Does anyone know about laminate flooring?

Question

what are some good brands? what to look for - thickness, etc?

Answer 1

I sell three different lines in my store. The best for a balance of price and quality is Shaw. The things to look for are quality, style, texture. Basically the longer the warranty, the better you get in all three. That can be anywhere from 10 to 30 years. In the Shaw line, they all have a moisture barrier in-bedded into the grooves. This is a must have. If you go cheap make certain that you don't go so cheap that you don't have that. Underlayment is also important. A good sound barrier version will give you more of a real wood sound and also reduces the sound penetration to lower levels if you have a multi-story home. As you go up in quality the thickness also goes up. 8mm is a minimum recommendation. Do not settle for a 7mm. A few high end products come in a 9mm. When it comes to style it mostly comes down to the plank or strip look. For some reason, most all lines only give you a 3 strip per plank pattern on the 15 year stuff. If you want something with only 2 strips or full plank, you usually have to step up to the middle or higher end stuff. Hope this all helps.

Answer 2

Hello. I also work for a design build firm here in Seattle. Flooring choices are most often budget driven. In a recent consumer reports magazine they did a wonderful issue on remodeling. I have the magazine although i lent it to someone in the office. I did a quick search and here is a link to the same article and a comprehensive look at floors. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/home-improvement/flooring-8-06/overview/0608_flooring_ov.htm

Answer 3

i work for a home builder and laminate flooring seems to be cheaper and easier to clean then real wood floors. we have it in all of our models and it is very appealing and stays very clean.