My wife and I had xxxxxx installed in our dining room and living room. It was accomplished through an installer referred by xxxxxx. We were pleased with the look and the durability since we have pets, BUT we were not adequately warned about the problems with ANY standing water or liquid on the flooring. Nope, its not that we walk around pouring buckets of water across the floor and we don't use a wet mop to keep it clean. In our living room, a large house plant was inadvertantly over-watered, and it leaked out on the floor, not to be discovered for a few days. The planking has buckled and warped. IN our dining room, one of our dogs urinated on the floor in a corner, not discovered for a couple of days, same result. What we've learned is that this flooring has zero tolerance for standing liquid of any sort and that it is almost impossible in the daily exchange of living NOT to have some accident happen with problematic results.

Here's the bottom line, we spent $5000 on the flooring. If we had it to do over. We would have gone with hard woods and paid out whatever extra it might have cost. I really feel that xxxxxx should have done a better job pointing out the problems.

Moderator edit:
It is unfair to accuse a manufacturer or supplier of wrongly providing a product when very simple research would have quite readily pointed out what you have unfortunately found.

Here is 149,000 hits for the search term "laminate flooring pros cons" where I am sure the problems you experienced will be mentioned.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=ZfY&q=pros+cons+laminate+flooring+&btnG=Search&meta=

 

I am well aware of laminate's sensitivity to moisture and have tried to be very careful since we moved into our new home which has laminate installed in the kitchen, dining, half bath and entry. However, I was using a water hydrant on the exterior of the home and did not realize it was flooding my kitchen. I have wiped all the water from the surface but it is under the laminate. I can hear it when I walk and it is coming out at the transitions. I have fans running and the AC cranked up to draw out moisture. I am noticing peaking at end seams. (Not sure if it is new or if I am seeing them for the first time since I am looking for them). Is there anything I can do short of replacement? If I were to pull up the floor and dry the area would the same boards be able to be reinstalled?

 

"We would have gone with hard woods and paid out whatever extra it might have cost." "Standing water or liquid on the flooring" and "house plant was inadvertantly over-watered, and it leaked out on the floor, not to be discovered for a few days." "One of our dogs urinated on the floor in a corner, not discovered for a couple of days."

"This flooring has zero tolerance for standing liquid of any sort and that it is almost impossible in the daily exchange of living NOT to have some accident happen with problematic results." Solid hardwood flooring also has 'zero tolerance for standing water and urine.

Floor covering choices should be based on lifestyle. If moisture is going to be a concern, there are laminates available with plastic core. But, moisture that passes through gaps to subfloor beneath can create problems with subfloor and mold and mildew problems.

"I have wiped all the water from the surface but it is under the laminate." Laminate will have to be removed. Run fans and dehumidifiers.

"I am noticing peaking at end seams." Laminate will have to be replaced. Contact homeowner's insurance.