I'm fairly certain I want Laminate (wood) flooring for my high traffic area i.e. Living room, kitchen, dinning room. I'm remodeling and have taken up the old carpet and lenoleum (sp?) I've been into all the home improvement stores and have looked at a lot of them. Which is the best? Which brand has the best wear and warranty. Which one seems to be the best value for the buck? I've found a brand and style that I like at Lowes but it seems expensive at $4.37 a square foot and I have to special order it. I don't care for the stock laminate that costs less. Anyone know where the best place (maybe on-line) to look for reliable laminate flooring and good service. I need to cover about 575 square feet. Thanks everyone!
2007-04-03 01:55:03 · 6 answers · asked by Thorny 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
Laminate is a good product just don't skimp on cost. Most of the brands on the market are good. It goes down easy and lasts a long time. They hold up better than real wood and most have a real wood look too. The noise can be a problem on some products. Use a good "felt" underlayment. This should help. I don't agree with the two negative responses. The reason there's a "fondness" for the stuff is is much more affordable than hard wood. You want to talk about cheap, that vinyl stuff to me looks very cheap. And the reason the contractor doesn't install laminate is because no one needs him to install laminate. He wants you to buy hardwood. He probably installs hardwood and charges a lot to do it. Can you say "Cha-Ching" Buy an extra carton or two and store them away. If you damage a section, you CAN replace just the one piece. Your home improvement store flooring specialists can tell you how. And just like a couple of your reponders said, be careful with water. Check out what which brand holds up better to moisture exposure.
2007-04-04 02:55:53 · answer #1 · answered by Jeffery K 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can't help you where to go but wanted to tell you that we have laminate throughout the main floor of our house with the exception of the livingroom. I love it....with 1 exception....
We first put it in the family room and went through Sears - the stuff is crap !! We will be replacing it when we can. It is a wood look & was great until we got a puppy. Everyplace she peed the floor has lifted !!
We then went with a high quality laminate from a local flooring place for our hallway, laundry room, kitchen & diningroom/converted to office. It looks like slate in random squares & rectangles. It really suits the house & gives it the "cottage" feel we wanted. It is standing up far better than the other so my advice to you is don't go cheap....the old saying...you get what you pay for certainly applies when it comes to flooring. We also put the more expensive underlay underneath (they didn't charge us extra because of the area we were covering). It is quieter.
2007-04-03 02:12:19 · answer #2 · answered by Lucy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why laminate? I don't quite understand people's fondness for the stuff. It's really just printed paper epoxied to wood pulp composite and, in my opinion, it looks fake and is difficult to maintain. Everyone I know who has installed it in "high traffic areas" has regretted the choice. Once it is scratched, stained or damaged by moisture incursion (which has happened to everyone I know who has it) it is almost impossible to fix or clean. Why don't you look at other more durable options like laminated bamboo or high-end vinyl? For a high traffic area, especially a kitchen and if you have kids and pets, the good vinyls are cheaper per square foot and many look exactly like stone, tile or wood.
2007-04-03 03:11:09 · answer #3 · answered by c_kayak_fun 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As c_kayak has so eloquently pointed out, the stuff is garbage. It cannot be repaired (scratches, dents, water damage etc), only replaced, which, because of the way it snaps together is also very difficult.
For the money you are going to spend, buy a pre-finished, solid wood floor. Get a satin or matte finish, and if need be, a runner for the hallway. Even if it needs to be re-sanded after 10 years, you will at least have the option of doing that.
2007-04-03 04:45:11 · answer #4 · answered by rick m 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
spend the extra money and get quality laminate, especially for high traffic area, and also go with the darkest stain because you will be sweeping and washing your floor 2-3 times a day. i don't recommend this product with children and pets. very high maintanince
2007-04-03 02:06:55 · answer #5 · answered by bonaccorsosusan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One thing to think about before you do that is about sound. One of my friends has that in his house. It looks nice, but he says the clickety-clack of everytime you step on it gets to him, especially if you put it on a stairwell.
2007-04-03 05:17:18 · answer #6 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋