I’m so sorry Larry. I agree, I’ve shared my experience on here as well. I deeply regret this purchase.

Just wanted to share my experience with aquaguard (parkside birch). Purchased laminate to install in 3 bedrooms, living, dining and powder. Started in master bedroom. It states that acclimation wasn't required but I did acclimate for 12 hours. I began install and it seemed straight forward like any click system. However, the first 1-3 rows are tricky and need to be perfect or your install is crap... I removed a plank to readjust but the tongue broke off!!! (Short side). No biggie I thought... But it kept happening--4 boards!!!!!! I got frustrated and decided to stop the install and do additional research as to possible issues. Since there are no online reviews, I didn't find anything new.

Decided to attempt install the next day, and I was EXTRA careful and it went down easier, no breakage. I did pick up a trick from YouTube that suggests cutting off a little bit of the end so it seats easier. Don't do this is you do not feel comfortable as it probably will void warranty (but as others mentioned, warranty will probably never be honored...).. I believe the product does need to acclimate. I left it in the garage for 2 weeks in the winter and it was 20-30 degrees(extreme low temp according to manufacture). I used their eco quiet underlayment. I compared the stc rating to others at floor and decor, hd, and lowes... And this seems to be the highest one(and of course the most expensive)

Used miter saw to cut with wood framing blade and angle grinder. it creates a ton of fine black dust... So wear respirator and I suggest cutting outdoors.

Your subfloor needs to be flat. I can tell that the stiff board isn't forgiving compared to luxury vinyl plank(I installed in basement).

I'm a bit concerned with the comments that said it scratches. I used my keys to dig into the display at floor and decor and it seemed to hold up. During install, I did drop tools on the finished floor and it seemed ok. Time will tell!

Just wanted to share my experience with aquaguard (parkside birch). Purchased laminate to install in 3 bedrooms, living, dining and powder. Started in master bedroom. It states that acclimation wasn't required but I did acclimate for 12 hours. I began install and it seemed straight forward like any click system. However, the first 1-3 rows are tricky and need to be perfect or your install is crap... I removed a plank to readjust but the tongue broke off!!! (Short side). No biggie I thought... But it kept happening--4 boards!!!!!! I got frustrated and decided to stop the install and do additional research as to possible issues. Since there are no online reviews, I didn't find anything new.

Decided to attempt install the next day, and I was EXTRA careful and it went down easier, no breakage. I did pick up a trick from YouTube that suggests cutting off a little bit of the end so it seats easier. Don't do this is you do not feel comfortable as it probably will void warranty (but as others mentioned, warranty will probably never be honored...).. I believe the product does need to acclimate. I left it in the garage for 2 weeks in the winter and it was 20-30 degrees(extreme low temp according to manufacture). I used their eco quiet underlayment. I compared the stc rating to others at floor and decor, hd, and lowes... And this seems to be the highest one(and of course the most expensive)

Used miter saw to cut with wood framing blade and angle grinder. it creates a ton of fine black dust... So wear respirator and I suggest cutting outdoors.

Your subfloor needs to be flat. I can tell that the stiff board isn't forgiving compared to luxury vinyl plank(I installed in basement).

I'm a bit concerned with the comments that said it scratches. I used my keys to dig into the display at floor and decor and it seemed to hold up. During install, I did drop tools on the finished floor and it seemed ok. Time will tell!

Horrible flooring, Floor and Decor don't stand by the product and the warranty is void if you pull the floor up. It took twice the time and 50% more boxes v home depot pergo. The company referred us to their lawyers because we would not accept $300 compensation. We are now filing in small claims court to recoup anything we can. Disgusting business practices. The lock in system was so fragile it split by touching it. The boards cracked left and right. Our contractor kept trying but in the end we all gave up. I wish I had just googled it instead of deciding on the store floor.

Feel your pain.... I absolutely hate my floors and Floor & Decor.

They want me to pay a guy $1100 to come to my house and inspect the floors and the entire house and then write a report for them.

Which flooring did you choose?

Not sure who this is directed towards, but I did buy 45 boxes of Parkside Birch (https://www.flooranddecor.com/multi-length-laminate/parkside-birch-multi-length-water-resistant-laminate-100584572.html)

I completed my master bedroom after initial hiccups. I moved onto the hallway and still having issues with the lock system being fragile. It is really brittle and will most likely rip off if you remove the short edge to realign. I haven't moved in yet, so i can't speak about the durability and if the lock system will break off or not when the floating floor moves (shrink / expand). I know some of my friend's house the floors do buckle and pop up... so i'm desperately hoping this doesn't happen.

I would like to change my vote and say DO NOT BUY THIS FLOOR. The floor needs to be half the price i paid to be worth the hassle and anxiety of knowing that this thing will last. (i paid $3.19 sq ft). Also, i'm not sure if the fact that it is made in China makes a difference? The board itself is great but the short side lock system is HORRIBLE... BE WARNED!!!!

it's made in Germany

A spot of wood glue on the short side will make a bond stronger than the MDF. A real pro will be able to make it work....apparently there are a lot of unimaginative laborers who pose as professionals

Gotta be able to roll with the punches

I agree that i would glue the short end for the FEW pieces that rip off. However, if the product has a high failure rate, i wouldn't say you need to "roll with the punches"--that indicates that the product isn't stable for install and/or readjustments.

However, i'm pretty sure the product i bought is made in china. The color you purchased may be made in Germany, but the stuff i got states China on the box.

I agree that initial floor prep is 99% of the job--but installation of the floor isn't always straightforward with floating floors, particularly the first 1-2 rows, which is where a lot of readjustments and breakage happens.

@Melanie Hill _What type of underlayment did you use on your Aquaguard flooring and have you had any issues with it? Thank you!

I also have purchased aquaguard flooring. My first house with it worked out great no issues. The second time installed last year was horrible. I went with the longer plank Napa grande and it’s been nothing but issues. I’ll never buy again.

Hi Carolyn: What are some of the issues you are having? Thanks!

We installed the Aqua Guard water resistant GOYA flooring a year ago over a concrete slab. Absolutely zero problems, We will use it again in the next house. Installed it ourselves, simply snap together with the correct tools.

We installed Aquaguard Amstel in our whole downstairs in 2019. 2years later and it is still beautiful and I have 3 children under 7, a pit bull and a husband. We installed on a concrete floor with the middle grade underlayment. We don't have any squawking issues, our only problem is now we want to do the stairs and there aren't any coordinating pieces.

Thank you you for posting your experiences with this flooring and seller. We were going to pickup a large amount of the Aquaguard Amberly Cherry flooring today. This was a top pick since it seemed durable enough for our 3 bedrooms on the 2nd floor. It is a good match to the dark cherry wooden hallway. I am having second thoughts on this flooring. My backup choice is the Home Depot Home Legend Click Lock Hardwood Flooring. It is prettier but less durable at first look. The install is on our creaky 2nd floor wood subfloor. We will secure it with a lot of screws and use leveling compounds before installing. Any thoughts on the comparison between Aquaguard Engineered Hardwood click lock and Home Legend Matte Click Lock Hardwood Flooring? Colors are Corbin Mahogany or Chamois Mahogany. In the photo the Home Legend flooring are the top smaller boards and the two longer ones are Aquaguard.

I’ve only had the one experience with Aqua Guard. I tend to believe it was the specific finish we chose. Since my last post, F&D has agreed to take 100% of the flooring back as defective. I am switching to a wood look tile. My guess is, your flooring choice will be fine. My advise is to really put the sample piece to the test at home before you buy it, and make sure your subfloor is 100% completely level. Pay for leveling if you have to.

We had Aqua Guard installed in our new home and it looks nice, but the pattern repeats often. My biggest complaint is that it wet spots leave a mark that never goes away. When we moved in there were 3 places of a about 5 drips each that I guess the builders left behind and I cannot get them out. You can only see them when the sun or light hits a certain way. Then a few weeks ago my 60 pound dog got excited and peed on the floor when my son's friends came over late aT night and we didn't notice it until the next morning. Sure enough the whole mark of where the liquid was and the drips and trail show clearly. Didn't swell up or warp - you can just see it the print of it. Our dog slides around on it every time we bring her in and there and no scratches on it. Also when we first moved in, you could see the installers fingerprints on the edges of the floor, but I was able to use a steam mop and get those to go away. Would NOT RECOMMEND!!!

@mjt889 How has the Parkside Birch held up since you put it down last year? Sounded like you were taking a very sensible approach to clean and maintain the floors, so I thought I’d check with you.

I am considering Parkside Birch for about 2800 sqft including kitchen and really nervous about the investment. Floor and Decor let us take home 2 long planks to really feel it, and it looked amazing. This is after trying out nearly 30 other samples of pergo, traffic master, Mannington, and home decorator options.
Why did we have to try so many out? Well…We hadn’t planned on replacing our floors and had our custom cabinets matched to that. As luck would have it, the older floor pieces are no longer available. I would have had to use something totally different in my new spaces which would just look too weird because the kitchen opens into them.
So I’m really glad we landed on something that’s the right price point and works with our fancy new cabinets. I really want this to be “the one” but I want to be really sure before I go plunk down buco bucks.

@Kay D Cannot recommend Parkside Birch enough!! So obvious based on above comments that the quality varies greatly by color. But I haven't had even a scratch or any kind of issue at all whatsoever. I have two dogs (One 95lb Chesapeake bay retriever and a 30 lb mix) and a 2 and 3 year old that ride scooters on it daily. We actually added 1700 more sq feet of it to our first floor around 6m ago and recently just put on a new master bedroom addition - I'll be putting it in there as well. It's currently in my kitchen and the freezer has been leaking on it for weeks and I can't speak for the subfloor/underlayment, but there's no visible damage to the floor from what I can see at all. I've been mopping it with my O'Cedar spin mop - hot water with a tsp of tide powder. It comes out great and no streaks. I have steamed it (even though I said I wouldn't) as well and it's been fine. I'd say go with it!

@Kay D. It's been nearly a year since our install of Salemo, and we are still super happy with it. I think going through a full cycle of Michigan weather with very dry and cold winters to hot and humid summers is a good test to see how the flooring will hold up with regards to shifting, gapping and creaking, and so far it has been very stable. The durability has been great as well!

Ahh! Thank you @mjt889 and @jamespawloski

That’s fantastic news! I feel really good now.

I will see about ordering a good bit more than we need to prepare for some of the installation and quality concerns people have mentioned here. That way I don’t have to worry about coverage. Worst case, I’ll have some left over if I decide to add a sun room someday. If the batch turns out mostly ok i will return some unopened boxes. If any of them are obviously bad pieces I’ll see if F&D will do something about them. Wish me luck, internet! :-)
Thanks!

I'm hesitant on buying, but the look is the best. I tested water resistance on two samples and put a small puddle of water over the seam and it held for 3-5 hours before seeping into the seam. If you buy this be sure to clean up any spills right away. Can't find another brand that looks this good....

We installed upstairs in apt over garage in 2018 and have 2 big dogs and guests in and out up there .We love it no problems at all and we are going to do the whole downstairs in it this week!

I just had the AquaGuard Rosewood Hand Scraped Water Resistant floor professionally installed in my condo. It is a beautiful floor and so far no issues with scratches or stains from water. I was a bit dismayed just now to discover this is water resistant flooring and not waterproof. Either I was seduced by the color or Floor & Decor changed the labels out since I purchased it in April. I swore this was sold as waterproof -- NOT water resistant. I actually am a flooring specialist at Home Depot so I am aware of the downsides of laminate and water versus the luxury plank vinyl. I didn't go with the Pergo laminate that HD sells -- I just wasn't sold on the colors or finishes Pergo offers. I am not at all attracted to the vinyl finishes -- they look (to me) dull and, well, faux. I am aware that they do offer real protection against water but aesthetically I just couldn't use vinyl. The AquaGuard Rosewood has a lovely semi-gloss finish that has more sophistication than the Pergo flooring. No creaks or squeaks.

Hoping that I have no issues with water.....

Slamb81- love yoir pics! i am thinking of installing the Aquaguard in Amstel throughoit our downstairs. Are you still happy with your decision and are the floors still holding up well?

@Tyler Warner do you have pacifier of cerise flooring? I’m interested in this color

@Shelli Nelson Could you please post more pictures in different lighting of rosewood laminate? the closest store is 3 hours away and they charge shipping for ship to store! Would you still recommend this floor? I am trying to match this floor for a nonadjacent room

Does anyone have experience with Auquaguard Performance in Sage Creek?

We installed Amstel upstairs and downstairs and honestly, I regret it. Ours is manufactured in Vietnam and is NOT holding up. It chips super easily - like where my 2 year old dropped his kid sized spoon under the dining table, scratched multiple places and doesn’t stay joined well near doorways. My contractor loves the stuff and convinced us but I can’t wait until we replace it in 15 years with something else.
This stuff isn’t even cheap stuff but its going to look like crap in a few years and that’s super frustrating.

Not sure if this, to the R near the light spot, is a scratch or just a mar but stuff like this is all over our flooring. And because my contractor installed it instead of Floor and Decor, of course they just throw up their hands and say it’s not their responsibility.

You have to really fight with Floor and Decor. I had my own installers when I had trouble with my Aquaguard flooring. It took me some time, but I was able to get them to take it all back and reimburse me. Too bad your installer didn't notice this as he was installing. Don't give up. They will try to push you off.

my / our experience has been awful, just 2-years in and still fighting with Floor & Decor, they simply don't care. Might you have a contact you would be willing to share ? Out of 67-boxes delivered, 12-had to be returned, FD tried to "blame us" for not having culled the material, but we did. Within 3~60 days, the seams, ends and long edges, began to let loose and come apart, popping-up and coming disconnected.

Thank you Tim 847-721-1810

'

I'm seeing mixed reviews on this flooring, does it matter what color you choose? or does it all depend on floor prep?

Any experience with Camarillo natural oak, Cassatta, or Calgary?

@Tim Dirsmith what color do you have?

@cbculpepper -- apologies for the long delay in responding. I have not been keeping up with this discussion. Here are two more photos of the rosewood laminate. My condo does not have a lot of natural light -- so this is the best I can do. It has been a year since I had it installed. I have had no issues at all with it. I treat it with TLC -- clean it often with Bona or Rejuvenate -- I do not use a vacuum on it. It is doing just fine in my bathroom and kitchen. I note that it is just me (and most recently a small dog) in my home -- no kids or other adults who might stress it out more. I love the color of it -- it looks like real wood. I sell flooring at Home Depot -- I do think this AquaGuard laminate looks much closer to real than the LVP flooring that is so popular right now. I am sorry to hear others are having problems with their AquaGuard floors. Mine is a delight.

We are installing the AquaGuard Estate Oak Tawny Hand Scraped Water-Resistant Laminate in four bedrooms after removing carpet and love the product but I am a little troubled. While directly working with the product and mostly cutting my eyes, nose, and throat get irritated and next few days I have blood when I blow my nose and what seems to be allergy like symptoms. I assume this is from Formaldehyde which is why I have some concerns. We bought this only to find out ours was discontinued and makes me wonder if the Formaldehyde is why. Found out in 2016 they were sued because of misrepresentation of this and being made in China. Anyone else know or experienced this.

yes, have heard this, similar experience myself, did you have occasion to "look on the Aquarguard box/packaging" there is/was no name or phone#, calling 411, or 911, google, siri or Alexa, whichever works, the only number I have got me to FLoor Decor national claims office, which suggests to me that FLoor Decor owns Aquaguard. No one store manager person is able or willing to share any other information, you can message me back, or call directly if you like Tim 847-721-1810

Tim, Dealing with F&D is an issue in it's self, finding and buying the products went smooth but if you have questions or issues it's like no one knows anything. Their employees do not seem to know anything about what they sell, I am currently installing so I have the product as shown below and clearly shows made in China. I still want to say I love the flooring for looks, installation, and durability but the formaldehyde is worrisome. Any of the bad reviews on here I have not noticed any of them. I finished my daughters room Saturday and today I still feel symptoms I described

.

I searched the EPA TSCA on Google and found the below link: EPA TSCA Title VI

Also this one CARB 93120 Phase 2 Compliant

It seems it is labeled to be compliant with EPA and California regulations which if true is good to hear but I believe when installing I will have windows open and wearing mask for sure. To be honest I found this post searching for info on this flooring because with the symptoms I was feeling I first thought of Asbestos and when I started hearing formaldehyde I was relieved but then searching and reading I was just as concerned with formaldehyde.

It seems as though the color choice makes a difference in the AquaGuard’s durability. Has anyone purchased Calico? We are looking to have it installed by a professional, but want to make sure the floor itself is good quality and will hold up to normal wear and tear with kids & pets. This is a big purchase as we will be redoing our whole main level. Kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, mud room, living & dining room. Any feed back with this product in this color is appreciated.

@Chuck Browning - I was curious about your comment on formaldehyde. Talking to the employees at Floor and Decor yesterday, they were stating that the AquaGuard laminate is GreenGuard Gold certified, which should be much more emission stringent than CARB II. Should we not trust what they are saying?

To all NuCore Floor & Decor dissatisfied customers call Matt Metzger for a possible class action lawsuit. 513-488-1135

@Hoang Tran Hi seems like they discontinued the Parkside Birch (SKU: 100584572) at Floor and Decor. I had a water leak from my neighbor which had me pull out about 100 sq ft of the laminate. Do you or anyone in this thread have any boxes leftover that they are willing to sell me? I am looking for about 5-6 boxes. My email is Jc25x@yahoo.com Thanks much in advance!

sorry! i bought just enough to complete my project. @Jee Hwan Choi

Do not buy , looks nice but will scrash terribly, Please do the fork test and you will see .. I greatly regret my purchase and installation

Any updates

Installed Parkside Birch in kitchen and other high traffic areas July 2021. Has withstood wet mop every week over 2 years seems to ok. Most recent picture included. People always compliment my floors and ask what type of wood it is and I have to reluctantly disclose that it is laminate. Happy so far.

Our Aquaguard was installed October 2021. French Oak Grey. Says on the label “Made in Germany”. So far it has held up very well and looks great.

I installed the French Oak Grey in 2020 or 2021 and LOVED it. It held up well and the installers did NOT complain about the install at all. My 110 lb dog never scratched it. I am looking at another house renovation and will be installing the Renaissance Gray. Both the French Gray and the Renaissance Gray are made in Germany and are Green Gold Certified and EPA compliant with California requirements.

We installed Salerno AquaGuard in our TV room and adjoining sunroom. The contactor had to level the doorway between them. We had Sherwin Williams customize a stain to match and it’s lovely and holding up great.