We are looking at replacing our cheap carpet and linoleum on our main floor with hard wood or bamboo flooring. I've read consumer reports reviews and ratings. Anyone have advice on this? I'd have to pay someone to install but could try ripping out the old carpet and vinyl myself. Moving furniture and appliances will be a pain. I've looked at Nebraska Furniture Mart and Lumber Liquidators. We have two little boys so I need something fairly durable. I realize wood will dent and scratch.
Hard Flooring
- Thread starter jeff0514
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My father-in-law installed laminate in his house a couple years back and absolutely hates it now. He's pretty handy, so I doubt it was an installation issue, but he doesn't think it's held up real well.
With any type of laminate flooring, you get what you pay for - if you buy cheap it will not last. Spend the money and put quality in, you will be thankful in the long run.
How do you know what's quality? Is it higher quality just because it costs more? Anyone know anything about bamboo?
Might want to check out this thread from last year; it should answer some of your questions:
http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/off-topic/92233-laminate-hardwood-flooring.html
http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/off-topic/92233-laminate-hardwood-flooring.html
If you choose bamboo, do not invite any panda bears to your house. Recipe for disaster.
Depends on what you are looking at.
For laminate floors, quality is in the structure and wear layer. Cheap laminates will be thinner and less resistant to scratching.
For wood floors, quality is in the milling, and also the way that it is constructed. For a solid wood floor, larger bevels usually equal poorer milling. Some of the cheap manufacturers have latched on to this impression, and put a smaller bevel on crap material, but your height differences board to board will result in a crappy looking installation.
For engineered (multi-layer plywood, solid top layer), it's in the construction. Cheaper materials will be rotary peeled, which makes it look like plywood (repetitive grain pattern), and will also check (splits in the grain) due to the way it is made. A sawn wear layer is best there.
Bamboo is very hard, but seems to move a lot with humidity changes. You will want humidity control if you go that route.
Throw finish warranties out the window. In 17 years in flooring, I have never seen a successful claim regarding finish. They're simply there for show.
If you want to know more, send me a PM. I work for a flooring company with a showroom in Ankeny.
Just installed a bamboo floor. Purchased it at Lumber Liquidators. It is 5/8 inch instead of the typical 3/4 thick. Looks great. Will it hold up as good as an Oak or Maple floor.........only time will tell. But my advice would be to go this route instead of laminate. You cannot beat the real thing.
It doesn't hold up well as a non hardwood alternative. Don't ever have dogs on laminate as scratches are major fault of laminate
I've installed both hardwood and laminate. Maybe my friends just wear really hard, don't know, but I would never put laminate in my own house. It doesn't stay together all that well and instead of gaining character as it ages, it just looks worse. Hardwood on the other hand wasn't much tougher, imo to install. Get or rent a decent nailer and a miter saw and you should be good to go. My father and I did about 400 sq. ft. in two days. If you get a good system going, there's nothing to it. We've had our floors in for 4 years now and they still look as good, if not better than any of my friends who have a laminate in their house.
If you have dogs though, neither holds up that well to them. Their claw demolish foors.
If you have dogs though, neither holds up that well to them. Their claw demolish foors.
I have had no issues with my dog and our laminate flooring. Of course he is kind of lazy and doesn't run in the house very often.
Any bozo who lets dogs in on their wood floors should be shot. And I'll do the shooting. But seriously, be very careful who/what you let on your floor. Our daughter in Chicago bought a 6 month old house that the wood floors had to be refinished because of the big dogs toe nails and sloppy water bowl habits.
Dogs nails do nothing to the surface of any decent laminate floor. While laminate might be a temporary floor, they hold up just fine to dogs running around.
True. You get the cheap, crappy stuff at the big boxes, and yes, they will wear out. Get a good one, they're usually fine. You get what you pay for.
I know someone who installed bamboo. It looks awesome where it's held up, but...
Last time I was there his floor was covered with spots of blue tape where he was having to have someone come out and replace/repair it. Lots of visual blemishes and lots of gaps, apparently from expansion/contraction.
I've installed two rooms worth of Pergo and I'm about to do a third. What I've done so far looks great and I'm far from a handyman.
We had Alloc laminat flooring for 10 years in a house we just sold. 2 kids (+friends), 2 dogs, and it still looks great. It was under our kitchen table and you have to look hard to find a scratch. Also more quiet and "softer" to stand on then wood. Unless you really want the charachter look that wood developes over time i'd recommend taking a look.
On the other hand, we just bought a house that has a cheaper laminate floor. I think it is 7-10 years old. Has some gaps between pieces, and a few of the pieces have the finish peeling off on the corners and some cracks in high traffic areas. You have to look to see defects but they are there.
On the other hand, we just bought a house that has a cheaper laminate floor. I think it is 7-10 years old. Has some gaps between pieces, and a few of the pieces have the finish peeling off on the corners and some cracks in high traffic areas. You have to look to see defects but they are there.
I installed bamboo from lumber liquidators about 4 years ago in my entry, kitchen, & dining room. We absolutely love it & it has held up well. Generally, laminates ( good quality) will wear better, but won't be as desirable from a resale value if that is something you need to consider.
I haven't regretted the bamboo decision at all, just make sure you have the proper sub floor & tar paper beneath. And, make sure you let the wood acclimate to the environment before installing.
I haven't regretted the bamboo decision at all, just make sure you have the proper sub floor & tar paper beneath. And, make sure you let the wood acclimate to the environment before installing.
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