Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - click flooring--yes or no?

I was all set to purchase click together flooring from ifloor.com until a friend of mine advised me against it. I live in Louisiana, with fluctuating humidity (usually high, but it goes quite low in the winter), and he told me that since placing his click together laminate floor down, it creaks and pops whenever he walks on it. He attributes it to the humidity. I don't know the brand nor do I know the underlayment he used or the condition (esp. flatness) of his concrete slab. I don't plan on using laminate and will instead use engineered click flooring, plan on using a good underlayment, and also plan on making sure that my house's concrete foundation is both flat and moisure proof. Please let me know if any of you have had any problems with click flooring. I really would like to save a lot of $$$ by doing it myself and not hiring someone to glue it down, but I sure don't want to shell out over $6000 for something that is going to give me a constant headache. Thanks.

Your friend is clueless, and just guessing. Yes humidity makes wood swell. But if you read the specs on both laminate and wood, 60% humidity is about as high as the material is specified for. Climate control is mandatory with any wood product. If your friend didn't acclimate the laminate, and it grew after installation, I can see where he went wrong. More then likely, the substrate under his laminate is not flat withing specs, and is allowed to flex into the low spots on the substrate.

If you cannot keep the interior between the required humidity levels, wood & or laminate is not the flooring for you!!!

Thanks for the reply. I am sure that the humidity range is indicated on the wood product, but in general what would be the humidity range for engineered wood planks? I plan on getting a humidity gauge and using a central humidifier/dehumidifier as needed in order to keep the wood in good shape. No use in shelling out a lot of $$$$$ and having it go bad.

For any product you chose, look at the "jobsite requirements" before you get started.