Q: So, Quick-Step ® is laminate flooring?
A: Correct. Quick-Step is a brand of laminate flooring manufactured by a Belgian company, Unilin. Unilin is heavily involved in the manufacture of all the materials that make up laminate flooring: MDF, chipboard, melamine, and so on. So, you can say that Unilin knows the territory. They employ well over 4,000 people across the world.Q: What makes Quick-Step ® different from other types of laminate flooring?
A: In 1997, they were the first to employ a "click-type" method of joining the boards, called Uniclic. We call this a floating floor because it is not connected to the underlayment. Once it is all connected, it's a single unit "floating" on top of the underlayment.After developing the click technique, Unilin also worked on improving the texture and patina of the boards to make them look and feel more realistic.
Other than the historical distinction, I don't find Quick-Step to be much different from other laminate flooring put out by top-tier manufacturers.
Q: I read that Quick-Step has both "laminate wood floors and laminate tile floors." I found this on their website. I don't get it.
A: I don't either. All laminate flooring, whether it comes from Mannington, Pergo, or whoever, is made from a layer of fiberboard topped with a photographic simulation of some kind of surface (granite, oak, pine, etc.), with that topped by a "wear layer" (a transparent and very sturdy film to protect everything below).So there is really no such thing as laminate wood or tile floors. But don't single out Unilin. All laminate flooring manufacturers have a habit of associating their flooring with whatever material they are trying to simulate.
Q. Are there any advantages to Quick Step flooring?
Since Unilin has been in the business of laminate for eons, they have developed a greater variety and quantity of surfaces than other manufacturers.Also, laminate flooring can build up static electricity—an uncomfortable shock on those winter mornings. Quick-Step has an antistatic treatment that seems to control the static.
Q: Does Quick-Step flooring have any kind of warranty?
Yes, most laminate flooring has a warranty. But the Quick-Step warranty (like that of other flooring) covers just the materials, not the labor. This is reasonable, since they produced the materials and cannot be responsible for the labor.But consider this: you've laid down 2,000 square feet of Quick-Step laminate flooring. A year later, you've got problems with wear and tear, moisture, fading, or anything else that seems out of the norm. You decide to call in that warranty.
The problem is that the Quick-Step warranty (again, like most warranties) is pro-rated. So, you're not going to get a full refund: you're going to get a partial refund based on a pro-rated formula. As the Unilin warranty states:
"Uniclic® and Unilink® warranty periods are both pro rata 33 years for flooring and 25 years for accessories. A pro rata warranty is one that provides for a refund or credit that decreases according to a set formula as the warranty period progresses. "
