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Empire Today review: laminate floors/baseboard molding issues 14

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9:33 am EST
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I had Empire Today install laminate floors on the entire lower floor of my townhouse for approx. $6K on 09Oct09. I now appear to have buckling seams and am very worried about how they will fix this.

From the websites:
Wood laminate floors provide excellent visuals that emulate the most popular species of wood from around the world
Wood laminate is durable and long-lasting
Non-disruptive installation
Wood laminate is less expensive than hardwood flooring
Easy to maintain
Triple protection warranty against wear, fading and stains
Topical water warranty available on many styles

The gentleman selling me the floors told me they were water resistance but now I read the manufacturers warranty:

This limited warranty does not apply to damage caused by water or moisture in the subfloor or underneath the flooring, including but not limited to water damage caused by flooding, standing water (water that remains on the floor longer than 30 minutes), leaking pipes, , household mechanical failures, appliance leaks, or pet urine.

I had two dogs running around and he said these floors would be great for dogs..HA

I also had this floor installed over my concrete subfloor and I am not sure if the did the following:
This limited warranty does not apply to flooring installed on a concrete subfloor unless a non-recycled (100% virgin resin) 6-mil. Polyethylene film vapor barrier with a density of .92 lbs./cubic ft. and a thickness tolerance of +/- 10% is installed over the concrete subfloor that emits a water vapor no greater than 5 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. within 24 hours (on the warranty page).

I have asked for a manager to come over and look over the floors and I really want them to be completely removed and get another installer and product put down. I am very worried!

Jan 14, 2013 1:32 pm EST
Empire Today customer support contacts
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333 Northwest Avenue, Melrose Park, IL, 60164, US

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Tony, we’re disappointed that your product has not met your expectations and that the issues you’ve experienced have not yet been resolved. We would like to discuss your concerns regarding your installation and the warranty, but we are not able to locate your account with the information in your post. Please call us at 888-588-2315 x4195 or email your contact information to customersupport@empiretoday.com, and we will reach out to you. Thank you. Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager
Jan 22, 2013 11:04 am EST
Empire Today customer support contacts
Phone numbers
Address

333 Northwest Avenue, Melrose Park, IL, 60164, US

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Thank you for providing us with your information, Anthony. We will be contacting you soon to discuss your concerns. Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager
Sep 25, 2013 10:14 am EDT
Empire Today customer support contacts
Phone numbers
Address

333 Northwest Avenue, Melrose Park, IL, 60164, US

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It’s disappointing that you’ve been experiencing issues with your product. We can assure you that we take your concerns very seriously, and we would like to follow up with you to learn more about the situation. Unfortunately, we cannot locate your account with the information posted here. Please call us at 888-588-2315 x4195 or email customersupport@empiretoday.com, and we will reach out to you. Thank you. Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager
Jul 01, 2014 12:56 pm EDT
Empire Today customer support contacts
Phone numbers
Address

333 Northwest Avenue, Melrose Park, IL, 60164, US

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Hi Dan, it’s disappointing that you’ve been experiencing issues with your product, and we understand your frustration. It’s
our understanding that we’ve been in contact about this matter, and we regret that you are not yet satisfied. We will be following up with you shortly to discuss the situation in more detail. You can also reach us at 888-588-2315 x4195 or customersupport@empiretoday.com.Thank you. Jeanette Ramey, National Customer Service Manager
Dec 02, 2014 9:39 am EST
Empire Today customer support contacts
Phone numbers
Address

333 Northwest Avenue, Melrose Park, IL, 60164, US

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Hi David, we’re glad you brought this situation to our attention. We never want our customers to be disappointed in our products, and we would like to know more about the issues you’ve been experiencing. We cannot locate your account with the information posted here, but if you call us at 888-588-2315 x4195 or email your contact information to customersupport@empiretoday.com, we will follow up with you as soon as possible. Thank you. Jeanette Ramey, National Customer Service Manager
Feb 09, 2015 2:14 pm EST
Empire Today customer support contacts
Phone numbers
Address

333 Northwest Avenue, Melrose Park, IL, 60164, US

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Hi Nicole, we regret that your product is not meeting your expectations. We can assure you that we are taking this situation seriously, and we understand that we’ve been in contact with you about these issues. We are committed to working with our customers until they are completely satisfied, and we will be following up with you shortly to discuss any issues that have not yet been addressed. You can also reach us at customersupport@empiretoday.com. Thank you. Jeanette Ramey, National Customer Service Manager
Feb 23, 2016 11:48 am EST
Empire Today customer support contacts
Phone numbers
Address

333 Northwest Avenue, Melrose Park, IL, 60164, US

File a complaint Write a review
Hi Debby, it's disappointing that your product has not been meeting your expectations, and we would like to know more about the issues you've experienced. We will be contacting you shortly to discuss your concerns and work towards a resolution with you. You can also reach us at customersupport@empiretoday.com. Thank you.
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14 comments
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Laga123
, US
Dec 03, 2022 2:18 am EST

Very disappointed. They laid down a plywood subfloor and then my ceramic tile floors on top. It's cracked all over. Every installer I spoke with said, they were supposed to use a concrete subfloor.

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TolerAmy
, US
Jun 28, 2018 2:05 pm EDT

We had Easy Living laminate installed in our entire basement in Nov 2015. We had some water damage a week ago or so and the floors have buckled so much that we have to replace the floors, however, it was only on a small part of our entire basement. First let me say, we had this type of water damage with our last floors we had that were from Costco and zero buckling with those floors...these Easy Living floors buckled and bubbled within an hour of the water damage.
I called Empire to get someone to come out to help us assess the damage and then hopefully pull up the damaged boards and replace (at our cost of course since water damage is not covered in the warranty). Sure enough, these floors have been discontinued so her suggestion was to have a sales person come out to see about all new floors...seriously? I paid over $6k for these floors and only a small portion is damaged and now the only way to have them fixed is to replace my whole basement floor? She offered me no other explanation or suggestion. I will NOT be going through Empire again to replace my floors...I will spend $6k with another, more reputable flooring company. I wish I had read some of the reviews about Empire before i had them come out.
On another note, I cannot find Easy Living products ANYWHERE - not sure if they are an Empire specific brand or not.

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Debby Opperude
, US
Feb 22, 2016 5:52 pm EST

We had Easy Living laminate installed throughout our home only four months ago. It is curling, lifting and looks dirty all the time showing any footprint. This was a terrible choice and so wish we could have had Pergo installed which is the laminate flooring we had for many years and it held up so much better. That sure was a waste of $6, 000. on our part. Never again!

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Tim Godshall
, US
Sep 25, 2015 7:54 am EDT

Empire flooring is terrible, never use them, The job was done poorly, i could not even talk to the installers as they did not speak english. I had to call the install supervisor to have them come back several times to fix problems, The repair guy even said the floor was not installed correctly. Asked for an extra couple of pieces of flooring and they will not give or sell it to me. Customer service is terrible, contacting an attorney now, phone numbers of the sales rep and installation supervisor are disconnected. Total B.S. they will not even commit to making sure they carry the flooring in the future so if you do have a problem you might not even be able to get it fixed.

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Nicole Tro
Bloomingdale, US
Feb 06, 2015 11:56 am EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I have this similar problem with Empire's exotic Acacia wood floor, which I had installed a few months ago. Several of the installed boards are poor in quality; cracked, splintered, chipped and defective. Worse a few boards have deep and long gouges. Empire workmanship leaves a lot to be desired, as I have floor boards that don't even meet the quarter-round - the installers brilliant solution, brown caulk. Oh, let me not forget to mention all the dents and impressions left from the installaters mallet and equipment. Why customer services continues to send out the same two installers to evaluate the problem that installed the problem, is beyond nonsensical. To worsen matters, the installers did not install a vapor barrier between the subfloor and hardwood floor, which means trouble later down the line and quite possibly is the cause of the current cracks. I had 3 additional rooms to receive hardwood at the time of installation. I chose Empire to install floors only in 1 of the 3 rooms. In hindsight this was a smart decision, based on the first install, they fall short of future business. As for this consumer, I own an accredited newspaper in Chicago with a modest circulation; 30, 000 readers per week. My experience with Empire, coupled with pictures, will I believe make a very convincing argument to readers in the market for flooring to think twice who they call.

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David2883
Willow Spring, US
Nov 29, 2014 10:36 am EST

We had the exact same experience with Easy Living laminate from Empire. It was a huge waste of money. The salesman said all the same things: great for dogs, water resistant, durable. It buckles if any water gets on it, and it will chip if anything of any weight falls on it. Ours has chipped in several spots and is buckling all over the place. We were completely lied to by Empire. We had someone come out and take a look at it and he acted like everything was normal and there was nothing he could do. I would do anything to be able to rip these floors out and put in a different flooring, but I cant afford to after forking over $5, 000 to Empire. I would never recommend this company to anyone.

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Dan Cannelli
Port Clinton, US
Jun 30, 2014 10:24 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I also would not recommend Empire and in fact, I have told everyone who will listen what happened to my flooring. We had Easy Living laminate installed in our kitchen. Within a year, it was buckling and pulling up on some of the ends. I repeatedly called Empire and FINALLY, someone agreed to come and look at it. He came into the house with his water meter and pre-canned script all ready to tell me it was not Empire's problem. First he said the meter showed moisture under the laminate. "It must be coming from the water line in the refrigerator" he said. I advised him that there was no water line going to the fridge. Then he said it was coming from under the sink. I asked him to prove water damage to the wood under the sink. He could not do it. He kept to his "trusty water meter" and could not leave fast enough telling me there was nothing Empire was going to do to fix it. He was rude and very unprofessional and acted like I wasted his entire day. Empire is horrible to do business with. During the sale, you are King. After the sale, you are dirt. Please shop around and do yourself a favor.

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kschaffer
, US
Sep 24, 2013 7:29 pm EDT

Empire was the worst choice for home improvements we have ever made. We have not even had our laminate flooring for a year yet and it is buckling and the seams are pulling apart as well as peeling parts of laminate. They sent out one of their inspectors to find the problem and they said it was dog urine meaning they will not fix it unless we pay and the funny thing is we do not even have a dog. We have 2 cats who are litter boxed trained and have never had an accident outside of their litter box. Empire is very unprofessional and do not know how to return calls and it is a huge waste of our precious time. I would never ever in my life even recommend Empire to my worst enemy. What a waste. Please take my advice and shop around.

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TonyCrom
puyallup, US
Jan 21, 2013 4:48 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Job # FE35851-927698. Install # [protected]

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TonyCrom
puyallup, US
Jan 11, 2013 6:23 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I've had the same issue. I was told by the sales rep that these floors are great for dogs and are resistant to water damage so long as the water does not stay longer then 15 minutes and is cleaned up right away...couple months after installing my dog knocked over a bucket of water in the kitchen which I cleaned up right away. A few months later the seams started to rise and spread apart and other parts of the floor stated to bubble up...called empire and they said the warranty is no good cause of the moisture in the floor from the water. If the flooring was installed correctly then water should not have seeped into the seams since it was picked up immediately. Never going thru empire again, waste of money!

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noahsark
, US
Oct 19, 2010 2:15 pm EDT

the post abovc is my story too! the only difference is that it got put in all on time, and quick. i dont know about anyone else but i watched them install the whole house worth of flooring and it seemed like they beat the heck out of those boards! and that what i also know is that when i installed IKEA lam. flooring "in the KITCHEN" 4 years ago it lasted all the way tell EMPIRE TODAY ripped it. ive had this floor since OCT09 2 months later it needed repair do to one of our young dogs having an accident, they repaired it after i fought with them over the phone! now today OCT10 had a roof leak, warenty yeah no-go! glory to insurence? but if you havent look you cant just buy replacement boards from EMPIRE, they have to install! just try to find the same product in your home! i dare you. :)

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Gjade
Farmingville, US
Oct 08, 2010 4:46 am EDT

I am in the process of having easy living lamiante floors installed. Before even seeing a sample, I explained the buckle & unlevel spots in my floor and asked if they can fix it, or not. If this is something they cant do, I will call another flooring company. Salesman called his manager, explained in detail my floor and they agreed what to do and a final cost. I do not want a bill after the job! I also explained my 2 DOGS, one is sick and urinated on my rugs so bad, this is why I called to have a floor put down, he explained this is the best possible floor for my situation, great for dogs, and if there is an accidnt it will clean up with no damage to the floors.
Yesterday they came; Every promise that was made during the sale has been an issue, which I had also noted on the contract before signing. The installers came, after ripping up the floor, said they can't do the job. Due to the reasons I spoke about during the sale. He starts to explain I have this issue in my floor as if I dint know. I said I KNOW, Thats why I am paying an additional $600 to have the sub floor put down! They had no idea, I called the sales man, their manager and it was like I never spoke during the sale! He finally could not deny the ponts I originally made, at the sale. But it would cost $1, 600 additional! After all are involved, they say they can do it as originally planned! Now it must be a 2 day job.(which they didnt start until 12 noon after all this) When I was told they would start at 9am. and be complete in one day.
And is a big inconvienence in my work schedule!

Now, I read another post above; in regard to the specs on the warranty about the pet urine, and water damage not being covered. All which he Clearly sold to me as a benefit of this floor. And the sub floor, mold, mildew, water resisdant underlay they say will be installed.

This job is not even complete and I am thorougly disapponted!

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BadKarma
Houston, US
Sep 30, 2010 10:17 am EDT

Follow up? Was there a resolution? I am looking at the same flooring through empire, but I have dogs as well.

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Dec 07, 2009 10:11 am EST

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC