Hardwood vs. Laminate

[ExGem]

I know laminates are cheaper and extremely easy to clean, but I love the look of hardwood floors. Does anyone really think a laminate floor looks like real hardwood?

Anyone have experience with the pros and cons of either or both?

[Iceman_40]

I don't have any real experance but a friend of mine put in a laminate floor any more than half think it is a real hardwood floor. But I have seen laminate that looks like crap. Guess it depends on how much you are willing to spend on it...

[rickrad]

Yup. I put one in my house (if my site was back up I would post a pic) not only did it turn out very nice, it was WAY more durable than real hardwood!

[N1K]

I know laminates are cheaper and extremely easy to clean, but I love the look of hardwood floors.  Does anyone really think a laminate floor looks like real hardwood?

Anyone have experience with the pros and cons of either or both?

With all my home remodeling/constuction experience I can tell laminate from a mile away.

Having said that I DON'T think the average person would know.

And laminate looks GREAT.

[EVLXX]

+1

and I'll add... if you have kids or/and animals.... Laminate is the only way.

If not.... Hardwood.

[ExGem]

Can you believe I started this thread and then forgot to come back and check responses? Good Pam. :roll:

Yup. I put one in my house (if my site was back up I would post a pic) not only did it turn out very nice, it was WAY more durable than real hardwood!

Any pics you could post here or PM?

EVLXX wrote:

if you have kids or/and animals.... Laminate is the only way.

My kids are old enough not to be an issue, but I do have big dogs with nails. I was actually worried about the noise they would make on laminate floors, not to mention possible scratching. I know they are much louder.

Even the youngest kid, at 13, says he can tell the difference between the laminate and hardwood. He votes for wood. :?

Should I raid his piggy bank to make up the difference in $$ for wood?

[rickrad]

Laminate is a little louder, but with the dogs that is why wood was out of the question for me. Laminate is indestructible, wood is not. There is more upkeep with wood, laminate is easier to care for. As far as the look, the floor I got was not cheap (compared to other laminates) but looked the best I thought. Here is the only picture I can find...

Mine was Armstrong Swiftlock. It had a taper on each edge which gave it a different look. I bought mine at Lowes.

[ExGem]

Thanks Rick!

I'm not sure there's even a Lowe's anywhere near us, but I'll check. I was going to a local small business hardood/stone flooring place.

We do have Home Depot. Maybe I'll run out there and look.

[Steve]

Hello Pam,

My lady is getting hardwood done in the next week. She was fortunate in having someone get her the marterial at cost (from Los Angeles) and the install for only $2/sq ft. The install price would likely be the same for you if wanted. She and I took a tour a few weeks back to see various floors adn the wquality of this guys installs and I was very impressed.

Thoughts on flooring -

Pergo - ugly. It takes about 3 second to see that it's Pergo and not real wood. Great trendy idea at the time but doesn't look good.

Laminate - often looks very nice. More durable, a little less cost.

Real hardwood - looks better when installed right. Can be refinished if need be. A litle more expensive.

As for places to buy - don't use Home Depot or Lowe's. Great places to view it adn get ideas but not to purchase. Even Costco is a beter choice.

Side note - we were able to see a "Bamboo" floor. I would have thought it would look like crap but I was very impressed on how it looked. I was a lighter wood color with lots of swirls adn sort of a pearlescent look - way cool!

If you have a cement slab floor (likely here in Cali, then you would need to put down a plywood subfloor so they can then nail the flooring into it to hold. They glue down the plywood to your cement foundation. Total install should take about 2 maybe 3 days.

Let me know if I can help with any thoughts... My office is very close to you.

[rickrad]

As for places to buy - don't use Home Depot or Lowe's. Great places to view it adn get ideas but not to purchase. Even Costco is a beter choice.

Why? Lowes is the most inexpensive retailer of armstrong flooring. You wanna pay more just so you can have someone knowlegable standing there? Not me.

[ExGem]

Let me know if I can help with any thoughts... My office is very close to you.

Thanks Steve!

I did go to Conejo Hardwood on La Baya a couple of times to look at stuff. I picked a couplef things just to get an idea and asked for someone to come give me an estimate. They never called to set it up! After a week, I called again and left my name and number once more. Still no call. I guess they aren't hurting for business.

There's apparently a Lowe's out in Ventura, though.

[Steve]

If you haven't already learned this lesson, contractors will do damn near everything to not work wiht people. We've found they HATE to be punctual around here and never finish on time or within budget. My lady had about 6 people caled to give window/door quotes and more than half never showed up for the estimate. This same shit happened for her "stamped concrete" aptio and also floor installs.

I write my agreements to state the date of start and completion, each day of delay is a 10% deduction of price as long as it's not owner related. Theose bungholes are "coin operated" and only move if they have money riding on it. The usual M.O. is to book as many jobs as possible then show up to whichever is closet or easiest then make excuses for the others. Also DO NOT pay for any labor ahead of time and nothing until you are completely satisfied... my father (lives next the Westlake) got screwed several times by both kitchen contractors and door/window installers.. shitty work that cost him large dinero.

The average hardwood or laminate floor installed runs around $20/sq ft... my lady is getting hers for $4.30. The deal you could get would be slightly higher as she is getting the materials at cost but again teh labor would still only be $2/sq ft if you wanted... this will take place in the next 2 weeks so you are welcome to see it if you'd like... she lives in Newbury Park.

[EVLXX]

I'm with Rick on this one..... everything he said, I would have.

You want to pay more.... go ahead, I'm glad that money doesn't mean that much to you. :roll:

But then again if money ment nothing.... you would go with the hardwood and just pay someone to take care of it for you.... right?

So... bang for the buck..... you can't beat the laminate.

[rickrad]

One more thing, you can put the laminate floor in yourself if you want to. You don't have to be a contractor to do it yourself, it is REALLY easy. All you really need is a good saw and you can rent that. Our 13 year old did part of it while I was out getting more. The laminate floor just snaps together. Super quick, super easy. Main things you want to make sure of is that you floor is clean before you start and that you leave a small gap between the wall and your flooring (if you butt it up against the wall you will come home one day and have a 6 inch buckle in your floor). Whaen you go pricing remember that you need a vapor barrier (plastic sheeting) and then baffle material (foam which the Armstrong I got came with it pre attached to each plank which IMHO is the way to go).

You really don't even have to think you can do it, it's easy. And, the best thing of all is the satisfaction once you are done, knowing YOU did that!

[JB4XX]

Doesnt really look like hardwood, but is cheaper and I used it in my new house.

Trafficmaster from Home Depot.

Cum on down and check it out Rick :twisted:

[Redbird]

I write my agreements to state the date of start and completion, each day of delay is a 10% deduction of price as long as it's not owner related. Theose bungholes are "coin operated" and only move if they have money riding on it. The usual M.O. is to book as many jobs as possible then show up to whichever is closet or easiest then make excuses for the others.

You've either had really bad luck with contractors, or things are very different is Cali. I wouldn't be in business for long if I operated that way. As far as your 10% per day thing, a contractor would have to be an idiot to agree to that. A customer tried to include that in a contract with me, it's be "thank you, have a nice day". Someone would have to be stupid enough to bet their profit margin on suppliers, subcontactors, weather, ect. You hire someone that stupid, then you get what you asked for.