Laminate floors....

Soldato
Joined
12 May 2005
Posts
8,384
What’s everyone’s view on Laminate flooring? I’ve just agreed (begrudgingly) to replace the entire bottom of my house with laminate flooring, with stone floor in the kitchen due to me seeing the sense that it is –

Cleaner and modern looking
Easy to keep clean
Suitable for pets
Cheaper then carpet

As much as I love the feel of carpet on my bare feet, time to modernise the house a little and learn how to lay some laminate.

I did like the oak wood look stuff in B & Q, and it was very cheap per sq when compared to carpet. Never laid the stuff in my life, but then there is always google for stuff like this..
 
Associate
Joined
7 Oct 2008
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1,343
Location
Daan Saaaf
I love my laminate but a word of warning: I have many a time almost done the splits where my super fluffy socks slip on it - so be careful if you ever don super fluffy socks :p
 
Associate
Joined
4 Jun 2004
Posts
954
Location
Leeds
Definately worth spending extra on a decent quality laminate.

In my last place I bought some really nice textured flooring, good thick boards and they had some sort of wax core to stop water damage. They held in warmth quite well (along with a good underlay), the textured top helped minimise slippyness and they were very hard wearing.

Had to move to a rented place now :( all of downstairs is fitted with very cheap, badly fitted laminate. It's cold, noisey, slippy, looks poo and water makes the laminate bubble up..
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Oct 2003
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5,454
Location
Worthington-on-sea
It's cold, slippy and noisy if you've got a suspended floor. Plus the cheap stuff looks just that, cheap.

What's wrong with carpet anyway. Go for real wood if you really have to or something with a real wood top surface.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
12 May 2005
Posts
8,384
Well, partly my gf has talked me into this, she claims carpets are bad for asthmatic's, although I believe that to be a load of........ But on the otherside, she did say about how the dogs have ruined all the downstairs carpets, and this is what has won me over...

We have an outside patio door that comes into the dinning room and the front door enters into a small hallway that then enters into the living area. the whole downstairs is high traffic, and the dogs don't help.

So, its the next best option. I love carpet, its warmer and if done right looks excellent, but then so does laminate..... Its just the cold look I don't like the idea of.....

Still, mind made up. Carpets need to be replaced anyhow, so now is the time to do this...
 
Caporegime
Joined
11 Mar 2005
Posts
32,197
Location
Leafy Cheshire
Its hard to keep clean
It seems to attract dust like mad
The room echos badly
Makes the room feel cold
Easy to mark if you drop something
Can be very cold under foot

In a nutshell it looks nice but the above points have put me off badly.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2004
Posts
13,059
Location
Nottingham
Its hard to keep clean
It seems to attract dust like mad
The room echos badly
Makes the room feel cold
Easy to mark if you drop something
Can be very cold under foot

In a nutshell it looks nice but the above points have put me off badly.
to answer that,
1. water and a mop once a fortnight, hoover once every other day....
2. So does a carpet, you just cant see it
3. only if you pick the wrong type of wood
4. yes
5. only if you don't use underlay or its laid on an uninsulated floor.

that said. I would wait and save and buy real wood flooring if you can, used to have laminate in my old flat but just fitted a load of solid oak to the house, the difference is vast its incomparable
 
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