Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Laminate flooring decisions - need help!

We are taking up the old carpet in 2 rooms and a hallway connecting the two, and want to install wood look laminate. The family room is our primary 'living room' and is 400 square feet. The hallway is 3'wide and 11' long, and connects the family room to the study (170 sf). There's just the two of us, plus our chocolate lab, but we want this to be the last floor we have to put down in this house.

We have it narrowed down to 2 choices, both Armstrong products: Nature's Gallery, about $4.25/sf through our flooring dealer, OR Beveled Wood Collection, $3.78/sf. The Beveled Wood Collection is sold by special order through Lowe's, and they are running a 20% off sale through Labor Day which would make it $3.02/sf (VERY attractive price!).

Questions:
- Any experience with these two choices? Both have 30 year guarantee. Should we choose one over the other, and why?
- Both rooms are basic squares and hubby wants us to DIY. Neighbor who installed his own Pergo has volunteered to help and has convinced hubby that it's fairly easy. Is it??
- We'll install our own painted wood quarter round. I like shoe moulding better because it's smaller - will that work with laminate flooring, or do we need the quarter round?
- For coat closets, should we install quarter round or just leave the edge unfinished?

Thanks for all help and opinions!

Go with what you like cause you will be looking at it for a long time. lol

It's not that hard to do, I just finished 900 sq. feet in my house. Just make sure you start with the longest wall first. Put quarter inch spacers against the wall and do about 3 or 4 rolls of flooring (long rolls). Measure from the wall to the last piece you put down, both ends to be sure it's even. You can adjust it if needed by sliding it a bit.

I would use the quarter round, the shoe molding is too small and will not always cover your quarter inch gap at the wall and corners.

When you interlock one peice to another and need to tap the long end into place to interlock with the one already down, DO NOT tap on the flooring.
Cut a small piece of waste, interlock it and use a piece of 2x4" about the same size as the waste piece. Place the 2x4" against the waste piece and tap on the 2x4". Unlock you waste piece and use it over and over.

Duke of ....

Thanks for the info! And guess what? The Lowe's Armstrong laminate is the SAME product sold in the floor store - it's just called by a different name so Lowe's can carry it 'exclusively'. We got it for $2.89/sf - a savings of over $900 less than the floor store!