Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - REAL WOOD OR LAMINATE?
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : REAL WOOD OR LAMINATE?
05-09-01, 09:16 AM
We just purchased a home that was built in '78. There is carpet in the kitchen and dining..yuck! I am debating between real wood floors or laminate. Can you tell me the pro's and con's of each? I want something that is easy to keep clean and will hold it's beauty for a long time. The kitchen is dark with very little natural light, so I want a natural to medium finish. My home is on a slab, and the total surface is small (about 21' x 10'). I have 3 kids (10 to 17) that are very active, and a small dog. PLease let me know my options, and what you would suggest.
Thank you
Thank you
05-11-01, 12:28 PM
We have both in our '64 rancher. (Ours is on a crawlspace so there are some differences). The laminate that I installed in our dining and living rooms was a breeze to install. Just roll out the foam underlayment and then start snapping panels together. We installed the plank style that looks like narrow strip flooring. We also chose the stuff that snaps together with NO GLUE (made by Armstrong)! No glue means money & time saved in my book. The joints are very tight and we've been pleased with it. Lowe's carries it and there are many choices of finish. The one downside was the cost of the trim strips (transition strips, etc.) which are about $25 each for an 8 ft. section. They match the flooring perfectly, but I chose to stain my own quarter-round instead.
As far as real hardwood flooring goes, you might want to go with one that has adhesive strips on the back to hold it down (saw it on television, but Lowe's carries it too). I'm not sure about the price on it. I'm pretty sure it's more expensive than the laminate, though. I'm not sure if it has to be nailed down, either. You didn't mention if there is some type of subflooring on top of your slab or if it's just concrete under the carpet, so I don't know if nailing is an issue here.
Upkeep is about the same: damp mop the laminate (they make a good cleaner to use here) and use a very lightly damp mop on the hardwoods AFTER you have swept/vacuumed. The laminate does not, in my experience, have much problem with scratching as will the finish on hardwoods. But, you can put felt pads on the bottom of everything (and I mean everything) on your hardwoods if you go that route.
Lots of luck,
Al
-----------------
Hokt on foniks workt 4 me.
As far as real hardwood flooring goes, you might want to go with one that has adhesive strips on the back to hold it down (saw it on television, but Lowe's carries it too). I'm not sure about the price on it. I'm pretty sure it's more expensive than the laminate, though. I'm not sure if it has to be nailed down, either. You didn't mention if there is some type of subflooring on top of your slab or if it's just concrete under the carpet, so I don't know if nailing is an issue here.
Upkeep is about the same: damp mop the laminate (they make a good cleaner to use here) and use a very lightly damp mop on the hardwoods AFTER you have swept/vacuumed. The laminate does not, in my experience, have much problem with scratching as will the finish on hardwoods. But, you can put felt pads on the bottom of everything (and I mean everything) on your hardwoods if you go that route.
Lots of luck,
Al
-----------------
Hokt on foniks workt 4 me.
twelvepole
05-14-01, 06:49 PM
Go to http://www.ifloor.com for good information on comparison of laminate brands and info re: hardwood. You can also Search this forum for discussion.