Question About Laminate Flooring?

Question

I like the look of laminate flooring but worry that if I have it installed it will be damaged by a hidden dog puddle or a spilled drink that doesn't get taken care of right away. I like ceramic tile also but it may be too expensive for me. What is a resonably priced floor covering that will last a long long time? No carpet please.

Answer 1

You shouldn't worry too much about laminate flooring being damaged. Laminate flooring is a plastic covered flooring. Usually, the only real thing that will cause a problem is a real water mess, like the tub running over, etc. Ceramic tile is a bit more expensive to install but nowadays, you can get some really nice ceramic tiles for dirt cheap at discount tiling stores. Do keep in mind that tho it is easy to clean and take care of, it is cold in winter and most things in the kitchen will break if dropped on the floor.

Another alternative is sticky tiles. You can now get them in a whole range of styles, colors and designs. They are easy to install (you can do it yourself... really... just use a good pair of scissors to cut instead of a knife... really... I've done it so often. It is inexpensive, nice to look at, easy to install.... and easy to change if you get fed up.

If you own your own home, you might want to think about installing hard wood floors, even tho the price is higher. This is a very good investment in the long run and when you sell your home, you'll make your money back...

Also, you might want to have a look at cork laminate flooring.. it's fantastic.... but expensive....

Answer 2

We have laminate flooring - the kind that looks like wooden floorboards. We also have a leaky fridge, which causes puddles on it. So far (over 6 months) it hasn't left any marks, and if it leaks while we are out we don't always get to clean them up straight away. I think the laminates are a great, long-lasting, inexpensive solution, and they are coming out in some really interesting styles now. Ours are scratch resistant, so can vacuum them if I'm in a hurry, rather than mop them, without thinking about the scratches you get on real polished boards.
Hiring a floor sander and sanding and polishing existing floorboards isn't too expensive if you have old boards under your current flooring, and they come up quite nice.

Answer 3

My daughter has laminate flooring. I told her it looks like trouble. It sounds fake when you walk on it, not solid. Plus, she has since had a baby and while she gives the baby her bath in the kitchen sink, water often drips down on the flooring. Well, the floor is buckling up around that area. I know another couple that put it in their kitchen too and now can't wait to rip it up. Tile flooring is cold and is hard to keep clean unless you get the shiny tiles which you will fall and break a leg if it gets wet. I recommend old fashioned Congiolium ( bad spelling ) especially in the kitchen.

Answer 4

Hardwood is often ideal to laminate in case you've gotten adequate money it. Scratches could be certainly sanded out and/or restained. which could no longer be finished with laminate. i'm a stickler for the actual stuff, so in case you've gotten adequate money to have it laid and then stained, as hostile to the pre-complete type, it's going to final a life-time AND face up to you pooch. no longer basically that, it provides on your fairness. i'm an indoors fashion designer and characteristic worked with many properties equipped interior the '20s and before. In virtually each case, the hardwood flooring are unique and customarily basically require minimum restoration.

Answer 5

your right about the laminate i would not put it in a dog house its so much JUNK and i will be charging huge sums to remove it someday (although i have considerd it for wall application) you can get ceramic pretty cheap i pay 99cents a sq ft i have alot of rental prop ,,,on clearance in lowes or some discount building supply stores labor varies but here about 3.00 a sq ft Don't dissmiss linolium its been around 100+ years and the new fiberglassed backed are easy for YOU to install no glue down and it comes in a myriad of styles and patterns and colors
and then what I would would do for my own home ,,,put down real hardwood or quarter sawn pine its not as expensive as you think here red oak is 2.99 sq ft prefinished hardwood can get pricey but is not crap like laminate fortunately my home has a quartersawn hardwood wide plank already and its quite nice 100+yrs old

Answer 6

If you have a dog beware that this can be dangerous for them as they slip all over it!. laminated floor can take a spilled drink or minor spillage but it shouldn't be used in wet areas like Kitchens and bathrooms

Answer 7

You are on the right track...Another way to categorize prefinished wood flooring is formal or informal