***This review is broken down separately for Alliance Floor Source (the contractor) and for Evoke Flooring (the flooring product). Both 10/10***
REVIEW FOR ALLIANCE FLOOR SOURCE (RATING 10/10)***
I was searching for flooring to replace my carpet and had researched flooring products for months. To my surprise, 90% of salespeople did not have basic flooring knowledge. Most did not understand very basic technical information, such as international standards (AC3 vs AC5, Greenguard & Floorscore certification, etc.) and almost nobody understood basic flooring construction. Fake sales pitches were abound and almost no useful information was gained…it was terrible
When I eventually stumbled upon Alliance Floor Source I knew right away that this was where I would be purchasing my flooring. This store is run by Lehel and Timea and they really, really know flooring inside out, right down to the manufacturing stages and flooring construction. No other retailer came even close to their vast technical knowledge.
Everything about Alliance Floor Source is about quality…absolute top-notch quality and nothing less. I found luxury high-end products at Alliance which I have never seen in big box stores and other flooring stores. I also notice that the store does not employ commissioned sale staff so I never received any fake sales pitches.
Alliance went to extraordinary lengths to be perfect. For instance, everything was done precisely on schedule. The flooring delivery arrived EXACTLY as scheduled, the installers arrived EXACTLY on time, and the work was completed EARLIER than quoted. (On the day the flooring was scheduled to be delivered, the delivery person was stuck elsewhere, so Lehel personally hauled the flooring himself, weighing over 1000 pounds, to my place in order to keep his promise.)
I watched the installers closely and it was obvious that they took exceptional pride in their work. Every piece of flooring was installed with very meticulous, careful perfection and they checked and re-checked their work. There were occasions when the installers could easily have cut corners without my knowledge (and installers from other retailers would likely have done so), but the Alliance installers never did. For instance, they tapped each piece tightly together with special tools even after forcing them together tightly by hand, but I would never have been able to tell the difference if they didn’t tap. Prior to the installation, I was worried about seams and gaps which I’ve seen elsewhere in similar flooring, but I inspected every square inch of the flooring on my hands and knees afterwards and there was not the slightest gap present.
Lehel inspected my flooring afterwards and recommended doorway moldings for aesthetics. I wasn’t interested in purchasing the molding, but to my surprise, Lehel took measurements anyways, then returned later with the customed-made moldings and installed them free of charge. The moldings did, in fact, enhanced my doorways greatly as Lehel recommended. Lehel also dropped off a special cleaning kit which is normally sold at his store for a cost ($50 value). I never expected this follow-up care, which was performed AFTER I already made my final payment, and which no other flooring contractor would have done.
I deal with trades workers frequently and have never seen this extraordinary level of quality. In fact, I often deal with horrible customer complaints about contractors, so Alliance’s exceptional care and honesty was quite surprising.
There were, however, two minor issues which would have otherwise made the installation absolutely perfect. First, there were some wall nicks/dents which were completely avoidable and there was also a 1cm scratch in the new flooring caused by a misplaced hand-saw. This scratch is barely noticeable if you did not know it was present, unfortunately, I happened to know it is present and it stands out because it is located smack right in the middle of my living room in front of my television. The damage was caused by the installer’s reckless “helper” with whom I pleaded to be careful to avoid damaging my walls, ceilings and newly installed flooring, but who ignored my pleas. After repeatedly begging him to be careful, I was so enraged by his recklessness that I demanded that he stay out of my place. Secondly, there was considerable dust when the old carpet was removed, which I did not expect, and which had I been forwarned about, would have saved me hours of cleaning afterwards because I would have covered my belongings.
Despite these imperfections, Alliance is still the most caring contractor I have ever dealt with (and I have dealt with a lot!). They are incredibly honest, they take exceptional pride in their work and go the extra mile to strive for perfection. Everyone at Alliance is tremendously passionate about the quality of their work and they work extremely hard to maintain their remarkable quality standards. Lehel and Timea treated my home as if it was their own. Having to deal with contractors regularly myself, I’d have to say that Alliance is the best I’ve ever seen and I will never consider any other flooring company in the future.
Alliance Floor Source has been granted my permission for interested customers to drop by my place and inspect the flooring. The workmanship is of exceptional quality (except for the scratch) and I welcome any visitor into my home to see it for themselves.
***REVIEW FOR EVOKE BRAND FLOORING (the actual product which was installed)***
RATING: 10/10
I originally was shopping for laminate and “tested” samples from many stores. The aluminum oxide coating makes laminate ultra-tough, and it was very difficult to scratch even with a screw-driver. Unfortunately, laminate swells horribly (and permanently) when it gets wets, and in some cheaper products, the laminate disintegrated during my testing. This means that I had to be careful never to drop a drink, and pray that there will never be a leak in my home, otherwise my flooring will be destroyed.
Alliance Floor Source suggested a vinyl product from Evoke Flooring, which set me on another course of searching and testing. Again, I obtained samples from stores, wholesalers and suppliers and put them thru my home-made tests. I soaked them in household chemicals (oil, bleach, ammonia, 99% isopropyl alcohol, masking tape, 5% acetic acid) which I placed under a heat lamp to accelerate any chemical reaction. The heat lamp also simulated direct sunlight onto the flooring. I performed abrasion tests and used sharp objects to simulate high-heel shoes. I also attempted to bend and crack the samples. In addition to my own testing, I also spent hours reading online reviews.
The one sample which performed well in all my tests was Evoke’s vinyl. Although Evoke’s polyurethane coating is not as tough as laminate’s aluminum oxide surface, it was virtually indestructible otherwise. I even folded a piece in half and stood on it with my full body weight, and the sample snapped back straight with no sign of damage, whereas some other brands shattered into pieces. Best of all, vinyl is 100% waterproof, so I would never have to worry about leaks or accidental spills. Evoke’s vinyl had the added advantage of being ultra indestructible based on my testing.
A close runner-up to Evoke’s vinyl was Inspira’s vinyl, which was the only vinyl on the market with the ultra-tough aluminum oxide coating (even tougher than Evoke’s based on my testing). Unfortunately, unlike Evoke, Inspira was not Floorscore certified for toxic compounds, which I confirmed with Floorscore’s online search. Furthermore, Inspira’s technical staff did not return my phone message regarding VOC emission. Overall, Evoke was certainly the leader when all the test information was considered and I could not find a better, more indestructible or more safe product.
After the installation, one thing I noticed about my Evoke flooring is that it has a very comfortable feel on my feet. Its distinctly different from laminate or hardwood. All my guest love it, and one particular guest, who happens to be a very picky laminate installer himself, praised the remarkable workmanship from Alliance Floor Source. With the exception of the 1cm accidental scratch in the middle of my living room (which bothers me greatly because of its location in the middle of my living room), the flooring is wonderful and I would certainly not consider any other flooring in the future except for Evoke’s vinyl (unless a better product comes out).
I will update my review in the future regarding its long-term performance.
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