laminate flooring

rwster

Thinking of laminating front room and hallway any body recommend any good makes,and who to stay clear of thanks

NOWSE

I have limited experience of laying laminated flooring, just two goes. On the first occasion I bought some special offer stuff from Floors 2 Go. It was a nightmare. The laminate seemed so brittle and I wasted/damaged so much that I needed to return to buy two extra packs. It seemed to take me forever to complete the job.On my second attempt I used Ikea. I had been reluctant to have another go but was convinced by their claim that it was so easy to do that I could have my money back if I had problems laying it (not sure if they still have this in place).Their laminate wasn't much more than Floors 2 Go's but it was certainly more user friendly. It fitted together easier, I don't remember wasting/damaging any and I finished the job in a few hours (not days)

bethom

I would stay clear of focus laminate, we had that and every time we layed a piece the laminate would just chip off. We took it back as it was so bad. We replaced it with some stuff that was fantastic and so easy to lay. But I can't remember the name of it. Will ask the oh later and get back to you. It wasn't too badly priced either, not the cheapest but reasonable.

Edit to add,

Ok, we are not totally sure of the name. Only B&Q sell it, pretty sure it's floormaster and it was something loc. It's not one of the one's on their website. Sorry, I'm not turning out to be much help here.:rolleyes:

Tom_Jones

My advice would be to spend as much as you can afford on the laminate and underlay, as the cheap B+Q etc stuff is not that good. If you have a local Howdens branch near you then their flooring is excellent (about £12 a sq m) although I'm not sure if the are still a 'trade' only outfit.

scheming_gypsy

One of the best is Quick-Step (i think that's the right one) and you can pick it up from Floors-2-go. Goes down easy enough

gardnt1

quickstep is definately the one to go for........quality floor, but be prepared to pay a bit extra for the quality!

Badgergal

Another vote for quickstep, it is very good quality stuff. Mine was provided and laid by https://www.gd-floorings.co.uk. I am a skinflint but this stuff looks so much better than the really cheap stuff.

innovate

No advice on what the best laminate is, but once you have decided, you could check out http://flooringsupplies.co.uk/ - it's possible they have the keenest prices because they do lots of business with all sorts of suppliers. They say they won't be beaten on Quickstep (and some others).

I bought some wood flooring from the recently, best price I could find anywhere, and they deliver very quickly. They are pure 'order takers' though - if you want any advice, or installation help, you have to look elsewhere.

Don't know whether it is on their website - but if you end up buying too much, they do take your surplus back. They charge a £25 restocking fee, and you need to pay for the postage.

gardnt1

Just a thought....

If I ever have a customer who insists that they can get flooring cheaper on the internet, I always run it by my contact at the local Floors2go store as most if not all of the time they will do a price match.

I have often order from online companies and when stuff has turned up its had some sort of bashing by the courier and needed to go back..... a problem for me as I have deadlines to fit, so I'm much more relient on local shop!
Also be aware that after VAT and sometimes delivery added, its not always as cheap as it first seems.

must_dash

I bought a pack of cheap Focus budget floor and took it back as I ended up with 2 chips on the edges as I was clipping them together. Refunded without question.

Definatly worth avoiding the cheap/budget lines and going for mid value or higher.

flang

Ive used cheap B and Q stuff and didnt have any problem with it what so ever, however i woundnt use cheap stuff for hall ways or front rooms, but bedrooms i dont see a problem.