.::. H.E.R.F – High-End Resistance Flooring .::.

It seems like H.E.R.F. flooring is gaining a lot of popularity these days and sponsoring some bloggers for publicity. The brand that I see a lot is Evorich, advertising very heavily on Facebook and selling it as being suitable for pets and kitchens.

During our search for wooden or wooden looking flooring, we did look into H.E.R.F which is attractively priced at below $6psf last year. There were quite a few designs to choose from with beautiful grains and they were a lot more durable and solid as compared to laminates. I like it that it feels solid and does not have a hollow feeling. You can try dropping some keys on it and the difference between laminates and HERF is striking. We were really taken in by HERF, until the salesman told us something that bothered us enough for me to do some research.

Is H.E.R.F. that great? It’s marketed as being cheap, durable, solid, with many designs and WATERPROOF. So what’s bad about H.E.R.F.?

The salesman told us that there was warranty for the material which is waterproof, but highlighted that the warranty only covers the material. What does that mean? As it is installed using a ‘click’ system fixing 2 pieces together, moisture or water may seep in-between the small gaps and get trapped beneath the material. The moisture trapped below may stink or have mold growing below the material, but this is not covered under warranty as material is still intact despite mould or moisture below.

I was quite concerned upon hearing this as I don’t like the idea of stinking flooring at all. Flooring is something that is probably most used and used for the longest time at home. It's supposed to be the most durable thing in my opinion. I searched for some reviews, and what I read put me off HERF.

• HERF is made of plastic, thus it’s cheap and durable. There are some concerns about it giving out fumes that isn’t healthy. This is especially so if you’ve toddlers crawling and playing on the floor.
• There are reports that the material stinks or gives out weird smells in the US, and many managed to get refunds or returns due to the great consumer protection in US.
• Many people had to change the flooring after it started to stink.

I’m not sure how proven these claims are, but these are other consumers’ experience with HERF and reviews I have read online. Many in the USA have successfully got their refunds due to the strict consumer protection rules there. You can do a quick google search to read about it and decide for yourself. I was very concerned about moisture being trapped below the material or seeping in between the gaps, especially since I’ve a dog and intend to have kids someday – just imagine all the spills and accidents. I'm also forgetful and sometimes simply blur, I do spill stuff and forget to close my windows. And if the air-con or anything leaks, I can't imagine the possibilities.

If an honest salesman could tell me that, I can’t shake that off and it’s not something that people tell you often about H.E.R.F., especially since I feel that the advertisements are quite misleading. Suitable for pets, really? I asked my contractor Mr K about it, but he says that it shouldn’t be an issue as he uses glue to stick the pieces together despite the ‘click’ system and that serves as a protection and prevents water from seeping through. He haven’t had any complaints from his customers nor heard any health risks from the use of this plastic flooring.

Personally, someone who dropped by our place to look at our wooden-looking homogeneous flooring told us that her vinyl (HERF) flooring have started to smell and she is looking for alternative to change her flooring to. She was interested in our homogenous wood-looking tiles.  She’s unable to change only one area only as the click system goes all the way to the joints and the whole area has to be changed. It made me thankful that we chose the practical material instead and will never have to deal with such situations. I can’t imagine having to change a lot of my flooring or suffer smelly flooring. I’ve got to say that the price and look of H.E.R.F. is very attractive and you avoid issues such as not completely flat flooring from wooden-looking planks of homogenous tiles and possible termites problem with real wood.

Do know the pros and cons of the materials that you choose and some research on them since information is so readily available these days. Everyone has different needs and budget, but do make an informed choice and know about the possible consequences or concerns.