Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Laminate Floors on a TIGHT Budget
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montanagirl
10-04-05, 12:48 PM
Hi Everyone!
My husband and I own a town home that we have lived in for approximately 2.5 years. We are very happy here and plan on staying for at least another 3-5 years at minimum. The home is well-built, but is not 'high-end' by any means. The main item that needs to be addressed is the flooring.
As you enter the home, you come into a long ceramic tiled (T1) entry hall. The stairs go up to your immediate right and are carpeted (C1). As you proceed down the hall, there is a closet with carpet (C1) and a full bath with vinyl (V1) on the right and a garage on the left. The hallway opens onto an open floor plan incorporating kitchen/dining to the left and the living area to the right. The kitchen/dining area has a vinyl (V2) floor covering and the living area is carpeted (C1). There is a transition strip and kitchen cabinetry that delineates the V1 from the C1.
Well, not only are the floor coverings in need of replacement, but there are just too many of them in this space! We would ideally like to have wood grain laminate floors everywhere except the tiled entry, the stairs, and the garage. The total area is approximately 450 square feet. Our main concern, however is the kitchen/dining and living area.
We are on a very tight budget for this project (under $1000). I have looked locally to see what can be purchased (both in stock and ordered in) and the best combo of price/quality I can find is a Shaw product on sale for $1.99/SF plus underlayment at $0.50/SF. This puts us over budget with just materials!! :eek: (I have also seen some reviews that noted separation troubles with this product :eek: :eek: ).
So - onto the internet I go. I was able to find a product online at "that giant online flooring warehouse" site. The manufacturer is Dream Home Laminate Floors. They have several different lines: Utopia is 6mm lam, HDF board core, 10 year warranty @ $0.79/SF; Charisma is 7mm lam, BLUTEC moisture resistant board, 20 year warranty @ $1.29/SF; and Nirvana is 8mm lam, BLUTEC moisture resistant board, pre-glued underlay (gets the sound comfort icon), 25 year warranty @ $1.69/SF. I could get the highest end product from this company and still be under budget (not counting shipping). The only 'non-seller-affiliated' reviews I could find were all basically good. The only bad thing I was able to find was that the installation DOES require a tapping block even though the instructions indicate that you don't.
So what do you think? Think very tight budget, not high end home, not forever home....
Montanagirl
My husband and I own a town home that we have lived in for approximately 2.5 years. We are very happy here and plan on staying for at least another 3-5 years at minimum. The home is well-built, but is not 'high-end' by any means. The main item that needs to be addressed is the flooring.
As you enter the home, you come into a long ceramic tiled (T1) entry hall. The stairs go up to your immediate right and are carpeted (C1). As you proceed down the hall, there is a closet with carpet (C1) and a full bath with vinyl (V1) on the right and a garage on the left. The hallway opens onto an open floor plan incorporating kitchen/dining to the left and the living area to the right. The kitchen/dining area has a vinyl (V2) floor covering and the living area is carpeted (C1). There is a transition strip and kitchen cabinetry that delineates the V1 from the C1.
Well, not only are the floor coverings in need of replacement, but there are just too many of them in this space! We would ideally like to have wood grain laminate floors everywhere except the tiled entry, the stairs, and the garage. The total area is approximately 450 square feet. Our main concern, however is the kitchen/dining and living area.
We are on a very tight budget for this project (under $1000). I have looked locally to see what can be purchased (both in stock and ordered in) and the best combo of price/quality I can find is a Shaw product on sale for $1.99/SF plus underlayment at $0.50/SF. This puts us over budget with just materials!! :eek: (I have also seen some reviews that noted separation troubles with this product :eek: :eek: ).
So - onto the internet I go. I was able to find a product online at "that giant online flooring warehouse" site. The manufacturer is Dream Home Laminate Floors. They have several different lines: Utopia is 6mm lam, HDF board core, 10 year warranty @ $0.79/SF; Charisma is 7mm lam, BLUTEC moisture resistant board, 20 year warranty @ $1.29/SF; and Nirvana is 8mm lam, BLUTEC moisture resistant board, pre-glued underlay (gets the sound comfort icon), 25 year warranty @ $1.69/SF. I could get the highest end product from this company and still be under budget (not counting shipping). The only 'non-seller-affiliated' reviews I could find were all basically good. The only bad thing I was able to find was that the installation DOES require a tapping block even though the instructions indicate that you don't.
So what do you think? Think very tight budget, not high end home, not forever home....
Montanagirl
Carpets Done Wright
10-04-05, 05:44 PM
If it meets your expectations, go for it. Down the road, don't be surprised if the expectations start to drop off with the cheap flooring.
vsmurrell
10-05-05, 07:30 AM
If it meets your expectations, go for it. Down the road, don't be surprised if the expectations start to drop off with the cheap flooring.
Does anyone have recommendations for economical yet decent laminate flooring? I, for one, have *no* idea what I need to look for or to avoid!
Thanks in advance.
Vicki
Does anyone have recommendations for economical yet decent laminate flooring? I, for one, have *no* idea what I need to look for or to avoid!
Thanks in advance.
Vicki