Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Laminate flooring - Help on final decisions
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keep it simple
03-26-06, 12:52 PM
(Sorry in advance for the long post) Here is my situation, I have decided on a floating glueless lock in place wood grain laminate floor. Currently have a vinyl floor over a concrete slab I plan on putting the floor in over the vinyl.
1. The flooring I plan to use (Nirvana from Lumber Liquidators) is 8mm thick+ 3 mm foam attached
Should I also use an additional underlayment (I don't mind some added cost if gives better results)
2. This will be for a kitchen/dining area/half bath/hall way etc. There are no good straight walls to start from. I plan to start on the straightest edge which transitions to existing carpeting, laying the flooring longways since this seems to be the most visually appealing starting point.
Any suggestions on keeping the rows straight until I can support against spacers next to a wall?
3. Is 8mm a good idea or should I look at 12mm or does it matter?
4. This flooring is supposed to lock in place and is not meant to be glued down, but do I need to glue or seal the individual planks together, just on the ends, only in wet areas, etc.?
1. The flooring I plan to use (Nirvana from Lumber Liquidators) is 8mm thick+ 3 mm foam attached
Should I also use an additional underlayment (I don't mind some added cost if gives better results)
2. This will be for a kitchen/dining area/half bath/hall way etc. There are no good straight walls to start from. I plan to start on the straightest edge which transitions to existing carpeting, laying the flooring longways since this seems to be the most visually appealing starting point.
Any suggestions on keeping the rows straight until I can support against spacers next to a wall?
3. Is 8mm a good idea or should I look at 12mm or does it matter?
4. This flooring is supposed to lock in place and is not meant to be glued down, but do I need to glue or seal the individual planks together, just on the ends, only in wet areas, etc.?
twelvepole
03-26-06, 02:50 PM
There are many different manufacturers of laminate with varying degrees of quality and durability, ease of installation, and prices. Each manufacturer tends to have its own specific installation instructions.
Plastic laminate flooring is simply a heavier version of plastic laminate countertops. This type of flooring is scratch and impact resistant but not scratch and impact proof. Damaged pieces will have to be replaced because they can not be refinished. Products that have attached cushion tend to offer better sound control than those that float over a separate cushion underlayment. If installing over vinyl, the vinyl can act as vapor retarder over concrete.
High-pressure laminate has the bottom and top layers heated and pressurized and fused to a core material with glue under heat and pressure. Direct-pressure laminate has all layers assembled at once and filled with hardening melamine resins with heat and pressure. High pressure laminate is more scratch and impact resistant. Direct-pressure laminate tends to cost less and offer decent quality overall.
Plastic laminate is a picture of real wood on paper strengthened with resins and covered with a cellulose paper impregnated of clear melamine resins as a wear layer. The core is usually fiberboard. The bottom layer may be paper or melamine. There are waterproof laminates with plastic cores. Spills, leaks, and moisture issues are concerns with laminate, especially in wet areas of home.
Shop around and compare apples to apples. 8 mm = .31496063 inches. 12 millimeters = 0.472440945 inches. The thicker the top layer the better. Heavy residential and light commercial rating on wearlayer is best. Melamine backing better than paper for moisture resistance.
Read the warranty. What is in the fine print? Who takes care of warranty issues? Do they refer you to the manufacturer outside the country? Do you get an answering machine or a real person when you call and how long before they get back to you?
Most manufacturers offer good, better, best levels of quality. Some discounters sell seconds, thinner products, discontinued laminates, and off goods.
Finally, not all locking systems are created equal. Floating floors are popular for ease of installation. Some locking systems are easier to click or snap together and are more durable. Uniclic, Kronotex’s Clic2Clic, Classen’s EasyConnect and Lamton’s InstaLock are among popular locking systems used by manufacturers. Some manufacturers require some glue and others do not. Familiarize yourself with installation instructions and specs before making purchase. Take into consideration the need for transition pieces to adjacent floor coverings, increased height of floor, and undercutting door jambs.
If you have an active household with pets, kids, and lots of traffic, a better quality plastic laminate would likely be the better choice. Poor quality flooring is usually sold at lower prices and tends not to hold up well in a busy households.
Plastic laminate flooring is simply a heavier version of plastic laminate countertops. This type of flooring is scratch and impact resistant but not scratch and impact proof. Damaged pieces will have to be replaced because they can not be refinished. Products that have attached cushion tend to offer better sound control than those that float over a separate cushion underlayment. If installing over vinyl, the vinyl can act as vapor retarder over concrete.
High-pressure laminate has the bottom and top layers heated and pressurized and fused to a core material with glue under heat and pressure. Direct-pressure laminate has all layers assembled at once and filled with hardening melamine resins with heat and pressure. High pressure laminate is more scratch and impact resistant. Direct-pressure laminate tends to cost less and offer decent quality overall.
Plastic laminate is a picture of real wood on paper strengthened with resins and covered with a cellulose paper impregnated of clear melamine resins as a wear layer. The core is usually fiberboard. The bottom layer may be paper or melamine. There are waterproof laminates with plastic cores. Spills, leaks, and moisture issues are concerns with laminate, especially in wet areas of home.
Shop around and compare apples to apples. 8 mm = .31496063 inches. 12 millimeters = 0.472440945 inches. The thicker the top layer the better. Heavy residential and light commercial rating on wearlayer is best. Melamine backing better than paper for moisture resistance.
Read the warranty. What is in the fine print? Who takes care of warranty issues? Do they refer you to the manufacturer outside the country? Do you get an answering machine or a real person when you call and how long before they get back to you?
Most manufacturers offer good, better, best levels of quality. Some discounters sell seconds, thinner products, discontinued laminates, and off goods.
Finally, not all locking systems are created equal. Floating floors are popular for ease of installation. Some locking systems are easier to click or snap together and are more durable. Uniclic, Kronotex’s Clic2Clic, Classen’s EasyConnect and Lamton’s InstaLock are among popular locking systems used by manufacturers. Some manufacturers require some glue and others do not. Familiarize yourself with installation instructions and specs before making purchase. Take into consideration the need for transition pieces to adjacent floor coverings, increased height of floor, and undercutting door jambs.
If you have an active household with pets, kids, and lots of traffic, a better quality plastic laminate would likely be the better choice. Poor quality flooring is usually sold at lower prices and tends not to hold up well in a busy households.