Author Topic: laminate flooring  (Read 2161 times)

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
laminate flooring
« on: 20 June, 2019, 02:54:45 pm »
Hi

Any recommendations as to what to get for a hallway and lounge that are busy and subject to a lot of wear and tear, as my son tends to ride his scooter and play football in the house!

thanks

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #1 on: 20 June, 2019, 03:10:55 pm »
We've used bamboo for our kitchen and dining room to good effect. It has better environmental credentials than some laminate flooring, and we've found it to be hard wearing.

One supplier is https://www.bambooflooringcompany.com

Eddington: 133 miles    Max square: 43x43

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #2 on: 20 June, 2019, 03:13:58 pm »
None of the bog ordinary laminate we've had in both our last two houses (over 20 years) has ever 'worn out' - get what is attractive to you and will be fine.


If environmental concerns are your thing (I didn't even know this was a thing with flooring) - then see above :-)
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #3 on: 20 June, 2019, 03:40:35 pm »
cheers - I was going to get something from Wickes, as its seems to be the same price as decent carpet but looks nicer and means less vacuuming I hope!!

ian

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #4 on: 20 June, 2019, 04:02:23 pm »
We went for the engineered wood (oak) stuff (I was going for solid hardwood, but since we were laying on a newly screeded floor, they recommended against anything that might warp). No complaints. It was 'distressed' to start with, on the grounds we have cats. That said, the cats' claws and puddles of vomit don't seem to have distressed it further.

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #5 on: 20 June, 2019, 04:19:23 pm »
Thanks Ian, but the engineered wood is way too much. Its either carpet or laminate simply on cost grounds!

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #6 on: 20 June, 2019, 04:22:08 pm »
Wickes is where we got ours - pretty darn simple to fit yourself too if that is your thing.
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #7 on: 20 June, 2019, 04:23:20 pm »
Be prepared for it to be NOISY though.  With a kid stomping about on it, it's not going to be quiet around there ;)




As in, you drop something on it - it goes BANG.  Not squeaky, just loud and bangy when things are dropped.

It's a reverse Elvis thing.

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #8 on: 20 June, 2019, 04:24:22 pm »
I've put Wickes Shimla oak effect in three rooms in my flat so far, bedroom, lounge and kitchen. It went down easily enough, although their recommened gap instructions are a bit ambiguous - I had their gap plus the tongue to contened with resulting in me needing much larger scotia to cover the gap in the first room I did.

It's only been down 9 months so I can't comment on longevity.  Looks good though.

EDIT: It survived the Great Dishwasher Fitting Flood with no ill effect.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

ian

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #9 on: 20 June, 2019, 04:29:06 pm »
Be prepared for it to be NOISY though.  With a kid stomping about on it, it's not going to be quiet around there ;)




As in, you drop something on it - it goes BANG.  Not squeaky, just loud and bangy when things are dropped.

In our old place, the hardwood floor was tremendously noisy as it had an air gap (it was a new house, concrete floor needed to breathe, apparently). We had this one bonded to the screeded floor so it's a lot quieter unless you plan to run around in heels, like a Scully-esque FBI agent. Obviously not an option upstairs, hence we have carpets and a large supply of patent carpet cleaning solution.

Nope, I don't recall it being cheap, even less so when they discovered an old block floor under the carpet, held in place with what appeared to be bitumen or some horrid sixties glue-like substance. Which had to removed. And then the underlying concrete floor was an uneven mess, so the entire ground floor had to be screeded. Etc. I'd given up with the budget at that point. I figure we'll never have it done again, unlike the carpets which are already looking pretty tired.

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #10 on: 20 June, 2019, 07:34:56 pm »
Try and go for the 25 year guarantee stuff. I tried some cheap product years ago in a study using an office chair and lived to regret it. It developed a sort of chipboard crater. Also get the best underlay you can. I assume is a house. If a flat may need lease/landlord permission and noise transmission can be an issue so some landlords/leases prohibit. If a bedroom use the fibre type underlay boards they do work well.

We have some decent stuff in the entrance hallway and it is subject to all sorts e.g. wet feet and snow, dogs claws and mopping by our home help person. It is fine, quite some years in. Though now thinking about changing for some 'luxury' vinyl.

Purchase timing can make a huge difference to what you pay. Pick your moment. For what they charge well worth considering getting the store pro to fit it and then it is done.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #11 on: 20 June, 2019, 09:54:03 pm »
It’s a house.  I did get the most expensive underlay in Selco but that may not have been the best. I have chosen Wickes stuff that has a 20 year guarantee but will pick something more robust for the hallway and lounge

Thanks

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #12 on: 21 June, 2019, 08:07:21 am »
We put Karndean flooring down in most of our downstairs areas (except kitchen). It looks like laminate, but it's a very hard wearing plastic composite. Karndean make a big deal about the need for specialist installation, but unless you want the fancy designs shown in their photos, it's easier than traditional laminate to put down. AFAIR it's just laid (glued) on top of plywood. Some of ours has been down for around 30 years and still looks good.

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Too many angry people - breathe & relax.

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #13 on: 24 June, 2019, 08:21:56 am »
Sorry I had another question- do I need to put felt on everything?

I was going to put some temporary cupboards (which could be from 10 months to 10 years) on the laminate but am not sure whether I need to put anything below them, same with armchairs?

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #14 on: 24 June, 2019, 05:09:02 pm »
Just laid some Pro-Tek WPC flooring in my son's house.  Feels nice, went down well, very flexible (a thin off cut could be bent in a full circle), built in underlay but.....

It's showing signs of scratching after only a week.  It appears to have a top layer of soft clear 'plastic' which shows fine scratching from grit.  Doesn't help that he has a 5 month german shephard.

ian

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #15 on: 24 June, 2019, 05:37:40 pm »
Our stuff seems cat resistant and their standard mechanism is to dig in their claws. If only the oak worktops in the kitchen were so resistant... Cat vomit stains it temporarily, but once cleaned up and allowed to dry, doesn't leave any long-lasting marks. Same for any liquid left in long-contact.

I'd put felt on everything, it's cheap and easy and saves having to repolish the floor at some point (can you do that with laminate, who knows, it's apparently an option with our engineered stuff). And like I say, there's some benefits to buying 'distressed-look.' We have a chestnut floor in the old place and that showed up scratches and dinks, especially, if for instance, you're juggling a box of screwdrivers and every single one of them hits the floor pointy-end first. Statistically unfeasible, I'm sure, which demonstrates there is a malign force in the universe.

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #16 on: 24 June, 2019, 09:32:35 pm »
Cheers.  It’s a faff but will get the pads and some rugs.

My desk and chair have wheels which I am sure are no good for the laminate

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #17 on: 24 June, 2019, 10:16:31 pm »
A friend decided on wood-effect vinyl for her new house.  The contractors looked a bit iffy about it, but you don't notice the difference at all.

ian

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #18 on: 25 June, 2019, 11:15:57 am »
Cheers.  It’s a faff but will get the pads and some rugs.

My desk and chair have wheels which I am sure are no good for the laminate

A rug. Otherwise when you try to sit down the chair will make haste for the other side of the room and you'll enjoy the feeling of sitting directly (and rapidly) on your new laminate floor.

Re: laminate flooring
« Reply #19 on: 25 June, 2019, 11:43:12 am »
When I moved into my house I sanded down the old floorboards and added three coats
of varnish. At the time I said I'd add an extra coat each year. I have yet to do so, as the
floorboad still look good.


I do like this imitation parquet though. And this one too.