{Thank you Stories Flooring UK for sponsoring this post}.
It’s crazy to think that we’ve had our Quick-Step flooring for almost 7 years now. It feels just like yesterday I was googling ‘realistic looking laminate flooring’ (yes this was way before Instagram and Pinterest had made it big). I did my research, ordered samples and fell in love with the flooring that seemed to fit the bill for us. When Stories Flooring asked me if I would like to share my thoughts and experience with Quick-Step in partnership with them I was thrilled. This is a topic I haven’t covered before (thoroughly) and they also just happen to stock pretty much every Quick-Step laminate out there. Quick-Step products have evolved a lot in the last 7 years as well and thanks to new technology they are more durable and versatile than ever.
You might be wondering why I chose Quick-Step in the first place. It was always going to be between engineered wood and laminate flooring for me. I was very aware that laminate is incredibly hardwearing (more so than hardwood), which is important especially if you have, or are planning to have, children. I also wanted to keep the cost somewhat reasonable which is why engineered wood was out of the question. It wasn’t as durable either, so I decided against it in the end. Good quality laminate looks very realistic to real wood and in terms of durability it has been proven to perform better as well. I read some amazing reviews about Quick-Step and once I saw the samples I was sold. I loved the colour Natural Varnished Oak (with v-groove) and didn’t look anywhere else. Quick-Step wasn’t the cheapest laminate out there but you don’t actually want to get the cheapest. You should get laminate flooring with a great quality/price ration and Quick-Step just offered that.
The other great thing about Quick-Step is that it’s easy to install. Thanks to the patented Uniclick and Multiclick systems no adhesives are required. The floors naturally click together allowing the boards to react better to changes in humidity. Since you don’t need any adhesives it’s also more environmentally friendly. You can lay Quick-Step laminate on concrete or wooden floor boards which makes it very versatile and easy to install. You do need to level uneven floors first and use a good underlay (recommended by the manufacturer). They also do matching door bars that are perfect to finish your floor. The great thing about Quick-Step is that it can also be used with underfloor heating which means it’s suitable for almost all rooms in the house. We didn’t install our laminate flooring ourselves by the way. If you’re not a DIY expert I’d advice you to hire a pro for the job.
I have found our Quick-Step flooring incredibly comfortable under bare feet. Although we don’t have underfloor heating, the laminate doesn’t feel cold at all. It’s durable too. We have Quick-Step laminate in the kitchen and I’ve dropped a few cups on it and even a knife once and it didn’t leave any marks (I might have been lucky!). Obviously I’m super impressed with the Quick-Step Scratch Guard technology which protects the floor from damage. We don’t have pets, but we do have two young children, and lots of hard toys and sharp objects have been thrown onto this laminate. I think we’ve got one dent in the last 7 years and I can’t even remember where exactly it is which speaks for itself.
Now about the negatives. There really aren’t many (if any) negatives if I’m totally honest with you. 7 years ago when we installed our Quick-Step laminate it wasn’t recommended for wet rooms. Technically kitchen is a risky area too but we did it anyway (and it’s been fine as long as you clean big spillages immediately). However, Quick-Step are now offering a Hydro seal technology for laminate which means all the planks are water resistant. I really wish this technology was available 7 years ago when we installed our flooring as we could have easily continued the floor to the downstairs bathroom as well. I love the new Quick-Step Eligna range which has the Hydro seal coating to stop the water from penetrating the surface. If that is not revolutionary I don’t know what is! I guess this means that I can’t really think of any negatives. The only negative that I had in mind (that the laminate is not water resistant) they have managed to fix in the last 7 years. I’m so impressed how innovative Quick-Step have been and I have no doubt they are going to continue to come up with new and exciting ranges and technology in the future as well. Plus all the laminate flooring come with a 25 year warranty to give you a peace of mind.
I guess the biggest selling point for me with Quick-Step was (and still is) how it looks though. It looks very realistic and not plastic like some other (cheaper) laminates. It’s slightly matt and I think that’s what drew me to this material in the first place. They have so many different colour options and ranges available (from sleek to rustic) that you are bound to find something you like. We installed Quick-Step in every room downstairs (except the bathroom) because we wanted to have a seamless flow from room-to-room. This is a great way to make the living area more inviting and open, especially if you don’t have an open-plan layout.
If you’re thinking about getting Quick-Step laminate I would whole heartedly recommend it. I love that you don’t need to worry about stains, scratches or moisture with Quick-Step. Get someone good to install it though as this will make a huge difference. Order some samples and place them in different rooms to see how natural light affects the colour throughout the day. Our Quick-Step laminate has really exceeded all my expectations and I wouldn’t hesitate to install it in my next house.
I hope you’ve found this post useful and if you have any feedback and/or thoughts on Quickstep flooring leave a comment below.
