Review: Premier Laminated Floor Tile

Review Series
1: Blanco Sink - 3 stars
2: Rinnai Gas Heater - Not Rated
3: Fujioh hood FX-900 - 5 stars
4: Rinnai Tumble Dryer RDT-600CG - 5 stars
5: Rinnai Oven RBO-7MSO - 3 stars
6: Bellari Liquid Dispenser - 1 star
7: Rinnai 2-Burner Hob RB-2CG - 5 stars
8: TOTO Omni Toilet Bowl- 5 stars
9: Asuka Acrylic Worktop - 2 stars
10: Premier laminated floor tiles

Related Posts
1 Workmanship: Laminated Tiles
2 Laminated floor tiles
3 Review: Premier Laminated Floor Tiles

A word about the Review
Our Review is different from other reviews that you read on the Net: we're not armchair reviewers. We bought and installed the product for our own use. No one sponsored us to endorse the product. And we only gave our verdict after at least one year's usage. Obviously, we'd tell you sooner if a product didn't work or performed poorly soon after purchase.

We invite you - if you have bought, installed and used the product to tell us your user experience, particularly after using the product for at least a year. Whether positive or negative, please give us your feedback. Oh, don't forget to provide your Renotalk user ID and photos of your kitchen so we could verify you're a bonafide user of the product.

Premier Laminated Floor Tiles
Verdict: 4 out of 5 stars

I find it amusing that we should be so concerned with flooring tile "brands". I mean, whether I installed the most expensive flooring brand or normal brand, I won't notice the difference since I can't tell them apart, isn't it? The only difference is whether the tiles meet users' expectation and are durable. When I was renovating my home no user had reported their long-term usage experience with their laminated floor tiles. Therefore I didn't know if more expensive brands like Pergo, Kronotec, etc would be preferable over normal brands like Supreme or Premier, etc. Thus, to get an idea of quality and reliability issues, I went to the mfr's site and read up on their history, production standards and quality to get some idea. I also read up wherever possible users' posts on forums, to look out for red flags on issues that may be raised. Thus when I chose Premier at least I knew what I was buying and paying for.

So far, three years after installation and usage, I have not encountered any problem with my Premier laminated flooring. In fact, it has been problem-free so far. The only maintenance I did was to squeeze a mop as "dry" as I could and use that to clean the floor. If any liquid was accidentally spilled when I was busy doing something, I would clean up 5-10 min later after completing what I had been occupied with. In other words, no need to be kang-cheong (i.e. "excited")

about spillage damaging the flooring. As long as you clean up within a reasonable time I think the flooring should be unaffected. I say that based on logic, bcoz if a product is damaged so easily the mfr'er would start getting complaints and would quickly go out of business. They know most people don't clean up that fast (or forget to do immediately), so unless they don't care about their quality or reputation they will make products to meet minimum quality standards to satisfy users' expectation.

Maybe I will have a different opinion of my Premier tiles after 5, 10 yrs of usage? I don't know. However, I tend to think that if a product can last 3+ yrs with no problem, then it should be good for 10 yrs. Therefore, I will go for normal brands, esp those with no bad users' experience. And so far I am not aware of any bad user experience with either Supreme or Premier. Or have I missed out on something? I think if you exercise normal care your laminated flooring should withstand normal wear-and-tear.

That said, I want to point out I have been wrong before. Example: I previously thought all acrylic worktops were the same but found out otherwise! My acrylic worktop was a case in point. There is one major difference though. My acrylic worktop was produced by a local factory on-an-adhoc basis i.e. the factory produced the acrylic worktop based on the ID/Contractor "made-to-measure" order to fit my home worktop. It was not mass-produced, and perhaps didn't meet minimum specified standards. Or the chemical mix (raw mtrl cost rise and fall) might have been varied for my order to achieve higher profit margin? In my case I think my acrylic worktop was sub-standard. Maybe had an inferior chemical mix.

By contrast, laminated floor tiles are produced in large quantities for the mass market (due to the nature of the production equipment). Any negative mkt feedback will therefore have

far greater impact on sales and profit. Obviously much more than factories producing a product made-to-order for a single customer. Therefore laminated tile factories cannot be slipshod with quality standards and stricter quality controls are applied.

So, if you want to save money, I believe Premier is as good as more expensive brands. At least it has been for us for the past 3+ yrs.
Previous Posts
1 Workmanship: Laminated Tiles
2 Laminated floor tiles

Review Series
1: Blanco Sink - 3 stars
2: Rinnai Gas Heater - Not Rated
3: Fujioh hood FX-900 - 5 stars
4: Rinnai Tumble Dryer RDT-600CG - 5 stars
5: Rinnai Oven RBO-7MSO - 3 stars
6: Bellari Liquid Dispenser - 1 star
7: Rinnai 2-Burner Hob RB-2CG - 5 stars
8: TOTO Omni Toilet Bowl- 5 stars
9: Asuka Acrylic Worktop - 2 stars
10: Premier laminated floor tiles

Workmanship: Laminated Floor

Workmanship Series
 1 Good Workmanship
 2 Workmanship: Dispute Resolution
 3 Workmanship: Walls & Floor
 4 Workmanship: Laminated Floor
 5 Workmanship: Electrical Work
 6  Workmanship: Air-Conditioner
 7 Workmanship: Doors & Architrave
 8 Workmanship: Gas Piping & Gas Dryer
 9 Workmanship: Kitchen Works
10 Workmanship: Hide Ugly Pipes
11 Workmanship: Windows
12 Workmanship: Plumbing

Revamp of Original Post

WORKMANSHIP: LAMINATED FLOOR
When we were shown color swatches of Premier laminated floor tiles, we decided to choose the same laminated floor sample that was used in Summit's own bedroom showroom.

The tilers came and laid out the bedroom floors in one afternoon. When we first saw the completed floor, we got a rude shock. Apparently there had been a miscommunication between Summit's office and the supplier. The tiles laid on our bedroom floor was so much darker that what we had chosen. Not only was

the wrong colored tiles laid, but contrary to our instruction the workers laid the laminated strips to align with the room breadth instead of the length. The ID instructed the workers to re-do the laminated floor tiles after LNY using a lighter shade of brown. And to lay the laminated tiles in accordance to our wishes. And so it was.

Before and After - blue is the Guest BR, green is the MBR

Preparing to Do the Side Strip

Doing the Side Strip

Cleaning & Finishing up


However, the replaced floor tiles still looked too dark for our liking.

Nevertheless, this time we decided to accept it (~sigh~) because the laminated tiles were laid very nicely. It would be wasteful to re-do the floor tiles again. In any event, most of the floor space would be taken up by the bedroom furniture and furnishings, minimizing the impact a darker tone would have on the occupants.

So, never choose a tile based on someone's else reference or hearsay. Or your own recollection of something you might have seen previously. In our case the mistake

was made because we had asked the ID to use the floor tile that was used for the showroom in Summit's office. The ID called his office staff who then gave the supplier an incorrect color code for the tiles.

Summit's showroom had been completed some time ago. We suspect possibly no one in the office knew what the original color code for the showroom's laminated tile was. Or maybe that particular floor tile had been phased out and a newer range launched with different color codes? No one seemed to know. The ID insisted the replaced tiles looked the same as the tiles used in his showroom, although it certainly looked much darker to my eyes. I was not one to argue for the sake of argument, as the tiling had been completed.

So I let the matter rest.

LESSON: Always choose a sample material with its color code written down as a reference after you have seen and selected the specific color sample with your own eyes. and ask the office to confirm with the supplier that the same color is still available!

WORKMANSHIP
Next, how does one judge the workmanship, aside from physical appearances of the laminated flooring?

Well, step on the floor, and you will instinctively "feel" the difference i.e. if you have walked on parquet flooring previously. Whereas parquet floors give you a solid feeling underfoot, laminated floors lack that solid feel underneath, giving a "floating" sensation instead that some may not like.

This is because laminated tiles "float" on a thin sheet of plastic foam material as an underlay, and the individual pieces of laminated tiles are "locked" together using a glue-less click system, akin to a tongue-and-groove method. Now, if the underlying floor surface is uneven or not perfectly level, the "floating" sensation is heightened.

In fact, prior to engaging my ID I was given a show-around and in some flats' bedroom I could sense the floor slightly "sinking" under my bodyweight as I stepped on the floor. This was due to the trapped air beneath the laminated tiles in areas where the floor was not perfectly even or level.

Hence it is absolutely essential that the floor be perfectly level before laying the laminated tiles.

In my case we were lucky, because the previous owner had used ceramic tiles for the bedroom, and laying over such a floor with laminated floor tiles produced less of the "floating or sinking" sensation.

FOOTNOTE: I was surprised to see the word "PERGO" printed on the T-shirts of the guys doing the installation of my laminated floor tiles. Not only on one but on both of them, like they were wearing a uniform of sorts!

Since PERGO is a trademark and a reputable brand, I do not think anyone could simply wear T-shirts emblazoned with the PERGO brand name. Consumers maybe, but definitely not tradesmen such as laminated tile installers!

So, why would PERGO people install a non-PERGO product such as Premier laminated floor tiles? Is Premier somehow related to Pergo? Perhaps Premier is a sub-brand made by the producer of PERGO in order to price compete against China-based producers of laminated floor tiles?

Mystery Deepens
I was unable to find any info on the web concerning the Premier laminated floor tiles, although Premier laminated tiles are quite popular in the Singapore market.

PERGO Floors exhibited at Eastpoint Mall

Just yesterday (12-Mar-08) I was at the Simei MRT station at Eastpoint Mall. Someone was exhibiting PERGO floors at $7.90 psf (premium range) and $6.80 psf (standard range) for PERGO tiles produced in Sweden, both ranges come with lifetime warranty and another range priced at $4.50 psf, with 15 years warranty period, claimed by the saleslady to be produced by PERGO in Malaysia.

If true, could this lower-price range be sold under the PREMIER brand name in Singapore?

Some producers may not wish to be associated with a low-priced product range so as not to dilute the brand equity of its high end product.

It is possible the ID's supplier also handles PERGO laminated floor tiles, so it should not be surprising that the installers wore T-shirts with PERGO printed on them.

But the PERGO promotion at Simei introduced the possibility of a low-price range of

laminated floor tiles claimed to be produced by PERGO in Malaysia, something I did not hear of previously. Could this low-price range be marketed under the PREMIER (and similar) brand name in Singapore? As floor tiles are produced by factories on a large scale to make economic sense, it is quite possible the same factory-produced tiles are marketed under different brand-names, and priced differently, to absorb the production.

I believe there may be more to it than meets the eye here.

ADDENDUM: March 2011
Recently I was asked if there's a difference whether tiles are laid in a room breadth-wise or length-wise? Yes, most definitely! Tiles laid aligned lengthwise i.e. the length of the laminated strips laid in the same direction as the length of the room floor, appear more "correct" to our senses. Maybe it has something to do with one's perception that a woman with a "slim and long" figure is more elegant than one who is "short and stubby"? Think men's suit or women's gown - I have never seen a guy wearing a suit with horizontal strips. It's always vertical strips, top to bottom.

Unless, of course, he's a prisoner!

Workmanship Series
 1 Good Workmanship
 2 Workmanship: Dispute Resolution
 3 Workmanship: Walls & Floor
 4 Workmanship: Laminated Floor
 5 Workmanship: Electrical Work
 6  Workmanship: Air-Conditioner
 7 Workmanship: Doors & Architrave
 8 Workmanship: Gas Piping & Gas Dryer
 9 Workmanship: Kitchen Works
10 Workmanship: Hide Ugly Pipes
11 Workmanship: Windows
12 Workmanship: Plumbing

About Renovation Quotes

Latest UPDATE: 5-Dec-11
You may wish to compare with this price quote from a reader.

QUOTE:

hi bluefly

need ur help for ur comments in the quote given to me for flooring for 3 bedrooms n living..

A) living room works
1) supply labour dismantle n dispose existing floor tile $900
2) supply n lay new floor tiles 600mm homo tiles $2600

B) 3 bedrooms
1) supply labour hack n dispose tiles skirting, include repair good for damage wall $100
2) supply n lay over existing with new clip on laminated 3 bedrooms $1960

C) Others
1) HDB permit $200
2) supply labour clean whole house flooring n wall tiles with chemical acids n general cleaning for window, window grill, kitchen cabinets n wardrode FOC

total $5760, after discount $5500

hi iseearainbow,

to be fair to you, i need to stress that i am unable to comment on the quote you got for yr reno.

that is bcoz it has been some 3 yrs (or 4 if you count the time before i started reno on my flat) since i was in the reno mkt as a consumer.  therefore i am not up-to-date on the current mkt costs and pricing, etc.

you will get better info and advice if you seek opinions on renotalk from other forummers who are currently involved in renovating their own flat.  they can thus provide you with a better assessment of yr reno quote and other costs.

sure, you made me feel happy to seek my opinion on yr quote.  i can simply give my comment to inflate my ego, but that would be wrong as you'd be misled.

what i can say is, you should get a few quotes from different contractors so you get an idea of the present mkt pricing, and choose the best quote in terms of quality of materials, see the workmanship of the contractor in his other projects, and generally how the contractor relates to you.  I have previously written this advice on my blog (click on the label 'contractor' on the right column for a list of my posts on this topic)  and it is important you learn negotiation tactics and what could go wrong to prepare yourself for the work ahead.

so, do yrself a favor and ask other forummers who are currently doing renovation for their experience and quote, ok?

thank you,

bluefly aka greencoal

Laminated Floor Tile

Related Posts
1 Workmanship: Laminated Tiles
2 Laminated floor tiles

Sometimes I get queries on the Renotalk forum relating to renovation that would probably interest our blog readers.  This query came from a reader with the nick 'iseearainbow'.

QUOTE:

Hi :

Can you share your knowledge and experience with Premier laminated floor? A renovation company i approached only carries this brand. I did google but can't find much info =((

Is this brand durable and gd quality? Hope to hear from u soon =)

Thanks

UNQUOTE

Hello iseearainbow:

You must be a romantic person, judging by your nick !

Well, the Premier brand is well-established locally and is quite popular as a floor lamination with flat owners.  I chose it bcoz it was cheaper than other brands and the quality was good.  But the most important factor - aside from its durability and quality - is whether the installer does a good job for you.

In my case I was lucky the 2 guys who came to install the flooring were experienced and skilful in measuring and laying the tiles.  I decided to lay the tiles over the old ceramic flooring which had no signs of warping or any alignment problem, and after the installers had checked out the two rooms.

One thing to note - be careful in your choice of tile color in the showroom.  I chose the tile color from the samples in the showroom.  But when the tiles were subsequently laid out and installed in my bedrooms, the shade looked much darker than what I thought was the color I had originally selected!  Maybe a single piece of showroom tile looks different from an entire floor?  Unfortunately I forgot to note the color reference number.  So to make sure the ID or installer (or you) don't make any mistake you should write down the color reference number of the color tile you select in the showroom.

I don't have any problem with the durability or quality - it is almost 3 years since the bedroom floor tiles were installed, and the floor tiles still look the same, no warping or any tile piece getting loose.  You need to do your part, however in your maintenance of the flooring: no spilling of liquids onto the floor tile, any spillage should be cleaned up immediately, and clean with a mop that is squeezed almost dry so that the tiles dry quickly.

Oh, you also need to ensure the installer lay sound-proofing material (something like plastic foam sheet) under the laminated tiles, otherwise when you walk on the floor there may be a "hollow" sound due to some "air pockets" due to the unevenness in the original floor surface.

All the best!

GreenCoal aka Bluefly

UPDATE [11-Dec-10]:

QUOTE:

Hi bluefly,
thanks for the reply :)
saw ur comments at ur blog...
See u ard in renotalk soon.. And will update u on my flooring outcome:)
have u heard abt hatari brand btw?

[/QUOTE]


Hello iseearainbow,

sorry, i have not heard about hatari brand - probably a new one in the market? if i were you, i would go for established brands like pergo, premier, etc bcoz nowadays many new products are launched, some may be good but many are inferior products trying to cash in on the market demand as the property mkt is currently hot.

yr flat is a big investment and will be a source of pride for many years. so you shld consider carefully your choices.  it is worth spending a bit more for peace of mind, knowing that what you spend is going to give you and yr family many years of enjoyment.  Yes, price is a factor for me but even then i make sure the products and materials i selected were proven and established in the market, and that no one else has had bad experience with the product or the supplier, installer.

still, i've made bad choices in my renovation, and these are highlighted on my blog. usually the mistakes happened bcoz i overlooked practicality and was blinded either by beautiful design (e.g. Bellari soap dispenser) or smooth sales talk !! so, don't be taken in like i was, ok?

hope you'll show photos of yr renovation in due course.

take care,


bluefly aka greencoal

Related Posts
1 Workmanship: Laminated Tiles
2 Laminated floor tiles

Workmanship - Laminated Tiles

Related Posts
1 Workmanship: Laminated Tiles
2 Laminated floor tiles

When we were first shown color swatches of the Premier brand laminated floor tiles, we decided to use the same laminated floor sample that was laid in Summit's own bedroom showroom.

However, there was a miscommunication between the office and the laminated tile supplier, resulting in the wrong color code being delivered and laid. Not only was the wrong shade used, but we had wanted the floor strips to be laid in alignment with the length of the room instead of the breadth:


The ID instructed the supplier to re-do the laminated floor tiles after LNY using a lighter shade of brown, and to lay the laminated tiles aligned with the long side of the bedroom. And so it was:




However, the replaced floor tiles still looked too dark for our liking.

Nevertheless, this time we decided to accept it (~sigh~) because the laminated tiles were laid very nicely and it was wasteful to re-do the floor tiles again. In any event, most of the floor space would be taken up by the bedroom furniture and furnishings, minimizing the impact a darker tone would have on the occupants.

So, never choose a tile based on someone's else reference or hearsay or your own memory or recollection of something you might have seen previously. In our case the mistake was made because we had asked the ID to use the floor tile that was used for the bedroom showroom in Summit's office. The ID called his office staff who then gave the supplier an incorrect color code for the tiles.

Summit's showroom had been completed some time ago. For all we know, possibly no one in the office knew or could recall what the original color code for the showroom's laminated tile was. Or maybe that particular floor tile had been phased out and newer tiles launched, resulting in a change of color codes, and no one noticed. The ID insisted the replaced tiles looked the same as the tiles used in his showroom, although it certainly looked much darker to my eyes, and I was not one to argue for the sake of argument, as the tiling had been completed.

So I let the matter rest.

LESSON: Always choose a sample material with its color code written down as a reference after you have seen and selected the specific color sample with your own eyes.

WORKMANSHIP

Next, how does one judge the workmanship, aside from physical appearances of the laminated flooring?

Well, step on the floor, and you will instinctively "feel" the difference i.e. if you have walked on parquet flooring previously. Whereas parquet floors give you a solid feeling underfoot, laminated floors lack that solid feel underneath, giving a "floating" sensation instead that some may not like.

This is because laminated tiles "float" on a thin sheet of plastic foam material as an underlay, and the individual pieces of laminated tiles are "locked" together using a glue-less click system, akin to a tongue-and-groove method. Now, if the underlying floor surface is uneven or not perfectly level, the "floating" sensation is heightened.

In fact, prior to engaging my ID I was given a show-around and in some flats' bedroom I could sense the floor slightly "sinking" under my bodyweight as I stepped on the floor. This was due to the trapped air beneath the laminated tiles in areas where the floor was not perfectly even or level.

Hence it is absolutely essential that the floor be perfectly level before laying the laminated tiles.

In my case we were lucky, because the previous owner had used ceramic tiles for the bedroom, and laying over such a floor with laminated floor tiles produced less of the "floating or sinking" sensation.

FOOTNOTE: I was surprised to see the word "PERGO" printed on the T-shirts of the guys doing the installation of my laminated floor tiles. Not only on one but on both of them, like they were wearing a uniform of sorts!

Since PERGO is a trademark and a reputable brand, I do not think anyone could simply wear T-shirts emblazoned with the PERGO brand name, consumers may be, but definitely not for tradesmen such as laminated tile installers!

So, why would PERGO people install a non-PERGO product such as Premier laminated floor tiles? Is Premier somehow related to Pergo? Perhaps Premier is a sub-brand made by the producer of PERGO in order to price compete against China-based producers of laminated floor tiles?

Mystery Deepens

I was unable to find any info on the web concerning the Premier laminated floor tiles, although Premier laminated tiles are quite popular in the Singapore market.

Just yesterday (12-Mar-08) I was at the Simei MRT station at Eastpoint Mall. Someone was exhibiting PERGO floors at $7.90 psf (premium range) and $6.80 psf (standard range) for PERGO tiles produced in Sweden, both ranges come with with lifetime warranty and another range priced at $4.50 psf, with 15 years warranty period, claimed by the saleslady to be produced by PERGO in Malaysia.

If true, could this lower-price range be sold under the PREMIER brand name in Singapore?

PERGO Floors exhibited at Simei MRT / Eastpoint Mall




Some producers may not wish to be associated with a low-priced product range so as not to dilute the brand equity of its high end product.

It is possible the ID's supplier also handles PERGO laminated floor tiles, so it should not be surprising that the installers wore T-shirts with PERGO printed on them.

But the PERGO promotion at Simei introduced the possibility of a low-price range of laminated floor tiles claimed to be produced by PERGO in Malaysia, something I did not hear of previously. Could this low-price range be marketed under the PREMIER brand name in Singapore?

I believe there may be more to it than meets the eye here.

Related Posts
1 Workmanship: Laminated Tiles
2 Laminated floor tiles