Opinions on laminated flooring

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Do any of you have laminated flooring, if so do you like it? I am especially interested in someone who has had it several years to see how durable it is. Also, how do you clean it? From what I am reading, it sounds like you should barely get it wet at all. Does anyone who has it have a wood stove, and if so, does the low humidity affect it? Jo Ann

-- Jo Ann Weaver (hillfarm3@peoplepc.com), March 12, 2002

Answers

Hi Jo Ann..I am not the person to answer this probably. Cause my laminate floor is new. We laid it in all but one room. So far I love it. I wash it with vinegar and water. We bought the Shaw brand. It is nice looking and I cannot imagine that it will not be durable. We burn a corn stove..so it is dry in here also. It does not seem to be bothering it. As long as the gap is there..it will be able to breathe without hurting anything.

Like I said..just got ours..its been down for a month or so..but I really do think I am gonna like it alot.

-- Sher in se Iowa (riverdobbers@webtv.net), March 12, 2002.


This is regarding laminate flooring but.. I don't have laminate flooring, when we priced it and brought a sample home we decided against it. After including all the adhesive, etc. the cost was comparable to ceramic tile, which we went with. We put the sample on the floor and dropped a butter knife (gouged it) and an iron (oh my!) and then a glass (big dent). Then stood barefoot on the laminate- ick. I think I'd choose linoleum or congoleum or whatever over this stuff. Not to mention the off-gassing.

I just wanted to offer another opinion, since my aunt did same for us and kept us from being enamored too much by the slick ads in magazines and stores. Therre are negatives to all floors of course. When we drop a glass on the tile it is broken. I just like the idea that that tile will most likely never need replaced.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), March 13, 2002.


I love the looks, and it's much warmer than ceramic tile; hate the cold floor in the winter.

Ours is Maple, which I assumed, incorrectly, would be rock hard. I think they used soft maple, as it scratches easily. The finish, though, is awesome. Damp mop, no sweat. Cleans very easily. Next time, I'll check for hardness.

-- joj (jump@off.c), March 13, 2002.


The house I moved into about six years ago had Bruce Hardwood laminate installed sometime before. The stuff is crap. In some places it's delaminated.

The top layer looks to be less than 1/8" thick. Some of the plastic pegs have popped out. The worse case of warpage happened where the dehumidifier dripped on the floor and wasn't caught for about two days. I managed to get that back in place by jacking against the ceiling and leaving it that way for a couple of weeks.

What ever the top layer is, it isn't hard. Even a chair leg has dented the stuff. You have to be careful not to scratch the stuff too. In many places the previous owner had to nail sections back down with small nails.

If you don't get too close the stuff looks great. It's still junk. I'd never recommend a laminate.

-- Darren (df1@infi.net), March 13, 2002.


I've had Wilsonart installed for just over a year. I absolutely love it and would never have any other floor in at this point. It's very tough---there are no scratches on it anywhere and I have two large dogs and tend to bring power tools, chainsaws, etc., into the house and drop them down where convenient (not really house proud, I guess). It cleans like a breeze like Sher says, and you can even paint latex paint on the walls and have it drip onto the floor and the dried paint pops right off when it's dry if you missed it at clean up. It's very hard, and stuff will break if you drop a glass, not as forgiving that way as my old vinyl. But it's warm on your feet unlike tile, which I like. I have tile in the bathroom and can compare it that way. I just wish the stuff were available years ago!

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), March 13, 2002.


I have Pergo laminate floor on my kitchen. Put it in about 5 yrs. ago. I absolutely love it! It doesn't scratch when I slide stuff across it. It cleans easy. You don't have be quite so picky about water as the impression they give you. You just don't want to let water sit on the floor. I have dropped things on it alot and had no damage with one exception. I dropped an iron skillet and it hit on edge and put a dent in the floor....so...be careful with your iron cookware.

-- roxie (rbare@gvc.net), March 13, 2002.

WE HAVE BEEN IN OUR HOUSE 2 YEARS AND HAVE IN ALL OVER THE DOWN STAIRS.(WILSONART MID GRADE OAK) AND IT IS GREAT ,SO EASILY CLEANED AND HARD AS CAN BE.WE HAVE A DOG INSIDE AND LOTS OF MUDDY FEET SO WE CLEAN IT OFTEN, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING EASIER TO KEEP AND LOOKS GREAT.I PREFER IT OVER CERAMIC TILE FOR SEVERAL REASONS. CERAMIC TILE IS COLD, HARD AND HAS GROUT THAT IS A LITTLE HARDER TO CLEAN,EVEN SWEEP.THE LAMINATE FLOOR IS QUIETER TOO BECAUSE IT HAS A FOAM MATERIAL WE LAYED BETWEEN THE CONCRETE AND FLOORING(EASY TOO)tHE WILSONART CAME WITH A VIDEO AND WE ALSO MOP WITH VINEGAR WATER AND GET IT WET. OURS IS LAMINATED ON BOTH SIDES AND SOME OTHER BRANDS ARE NOT. WE HAVE HAD ICE FALL ON IT AND MELT LEAVING PUDDLES WHICH DIDN'T HURT IT. WE LOVE OURS. JENN

-- jennifer gober (ewgober@houstonrr.com), March 13, 2002.

We have WilsonArt, top grade and have had it for just under 3 years. Was easy to install, we love it! Cleans like a breeze, no dents or scratches, we have 5 german shepherds in and out all the time, kids and occasionally a bottle baby or two in the kitchen.

-- CJ (cjtinkle@getgoin.net), March 13, 2002.

We have a Hartco oak laminate floor. Its been down for nearly 8 years. This is the second floor. The first one they put in was junk. It scratched before your eyes it seems. Everything from shoes to the vacuum cleaner left scratches on the surface. We fought with the company for 3 or 4 months over it. They insisted that the finish was not faulty, but eventually sent out a person to refinish the floor. The product was supposed to stand up to at least 3 refinishes. Well, after the guy finished, the whole thing came buckling up around the edges of each plank. It became wavey, just like a piece of plywood sitting out in the rain for a week. So, they were forced to replace it after that. The new floor has a decent finish and has stood up over the years. But, if you spill water, you better run for a towel. Also, the kitchen floor shows the scars of 8 years of every single bottle, can, and knife dropped onto it. The sun has changed the color alot; its much darker as compared to the area covered by a rug. When its time to replace the floor, I'm going back to tile. The wood look is warm and it really is beautiful, but its not practical. We don't wear shoes in the house because of it. Even our neighbors usually take their shoes off when they come in. That is a real inconvenience.

-- Dwight (summit1762@aol.com), March 13, 2002.

I've installed Pergo in 2 homes now and love it! Cannot say enough good about it. It's durable and easy to clean. I first put it into my cabin in the Carolinas about 6 years ago. It still looks great. I don't baby it at all. You should be careful. Some laminates are hardwood laminates such as Bruce. That's not the formica like Pergo and others. It's a very thin actual hardwood on top of another surface. These floors scratch very easily and usually cannot be repaired.

-- DAVID Constantin In Wisconsin (cajundavid@hotmail.com), March 13, 2002.


I don't have it but my daughter does. It has been replaced twice. That was within the first year she got it. Someone left a damp towel on the floor and it warped. She also had other problems. I don't remember the brand name of the first two but the last flooring that the dealer put down was Wilsonart and I don't think she's had any problems with that.

-- Sheila in NC (nannie@intrstar.net), March 13, 2002.

Wow, we find tile comfortable, but then we heat our house with gas and have a heated basement under most of the first floor where there is tile. Easy to clean and easy to care for. Never dents! The oak floor in the living room does get abused a bit-we bring in tools and dogs and kids, etc. Still have to say it is a matter of what you like individually. Bring home samples of all that you are considering and test it out under your roof and you can adequately choose for your likes/dislikes. It was Pergo that we tested and found wanting.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), March 13, 2002.

We have had laminate for 3 years. I dropped a can of veggies and it did dent, but that would dent anything. The worst thing is the moisture damage. I had some dried stuff on the floor and decided to spritz the spots with diluted Simple Green right before mopping; I guess those spots were on seams 'cause the seam edges curled up slightly even though the spray was only on there less than 1 minute. I was very disappointed to say the least. Also, where the dog water bowl is it looks a little warped, too. Everything else about the floor I love, but don't know yet if I'd get it again.

-- Debbie in MO (risingwind@socket.net), March 13, 2002.

DH and I are looking at this tpe of floor for the living room and bedroom. What brands do you all have? Does it dent under furniture? Our floors are uneven, so will we need subflooring?

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), March 15, 2002.

Thanks everyone for your opinions on the laminated flooring. I have some doubts about it, but we will probaly try it. It's just me and my hubby here most of the time and we won't be hard on it. I've got to get rid of this light beige carpet. After 10 years in the country with all our mud and animals, it is a disgrace. Would love to have real hardwood, but we just can't afford it or tile. Jo Ann

-- Jo Ann Weaver (hillfarm3@peoplepc.com), March 16, 2002.


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