Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Laminate Floor in a kitchen?

I have been hearing that installing laminate floor in a kitchen is not a good idea - can anyone help with the reason's why?

If it is moisture, wouldn't the mositure barrier on the underside of the laminite help?

Is the reason due to disasters, such as refrigerator or dishwasher leaking, or more of the daily issues, like spilled milk, etc???

Well, let's take this one step at a time.
Yes laminate can get damaged by leaking appliances.
So can other floors. I replace them all the time. Vinyl, Ceramic, you name it.
Yes vinyl MAY give you a bit more time, and so can ceramic, but I would hardly make your choice by appliance leakage.
Most people replace vinyl because of rips, tears, and gauges. Laminate is way more durable.
Some people hate to walk on cold,hard ceramic in the kitchen for long periods of time. Laminate is way more comfy.
If you leave spills on the floor, or keep a dog water dish in the kitchen, I would especially steer you away from lam. Other than that, make sure you buy the best quality lam you can get. There is even a waterproof one from Mannington.

Thanks for the help. I have a dog and 2 year old, so I need something durable, comfortable and attractive - that made me lean towards laminite. Is the risk of water damage from a dogs water dish that great? if it spils and clean it up immediatley - what is the risk?

Also - I did investigate the mannington laminite, but it is pricy. Would the Pergo Select series be just as good or am I running the risk by going with a non water proof laminite?

thanks

The only waterproof lam is the Mannington Icore.
The higher quality lam's like Pergo Select will give you the best protection, but the biggest harm comes from the dog lapping up the water and spilling on the floor, and your in your Master Bedroom at 11pm watching a movie with your wife and you do not catch it unless you get up for a little snack.

Oh wait...that's my life :)

Any moisture that sits for a long period of time with no attention MAY and very well COULD harm the laminate.
biggest causes:
Doggie spills and your away from home
Kids splash in tub and do not clean up
an adult with a horrible clean ethic.

other than appliance breakage (which should not be the only reason for choosing flooring) there should be no problem.
Watch you and your family for a couple weeks and think back in time. When is the last time you spilled some water and walked away?

it's the water that's left sitting on the SEAMS that's the problem. not so much the water sitting on top of the plasticy surface. right, florcraft?

that's been my understanding. the clear, hard plasticy coating on top of the photograph of wood, is really durable. it's the seams that are vulnerable, so you don't want the water to seep into the seams, where it can cause the woodproductstuff to swell and then cause the seams to bulge & not be nice & tight.

right?

yes your right, it is just the seams. You will have them every 8 inches.

For pergo type floors, can some sort of sealant be put in the seams to prevent the water to get in? We're playing the carpet/pergo/lino/tile tossup game right now and can't decide what's best for every room.

most laminates still have the option for gluing, and that will help. But still is not good for long standing moisture like sheet vinyl.