@Alan Ward I also noticed the Max is 8mm thickness and heavier, while rigid is 5.5 mm thick. Not sure how that affects things. @kaycreighton1 thank you! Initially we were just looking at Max. the stairs themselves we are carpeting and thankfully the hallway/loft upstairs is mainly above the garage, so not TOO worried about a lot of noise. From what I've read Max is still more soundproof than Rigid as well right?

@Ryan Thanks for the question. A concrete slab that is sitting ON the earth (ie. not in a high rise on the 10th floor) always requires a vapour barrier underneath. Always. If anything, it maintains your warranty. There are three definitions of slab concrete: 1. Below grade. This is normally poured concrete for a foundation that has been dug into the ground. Like a basement. Even if 1 square inch is 'below grade' we view it as ALL below grade. 2. At grade. This is a common situation. Concrete is poured onto the ground and the house is built from there...going up; not down. Again, this is sitting 'on the ground' therefore it is considered 'damp' until proven otherwise. Even in the desert areas, we find dampness in slabs that are sitting on the ground. Moisture LOVES to condense on cold surfaces...like concrete. 3. Above grade or 'suspended slab'. This is the 'high rise' situation. You don't have to be in a high rise. It just means the slab is suspended in the air. It touches nothing but air above it and below it. This is the ONE situation where you can 'get away' without a vapour barrier. But you still void the warranty as soon as the contractor starts laying the first run. The installer is responsible for installing product on-site. If you did not purchase the vapour barrier, then the installer did not install it. If you used the SHOP'S installer, then they are responsible for ensuring you purchase everything you need for the job. Which requires you to tell them what your situation is. You get what you pay for. A good flooring installer *should have pointed out you needed a vapour barrier. And then would have told you what to purchase for him/her, or they would have said, "I have some in my truck, it will cost another $1/sf for the materials plus $0.50/sf to lay it." Something like that. And the preparation of the concrete is another thing that should have been paid for and performed. But so many contractors just want a paying job, that they offer the 'no frills' install. They get there, they install what is needed/purchased/sitting out for them and then they go home with a pay cheque in hand. I've had experiences where my QUESTIONS to the homeowner caused them to hang up on me. Yep. The question, "Is this for a bathroom?" caused such angst they started to yell it was none of my d@mn business and hung up on me. OKee DOKee then. I don't know what your situation is. The above is just an example as to why a store, with highly trained FLOORING professionals (ahem...a flooring store and not a 'big box' store like HD) would miss something as simple as a vapour barrier for a concrete slab.

I know this thread has gone stale but I think I've found an issue with the LACK of subfloor prep: "They found composite tiles under the underpayment which neither we nor they knew about (it was coming up with the laminate removal so had to remove it all. We would have uneven floors) and that had to be removed so and extra $1000+ charge" I'm going to guess the removal of the composite tile (?anyone check for asbestos if the tile was from the 80's?) really mucked things up. The laminate was 'happy' sitting on the tile (I know...it wasn't supposed to be happy, but it was). The removal of the tile *MIGHT have caused some weird domino effect. I'm so sorry this has happened. It should not be part of your life to live through a shoddy bamboo install. With floating bamboo (click-together bamboo is notorious for issues...as in FAMOUS for having issues that reputable companies do NOT want to have anything to do with it) it is IMPERATIVE that all flatness ratings be taken. That expansion and transition strips are used through doorways. That all pinch-points are dealt with appropriately. Etc. If you are still dealing with this, please up date us. And if you can, please add photo re: doorways from hallway into other rooms (like the bedroom with the gap). And finally, bamboo is UNSTABLE. Laminate is very stable. I'm guessing the perfect storm occurred in your home. And another issue: bamboo needs +++time to acclimate. And it takes a special meter (an expensive meter) to take moisture readings of the bamboo (and then it takes someone special to KNOW HOW to use the special meter). I don't think you had anyone 'special' working on this project. I'm so sorry this has happened.

Reading all your reviews as I’m also looking for a wood-look flooring to cover entire downstairs including powder Rm and kitchen. VERY worried about finding one that will give me some peace of mind on getting wet, scratched, etc. I’ve watched a guy on YouTube who’s been videoing his tests of flooring for several years. He does hammer test, claw side test, fork test and installs a bit then tests taking it apart. The “waterproof” he tested by keeping water on 24 hours then drying off and disassembling to see if any water hit into cracks. Now, he highly recommends floortec after so many viewers bragging on them and him reaching out to company for samples. But it’s $4.50-$5.50 sq ft and I was hoping to get something less e pensive. Although the $5.50 is claimed to be an engineered hardwood lvp type board. His YouTube is “So that’s how you do that!”