
Clovis, US
May 13, 2013 12:15 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Several months ago we had Armstrong Castilian Block laminate flooring installed in most of our 1500 sq ft home (all but the bathrooms). Within 2 weeks, we experienced similar problems as Nanging i.e. bulging & separated seams. I wish I had only paid $4k for our house. Castilian Block is one of their high end laminates costing almost $4/sq ft. We filed a claim with Armstrong. They sent out their flooring expert who found "topical moisture" caused the problem. Topical moisture is not covered by warranty. We replaced Shaw laminate with Armstrong as part of a remodel. After 7+ yrs, we had never had a problem with the Shaw laminate. Same house. Same moisture. The Shaw laminate cost about 1/3 what the Armstrong cost. Additionally, my daughter has Harmonics laminate in her house. She has a small child prone to spillage & pets. The Harmonics cost about 40% what Armstrong cost. We chose Armstrong because we liked the design. We chose a more expensive product expecting even better quality than we had been happy with. We got neither. We found the Armstrong laminate flooring to be a very inferior flooring product that costs much more than other brands.

N
N
Nanging
Macon, US
Apr 11, 2013 6:02 pm EDT

Don't buy Armstrong flooring it is like laying down a cardboard floor. And they will not stand behind their product.
I was offered a credit, if I bought all new flooring from Conners, but he jacked up the price and added all kinds of extra charges, which would cost me another 4K... For 8k I could have gotten hard wood flooring and I wouldn't be dealing with these people who lack integrity.

N
N
Nanging
Macon, US
Apr 11, 2013 5:59 pm EDT

I am having a problem with my Armstrong floor, coming up in places all over the house. Corners look like frayed cardboard. I complained to Armstrong and the company who installed it, Conner Flooring, in Perry, Ga. I asked them to fix the areas, which are increasing daily, they refused. Armstrong says the problem is not theirs ? Meanwhile I paid over $4k for a crappy floor including installation and moving furniture.. And no one will stand behind the warranty. They are telling me water got on my floor and damaged it...(ALL OVER THE HOUSE?) no one EVER told me I could not mop the floor. And they told me nothing about not moping it, and they saw my 40x20 swimming pool in the backyard and my 2 old dogs. Hell yes the floor is going to get wet. And I would not have ever purchased a floor I could not mop. Absolutely ridiculous doing business with Conners and Armstrong.
Don't buy Armstrong flooring it is like laying down a cardboard floor. And they will not stand behind their product.
I was offered a credit, if I bought all new flooring from Conners, but he jacked up the price and added all kinds of extra charges, which would cost me another 4K... For 8k I could have gotten hard wood flooring and I wouldn't be dealing with these people who lack integrity.