Laminate flooring

[bustednutz]

I am going to be replacing all the carpeting on the first floor of my house with Laminate wood flooring. I have worked with it before. But only on a small level ie: 2 small bathroom floors.

This flooring will be going over concrete slab.

I am wondering if the thickness of the flooring over approx 1000 sq ft really makes a big difference. I can get 8mm thick and a separate underlayment of my choice.
Or I have found a 12mm board with a 2mm underlayment attached to it.
Plus will be using a vapor barrier first.

Its a big project and somewhat costly. I want to do it once and do it right. I want to make sure that the thickness of the board is or isn't really a factor.
Anyone have any suggestions?

THanks

 

[Boogerhead]

Laminate is great and it installs quickly. If you are covering a slab make sure to check the concrete for level within the spec of the flooring mfg. Thicker flooring will allow you to bridge a larger low area on the concrete without making the floor feel bouncy or sound hollow. Also, it never hurts to use a quick drying self leveling compound to assure that the laminate is well supported. One last thing: with the seasonal changes we have right now its very important to allow your flooring material to get acclimated to the room you will be installing it in- no need for gaps in the future.
Have fun!
Eric

 

[Boomer]

Amen to what Boogerhead stated. You also want to get a laminate floor with a good "Click-Lock"system. Try it out at the store beforoe you buy. There are subtle differences in them but all good ones should work to give you a nice tight seam.

Also, see if there is an installation of both that you van walk on. Each of these floating floors will give you a different footfall noise when you walk on it. When I worked for a major floor manufacturer, it was one of the predominant complaints we received...."This floor sounds hollow when I walk on it."

Also be aware that a laminate floor surface is not one you want to speed across in your stocking feet. Also, be very careful if you place throw rugs on one. Make sure it does NOT slip on the laminate surface.

Laminate will wear extremely well. It is basically like a "Formica" surface with some aluminum oxide pressed in (microfine) to give the superb wear properties.

 

[edwardh1]

be sure the concrte is level.
use a straight edge like 8 ft long to check fill in the depressions with self leveling if u dont the flooring will sag when walked on

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Do yourself a favor-ditch the laminate for an engineered hardwood.

Laminate floors stand out like a cheap, sore thumb. Engineered hardwoods look and wear far better, and are often less expensive than some of the "high end" laminates and only marginally more expensive than the low end laminates. I can always spot a laminate floor the instant I walk into a home, and it always screams "rental property".

When I was invested in a house flipping company we refused to put in laminates for that very reason. Most looked like shiny plastic flooring that was pretending to be wood. We were always able to find engineered hardwoods that looked far better, increased the sale price of the home when we were finished, helped the home sell faster, and were much more durable for the home buyer.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit

Laminate floors stand out like a cheap, sore thumb. Engineered hardwoods look and wear far better, and are often less expensive than some of the "high end" laminates and only marginally more expensive than the low end laminates.


Do you recommend any particular brand?

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit

Laminate floors stand out like a cheap, sore thumb. Engineered hardwoods look and wear far better, and are often less expensive than some of the "high end" laminates and only marginally more expensive than the low end laminates.


Do you recommend any particular brand?


When we were shopping for new floors for the lake house last fall, a company called Virginia Mill Works had some very nice engineered hardwoods in the $3-$4/sqft range. We ended up having the same company that custom made our floors at home do the lake house, but if I had wanted to do it myself, I would have selected something from them over a laminate-there was no comparison in the quality and appearance.

 

[sleddriver]

One thing to be mindful of is the 'clack, clack, clack' you'll constantly hear if this 1000 sqr ft. has previously been carpet covered. I find it very annoying on these types of 'floating' floors. You may not mind however...

Another thing has to do with overall room acoustics. When you hard surface that much sqr ft'g, that whole areas acoustics will become MUCH more lively (to put it mildly). Phones ringing, TV noise, foot-falls, appliance noise, group conversations, will also be louder & 'edgy er'. Your home will be noiser and less 'intimate' sounding.

My(acoustical).02 ....

 

[CivicFan]

We have a couple of rooms with laminate flooring installed by the previous homeowner. On paper, the concept sounds OK. But in reality, these are the most horrendous floor covering you can have.

They look OK from distance. When on them, it's a very unpleasant experience -- the look, the feel and the clacking. I would save a little bit more money and install hardwood floors.

That's what I am saving for. Nice hardwood and a nice run on it will look and feel much more pleasant than the laminate.

 

[SteveSRT8]

All these generalizations.... as if all laminates were the same.

I just worked in a 13k sf home in NE section of town, mega bucks owner with a real Maybach in the stable among other nice cars.

ALL LAMINATE upstairs! Never seen anything like it, scalloped surface with real woodgrain texture and amazing depth and color variation. One of the most stunning floors I've ever seen and definitely as pretty or prettier than a lot of real woods.

Saying "all laminates stink" is like saying "all cars stink". If you learn what's really out there you may be surprised. There has been a concerted push by mainstream manufacturers to bring laminates into more upscale settings, and they are gorgeous.

 

[KrisZ]

I like laminate. If installed correctly it will look great and is much more durable. Just keep water out of it, as it is much less tolerant than hardwood.

 

[Smokescreen]

Laminate has its place as a flooring option, but like others have mentioned, its inability to get along with water is a reality I have seen over and over with terrible results.

 

[SteveSRT8]

more misinformation.

While many brands will fall apart when wet, there are specific types that are extremely water resistant. One of my friends in the flooring industry has had a piece under water in a 5 gallon pail for weeks in his warehouse without any degradation at all!

Once again, there are many different types of Laminate flooring.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
All these generalizations.... as if all laminates were the same.

I just worked in a 13k sf home in NE section of town, mega bucks owner with a real Maybach in the stable among other nice cars.

ALL LAMINATE upstairs! Never seen anything like it, scalloped surface with real woodgrain texture and amazing depth and color variation. One of the most stunning floors I've ever seen and definitely as pretty or prettier than a lot of real woods.

Saying "all laminates stink" is like saying "all cars stink". If you learn what's really out there you may be surprised. There has been a concerted push by mainstream manufacturers to bring laminates into more upscale settings, and they are gorgeous.


I agree! I've seen some darn good laminate flooring in homes. There is always a cheap version, but that does not mean they are all cheap. Good point and well presented!

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

Saying "all laminates stink" is like saying "all cars stink". If you learn what's really out there you may be surprised. There has been a concerted push by mainstream manufacturers to bring laminates into more upscale settings, and they are gorgeous.

Exactly. I installed the DuPont "Real Touch" Honey Oak Plank Laminate. It is extremely wood looking. 50 year guarantee. Extremely tough. I usually stay away from BoxStores for decent stuff. But this is available at HomeDepot. The planks are 11.5 wide by 10mm thick. Interlocking system is the best.

I highly recommend it.

 

[bustednutz]

Well, as the OP of this thread I want to thank you all. I will not be buying a "thin" laminate floor. I plan on getting the 12-15 mil think planks with underpad attached.
Plus I will be applying a full vapor barrier over the concrete subfloor.
I will add this though......in my daughters bathroom, I replaced the very old linoleum floor with a very inexpensive 7mm thick laminate floor about 4 years ago. She gets it very wet when getting out of the bath or shower. It still looks new. No warping or anything. So I have to say that laminate has come a long way. I'm impressed with what this el-cheepo laminate floor has withstood so far.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: bustednutz
She gets it very wet when getting out of the bath or shower. It still looks new. No warping or anything. So I have to say that laminate has come a long way. I'm impressed with what this el-cheepo laminate floor has withstood so far.

Laminate which is subject to water needs to have the snap joints glued.

 

[doitmyself]

Lots of interesting stuff here. Do the engineered hardwood floors stand up to the abuse that some other products do? We "live" in our farm house and I can't be worrying about scratching the urethane coating. Functionality is of equal or more importance than ambiance. In my case, I might be more inclined to put something in of moderate quality and cost with the idea of replacing it every 15 years +/-.

Regarding the vapor barrier over the concrete: If ANY moisture makes it out of the concrete, it seems that it would be trapped under the plastic and would result in mold. I would thoroughly study the concept of flooring over concrete slabs. Let us know what you learn.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Urethanes work well in busy areas. They can easily be recoated without sanding every few years. the important thing is to choose a species of wood that is hard enough.

Note that a matte finish looks way classier and does not show damage like glossy stuff does.

Regarding moisture, even a glued down floor will effectively seal off the slab. Most of the 'paddings' used under laminated floors are actually slightly permeable.

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: CivicFan
... They look OK from distance. When on them, it's a very unpleasant experience -- the look, the feel and the clacking. ....


Then you have the wrong laminate, and it's installed incorrectly. I just put laminate in a new office and it looks very good. Whether it will last, don't know, too early to tell.

There are laminates that look stunning, and hardwoods that look stunning. There are also cheap looking engineered wood floors, and cheap looking laminates.