Laminate flooring vs. hardwood?

Hermes · 09-28-2003, 04:22 PM

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off topic, but what the hell.

Does anyone have any experience with laminate flooring? I'm building a house and trying to decide on flooring for the kitchen. The boss (wife) loves hardwood floors and I agree they look great and wear well. However, with kids and a dog I don't think they will last. Moisture and wood don't really mix well. My kid loves to drop drinks & food on the floor and I have seen what a dog can do to hardwood so I'm thinking it is a bad choice. I'm not thrilled with vinyl and tile is way too hard (and cold).

Any thoughts or experiences will be greatly appreciated.

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FUGGRWE · 09-28-2003, 04:31 PM

My brother in law is a contractor and he put the laminate flooring in all of the bedrooms of their new house. They have 2 dogs and have a child on the way so he said this stuff will last way longer. He told me he prefers to use it in houses they are building also.

Cebby · 09-28-2003, 04:32 PM

I would not recommend laminate floor in a kitchen. First time you drop a wine bottle or something heavy on it, you'll have a nice dent that cannot be repaired. With hardwood, it can be repaired to some degree (with some work). I have ongoing renovations in my 80 year old Victorian. I redid my 3rd floor for my kids and used the laminate up there. Performing beautifully.

I'll probably use hardwood in my dining room only.

Something I'll be giving some serious consideration for my kitchen will be commercial vinyl wood plank flooring. It is used in restaurants and other high traffic areas very successfully. I used to want ceramic or even stone, but it is just too hard on the tootsies.

FirstToy · 09-28-2003, 06:11 PM

Get hardwood!
Hardwood floors last a long time, can be repaired, planks can be replaced. Hardwood doesn't cost much more than laminate and looks ALOT better.

Do you really want a floor printed with wood grain instead of the real thing? Laminate is ok and is safer if you DYI but with the amount of money involved, I would go hardwood.

Get a real hardwood, not pine or some cheapie wood. I have bamboo hardwood floors in my studio (I'm sitting in right now) that are beautiful. Looks a bit like birch.
Go for the real thing, feels and looks better imo.

its2slo · 09-28-2003, 07:06 PM

$2.00 a foot should get you high quality laminate flooring that will hold up really well, this it tough stuff. the buck-a-foot stuff is pretty soft. its easy to install, no maintinance, easy to remove. good brands carry a 20 year warranty. personally i like the tile designs over the faux wood look.

thats my experience with laminate flooring...

pigcake · 09-29-2003, 06:07 AM

I did Laminate at my old condo and they look really nice. I had a couple corners pop up but I did buy the cheapest available, 1$ sq/ft. Also, laminate is nearly invinsible. Being a smoker, I decided to test its abilitie to burn. I left a smoke burning on the floor for ten minutes and there was no burn, now that's amazing. I would recomend not going with the cheap stuff like I did though. And, for the price you are going to pay for quality laminate, you might as well just go with the bamboo flooring. As far as moisture, as long as you are not planning on a flood, I would not worry about that with the hardwood. I would be more worried about moisture and the laminate.

Go with bamboo.

Todd E · 09-29-2003, 06:51 AM

One word for you:
Pergo
Their flooring is excellent!
easy to install and durable as heck.
My parents use it in their kitchen at house and their entire first floor of their cabin in Michigan. My brother has it in his kitchen/living area.
Check it out.
Todd

Hermes · 09-29-2003, 12:34 PM

Cool - thanks for all the feedback.

Cebby - I appreciate the info about the laminate denting easily if you drop something heavy. That is highly likely with my family

As this is not a custom home, it looks like we have to choose from vinyl, tile, or hardwood. The laminate would be done after we settle if we were to go that route.

I guess everything is a compromise, like most things in life. We already have hardwood in the foyer so I think the transition into the kitchen may look odd if we switch to laminate with a wood grain. The price for quality laminate and the hardwood was pretty close (w/in a grand or so).

I will probably just say 'yes dear' when she decides

PirateFins · 09-29-2003, 12:58 PM

I work a side job with a buddy of mine that installs flooring for living. He has installed both laminate and hardwood. He prefers the hardwood but leaves it up to his customers.

A good way to protect against water damage (very unlikely with hardwood unless you have a flood) is to install unfinished hardwood, snd it, stain it, and then top it with 2 coates of poly-urethane. The poly seals any joint opening there is. You can also choose the color you want to stain the floor. This costs a little more to install / finish but you would not belive the results.

Most hardwood manufactures have warrenties but make sure you follow the directions to the Tee. They will not proccess a claim if you don't install it to their specs.
Also to those going the Pergo route, if your floor was not installed by a licenced Pergo trained installer, they will not cover any defects what so ever.

Just my .02

3.4v6 · 01-13-2005, 11:53 AM

i know this thread is just a tad bit old but im bringing it back. to me installing laminate flooring is just like legos but im looking online and the instructions make it look so freakin complicated. im planning on getting the flooring tonight and installin in the next couple of days. someone please tell me its just like legos

grams72 · 01-13-2005, 12:37 PM

If things are square then it should be just like Lego's.

FilthyRich · 01-13-2005, 01:03 PM

for what it is worth, I hate laminate. That is, if you have the choice spring for a higher quality flooring. Keep in mind I am a home owner and used to lay tile professionally. Tile or hardwood will greatly increase the value of your home, plus it looks better and is more durable.

firemedic · 01-13-2005, 01:08 PM

I just installed some quartersawn white oak hardwood floors in the living room, family room, dining room, it was alot of work but looks awesome. Nothing but real hardwood that's finished in place will have that same look. It is also considered a permanent floor when it comes to home value, unlike carpet, vinyl, and laminate. I will say that we had pergo in our last house and it held up very well with two big dogs, but was slippery, felt "colder" in the winter and did not have the same custom look as my new hardwood floor.

CynicX · 01-13-2005, 01:27 PM

lets clear something up real quick....do you mean laminated floating floor? or laminate hardwood? vs regular hard wood....

if you mean the floating floors such as Pergo or whatever home depot sell I'd seriously suggest avoiding them, you cant repair them and they scratch very easy....Laminated hardwood planks arent bad and cheaper then regular hardwood. I prefer hardwood though without a groove, it more expensive but it looks sooooo nice once they sand it and polish that thing up...and its very durable...

You cant really compare the prices of these things though....You might be able to find a good price on whatever oak or something, but australian cypress might be twice as much....really depends on what look you are going for....where an australian cypress look on a laminated pergo floor will be thousands of dollars cheaper, of course then your back too all the problems with it....good luck

CynicX · 01-13-2005, 01:30 PM

to help clear up what i was asking in this link at the bottom is a pic of me holding a laminated piece of hardwood....as you can see its nothing like pergo floating floor....its actually wood thats laminated in layers....its cheaper, and its hella nicer then pergo but still a step down from a solid hardwood plank

http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.p...aminated+floor

MvCrash · 01-13-2005, 01:37 PM

greetings,
I have oak floors in my entire house. In the high traffic area, where the finish wears off, you can sand them and refinish the floor when required. I have refinished the high traffic areas in my house recently. it had been 12 years since they were done before.
I used a real varnish, not water based poly on the wood. The benefit to the varnish is that they are much more durable. The bad part is after putting the varnish on the floor, you can't sleep in the house for the night, the odor is overwhelming.

I think the Oak flooring is more expensive but they add tons of money to resale. Just my 2 cents

Bob_98SR5 · 01-13-2005, 01:40 PM

Hermes,

We put IKEA laminate in our living room/dining room (connected). We found out that they private label from the same company that makes pergo. Anyways, we are extremely happy how it turned out, given our budget. We didn't want to go "all out" and so we were looking for something 'economy' but looked nice. we bought the "Tundra" color which looks like fake oak wood. Everyone who has seen it said they really like it and were suprised that it came from IKEA.

not to mention, glueless, click laminate flooring is a cinch to put in. youll need a table saw for the rip cuts and preferably a sliding compound miter saw for the cross cuts. dont let any fool tell you that its do-able with a jig saw, especially for the rip cuts! the worst part is the floor prep. our place had a ton of paint from the walls that was built up really high. my poor arse was hand scraping for about 2 weeks (i think)...or at least it felt that way.

that said, laminate is not really good for wet areas like the kitchen and bathrooms. youre better off going w/ bamboo like james said or real wood flooring

if you want some pics, ill send it to you from prep to final install.

bob

3.4v6 · 01-13-2005, 05:54 PM

was the install pretty straight foward?

Larry@ExtremeWoodFlo · 01-05-2007, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FirstToy

Get hardwood!
Hardwood floors last a long time, can be repaired, planks can be replaced. Hardwood doesn't cost much more than laminate and looks ALOT better.

Do you really want a floor printed with wood grain instead of the real thing? Laminate is ok and is safer if you DYI but with the amount of money involved, I would go hardwood.

Get a real hardwood, not pine or some cheapie wood. I have bamboo hardwood floors in my studio (I'm sitting in right now) that are beautiful. Looks a bit like birch.
Go for the real thing, feels and looks better imo.

Laminates can be repaired more easyer than hardwood .... "why do people say that "?

celica · 01-05-2007, 01:31 PM

laminate suck - my sister has it in her house - dishwasher leaked, had to pull up the floor & put a new one in. It soaks up water like a sponge. then the droped a glass - glass didn't break but the floor did. This was the 30 year warrenty stuff. The company paid for the materials to replace it, but they had to prip up the floor again. only 3 floors in 6 months - what a joke. a month after the new one went in again - it was dented, they have since given up trying to have a perfect floor. If you were going to sell right away then maybe - otherwise I would stay far far away from it - it just doesn't hold up.

tacoma728 · 01-05-2007, 01:36 PM

I only haul laminate and hardwood. I don't install it. I do know however that Pergo makes good stuff and Anderson is one of the finest hardwoods. I know that when you have several skids of hardwood on a 48 footer, it reallllly slows things down, he he.

CJM · 01-05-2007, 01:37 PM

Your kitchen should not in any way have hardwood or laminate floors! You spill, drop, heavy traffic, possible water dmage from things-you do not put wood in areas like that.

For your other rooms its fine besides the bathrooms.

Tacoclimber · 01-05-2007, 01:52 PM

Did anyone notice the apparent spammer that revived this old thread?

Anyway, as long as I'm here...I have installed laminate wood flooring (both plank-style and parquet) and they are durable. As long as you take your time and do it right, you can get awesome results. I would avoid putting it in kitchens or bathrooms, however.

CJM · 01-05-2007, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tacoclimber

Did anyone notice the apparent spammer that revived this old thread?

I just noticed it now lol!

tacoma728 · 01-05-2007, 02:00 PM

You all had spamming issues?

09-28-2003, 04:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
FUGGRWE Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: South Florida Posts: 1,251	My brother in law is a contractor and he put the laminate flooring in all of the bedrooms of their new house. They have 2 dogs and have a child on the way so he said this stuff will last way longer. He told me he prefers to use it in houses they are building also. __________________ 2006 4Runner SR5 V8 I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam I am.

09-28-2003, 04:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
Cebby Contributing Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 11,237	I would not recommend laminate floor in a kitchen. First time you drop a wine bottle or something heavy on it, you'll have a nice dent that cannot be repaired. With hardwood, it can be repaired to some degree (with some work). I have ongoing renovations in my 80 year old Victorian. I redid my 3rd floor for my kids and used the laminate up there. Performing beautifully. I'll probably use hardwood in my dining room only. Something I'll be giving some serious consideration for my kitchen will be commercial vinyl wood plank flooring. It is used in restaurants and other high traffic areas very successfully. I used to want ceramic or even stone, but it is just too hard on the tootsies. __________________ [size="1"][center][color=RoyalBlue]UZswap.com A site dedicated to sharing info for swapping the Toyota/ Lexus UZ (V8) engines into Toyota Trucks and 4Runners. My 4Runner 1993 4Runner, 1UZ (V8) auto dual ultimate crawler, double locked, 35's on beadlocked SR5 alloys, low lift, hacked fenders, tubbed firewall, custom armor TOOLandFAB.com A discussion forum dedicated to tools, fabrication & workshops. See my[url=http://toolandfab.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71] JD2 Bender Hydro Conversion

09-28-2003, 07:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
its2slo Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: portland oregon Posts: 705	i know a little about laminate floors $2.00 a foot should get you high quality laminate flooring that will hold up really well, this it tough stuff. the buck-a-foot stuff is pretty soft. its easy to install, no maintinance, easy to remove. good brands carry a 20 year warranty. personally i like the tile designs over the faux wood look. thats my experience with laminate flooring... __________________ jake

09-29-2003, 06:07 AM	#6 (permalink)
pigcake Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St. Louis Posts: 351	I did Laminate at my old condo and they look really nice. I had a couple corners pop up but I did buy the cheapest available, 1$ sq/ft. Also, laminate is nearly invinsible. Being a smoker, I decided to test its abilitie to burn. I left a smoke burning on the floor for ten minutes and there was no burn, now that's amazing. I would recomend not going with the cheap stuff like I did though. And, for the price you are going to pay for quality laminate, you might as well just go with the bamboo flooring. As far as moisture, as long as you are not planning on a flood, I would not worry about that with the hardwood. I would be more worried about moisture and the laminate. Go with bamboo. __________________ ----------------------- "Counter sue" 2006 Taco SR5 V6 4x4. Stock (sTaco).......

09-29-2003, 06:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
Todd E Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 386	One word for you: Pergo Their flooring is excellent! easy to install and durable as heck. My parents use it in their kitchen at house and their entire first floor of their cabin in Michigan. My brother has it in his kitchen/living area. Check it out. Todd __________________ 1986 2wd Xtracab Longbed "Woody edition" 4" lift (3" suspension, 1" body), Allpro 5" lift rear springs 265/70/17 Dueler Revos, 8" rear axle - 5.29's & lockright SR5 guage cluster - glowing red Going prerunner for now, saving for longtravel kit...

09-29-2003, 12:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
Hermes Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: VA Posts: 222	Cool - thanks for all the feedback. Cebby - I appreciate the info about the laminate denting easily if you drop something heavy. That is highly likely with my family As this is not a custom home, it looks like we have to choose from vinyl, tile, or hardwood. The laminate would be done after we settle if we were to go that route. I guess everything is a compromise, like most things in life. We already have hardwood in the foyer so I think the transition into the kitchen may look odd if we switch to laminate with a wood grain. The price for quality laminate and the hardwood was pretty close (w/in a grand or so). I will probably just say 'yes dear' when she decides __________________ '01 4Runner SR5

01-13-2005, 11:53 AM	#10 (permalink)
3.4v6 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Daly City, CA Posts: 900	i know this thread is just a tad bit old but im bringing it back. to me installing laminate flooring is just like legos but im looking online and the instructions make it look so freakin complicated. im planning on getting the flooring tonight and installin in the next couple of days. someone please tell me its just like legos __________________ =Jason= 2001 Tacoma DC PreReunner SR5 (looks stock to me) S/C and some other crap

01-13-2005, 12:37 PM	#11 (permalink)
grams72 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moorhead MN Posts: 443	If things are square then it should be just like Lego's. __________________ 1990 4Runner SR5 3.Slow, Automatic, Air Intake Mod, Magnaflow muff 31's, Pro Comp ES9000 Autocommand Remote Start Removed = Running boards, lower rear quarter, rear bumper

01-13-2005, 01:08 PM	#13 (permalink)
firemedic Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Camas, WA USA Posts: 545	I just installed some quartersawn white oak hardwood floors in the living room, family room, dining room, it was alot of work but looks awesome. Nothing but real hardwood that's finished in place will have that same look. It is also considered a permanent floor when it comes to home value, unlike carpet, vinyl, and laminate. I will say that we had pergo in our last house and it held up very well with two big dogs, but was slippery, felt "colder" in the winter and did not have the same custom look as my new hardwood floor. __________________ Ben Silva 96 Lexus LX450, 125k, front/rear OEM diff locks, CDL switch, Pin 7 mod, power points, wired 850w inverter, jdm "oh crap" bar, OME heavy (850/863) lift, 285/75/16 Cooper STT, spare tire lift mod 98 Lexus LX470, 135k, Britax car seat ;) TLCA member #14300 Camas, WA USA

01-13-2005, 01:27 PM	#14 (permalink)
CynicX Contributing Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,371	lets clear something up real quick....do you mean laminated floating floor? or laminate hardwood? vs regular hard wood.... if you mean the floating floors such as Pergo or whatever home depot sell I'd seriously suggest avoiding them, you cant repair them and they scratch very easy....Laminated hardwood planks arent bad and cheaper then regular hardwood. I prefer hardwood though without a groove, it more expensive but it looks sooooo nice once they sand it and polish that thing up...and its very durable... You cant really compare the prices of these things though....You might be able to find a good price on whatever oak or something, but australian cypress might be twice as much....really depends on what look you are going for....where an australian cypress look on a laminated pergo floor will be thousands of dollars cheaper, of course then your back too all the problems with it....good luck __________________ 06 Subaru WRX

01-13-2005, 01:30 PM	#15 (permalink)
CynicX Contributing Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,371	to help clear up what i was asking in this link at the bottom is a pic of me holding a laminated piece of hardwood....as you can see its nothing like pergo floating floor....its actually wood thats laminated in layers....its cheaper, and its hella nicer then pergo but still a step down from a solid hardwood plank http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.p...aminated+floor __________________ 06 Subaru WRX

01-13-2005, 01:37 PM	#16 (permalink)
MvCrash Contributing Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 342	greetings, I have oak floors in my entire house. In the high traffic area, where the finish wears off, you can sand them and refinish the floor when required. I have refinished the high traffic areas in my house recently. it had been 12 years since they were done before. I used a real varnish, not water based poly on the wood. The benefit to the varnish is that they are much more durable. The bad part is after putting the varnish on the floor, you can't sleep in the house for the night, the odor is overwhelming. I think the Oak flooring is more expensive but they add tons of money to resale. Just my 2 cents __________________ MvCrash 2005 Rav4L Stock for now 2003 Mustang Mach 1, 4.6 DOHC V8. Cold air intake,magnaflow cross over and cat back, Custom tune by Predator SOLD:2001 Tacoma XCab, Michelin LTX, AmeraGuard Spray in Liner, Access Roll-Up Tonneau Cover, Synthetic Oils

01-13-2005, 01:40 PM	#17 (permalink)
Bob_98SR5 Contributing Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 10,090	Hermes, We put IKEA laminate in our living room/dining room (connected). We found out that they private label from the same company that makes pergo. Anyways, we are extremely happy how it turned out, given our budget. We didn't want to go "all out" and so we were looking for something 'economy' but looked nice. we bought the "Tundra" color which looks like fake oak wood. Everyone who has seen it said they really like it and were suprised that it came from IKEA. not to mention, glueless, click laminate flooring is a cinch to put in. youll need a table saw for the rip cuts and preferably a sliding compound miter saw for the cross cuts. dont let any fool tell you that its do-able with a jig saw, especially for the rip cuts! the worst part is the floor prep. our place had a ton of paint from the walls that was built up really high. my poor arse was hand scraping for about 2 weeks (i think)...or at least it felt that way. that said, laminate is not really good for wet areas like the kitchen and bathrooms. youre better off going w/ bamboo like james said or real wood flooring if you want some pics, ill send it to you from prep to final install. bob

01-13-2005, 05:54 PM	#18 (permalink)
3.4v6 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Daly City, CA Posts: 900	was the install pretty straight foward? __________________ =Jason= 2001 Tacoma DC PreReunner SR5 (looks stock to me) S/C and some other crap

01-05-2007, 01:31 PM	#20 (permalink)
celica Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Calgary, AB Canada Posts: 1,773	laminate suck - my sister has it in her house - dishwasher leaked, had to pull up the floor & put a new one in. It soaks up water like a sponge. then the droped a glass - glass didn't break but the floor did. This was the 30 year warrenty stuff. The company paid for the materials to replace it, but they had to prip up the floor again. only 3 floors in 6 months - what a joke. a month after the new one went in again - it was dented, they have since given up trying to have a perfect floor. If you were going to sell right away then maybe - otherwise I would stay far far away from it - it just doesn't hold up. __________________ Matt 2003 4-Runner Limited - Couldn't stay away from the runner 2003 Sequoia Limited 1989 Supra Turbo 1992 4r, 5spd V6 Sold

01-05-2007, 01:36 PM	#21 (permalink)
tacoma728 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 698	I only haul laminate and hardwood. I don't install it. I do know however that Pergo makes good stuff and Anderson is one of the finest hardwoods. I know that when you have several skids of hardwood on a 48 footer, it reallllly slows things down, he he. __________________ Every 4x4 i own is sold, moved on to an economical car. SEE YA

01-05-2007, 01:37 PM	#22 (permalink)
CJM Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Central NJ Posts: 4,565	Your kitchen should not in any way have hardwood or laminate floors! You spill, drop, heavy traffic, possible water dmage from things-you do not put wood in areas like that. For your other rooms its fine besides the bathrooms. __________________ 96' T100 SR5 4x4, ISR mod, Custom ABS snorkel, KC 57's Hella optilux el cheapo backup lights. Cobra 19III CB, Firestick 4ft antenna, Bilstein shocks. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

01-05-2007, 01:52 PM	#23 (permalink)
Tacoclimber Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Between a rock and a hard place, AZ Posts: 3,689	Did anyone notice the apparent spammer that revived this old thread? Anyway, as long as I'm here...I have installed laminate wood flooring (both plank-style and parquet) and they are durable. As long as you take your time and do it right, you can get awesome results. I would avoid putting it in kitchens or bathrooms, however. __________________ CJ ...<>< 03 DC TRD Tacoma 4wd with a bunch of junk. SOLD 1964 Chevy Biscayne, 230 I6, lowered, satin black, old-school legit. Just wheel the stupid thing!!! But do it responsibly, ok? My band: Road Worn Saints

01-05-2007, 02:00 PM	#25 (permalink)
tacoma728 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 698	You all had spamming issues? __________________ Every 4x4 i own is sold, moved on to an economical car. SEE YA

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