Which Laminate Floor?

Bijjy

Folks,

Am going bananas looking for laminate flooring for my new house. I really am seriously in need of some good advice on buying quality laminate Flooring.

Yes I know it has been previously discussed, and I have read through previous threads here concerning the virtues of real wood and vinyl flooring. However given the facts:

• I have 2 boisterous young boys who use the floor as a Transformers base pad
• Youngest enjoys ‘digging’ the floor with cutlery like Bob the Builder (so no to soft real wood)
• Eldest has asthma (so no to carpets)
• Am on a credit crunch induced budget but still need to floor the whole house

Feel that the way forward is a quality laminate floor. I do like Quickstep but too pricey.
Have heard that Balterio and Elka at £11-14sqm is good stuff.

I really want to avoid the cheap and cheerful floors-to-go 6mm plastic looking stuff we had in our previous house. Would prefer a more ‘natural’ wooden look.

Any advice, experiences, comments, opinions, stories, recommendations would be greatly appreciated, mentioning brands and where to buy from.

richardw

Could you just varnish the floor boards upstairs and the staircase?
Don't forget the extra cost of trims, quadrant or scotia, that may be needed to hide the expansion gap at the skirting boards.

~Chameleon~

I've never heard of the ones you mention in your OP but I can thoroughly recommend Quickstep, which isn't much more expensive than prices you mentioned.

If you want the natural wood look then the Quickstep Perspective 4 is perfect, and being 950mm thick it's certainly a good solid flooring, more than capable of standing up to young children

http://www.wood-floor.co.uk/quickstep-laminates/perspective4.shtml

ronnyb_2

Chameleon's right, Quickstep is good stuff. I've just fitted the perspective 4 groove in my hall and it looks superb. It's easy to fit as well. You can get the difficult pieces in by tapping them horizontally without the need to lift them at an angle. I got mine from a company who advertises on ebay 'wudfloors'. It was just short of £19 a sq metre inc vat but worth it. I think they charge about £30 delivery but it was free over £300. I live closeby so I went and picked it up.

MartialArtMan

Quickstep starts at £10'ish sqm http://www.floorsave.co.uk/laminate_quickstep.htm

OddjobKIA

have you considerd the laminate tile effect flooring a little harder wearing then stndard grade laminate and some thing different.

ormus

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I've never heard of the ones you mention in your OP but I can thoroughly recommend Quickstep, which isn't much more expensive than prices you mentioned.

If you want the natural wood look then the Quickstep Perspective 4 is perfect, and being 950mm thick it's certainly a good solid flooring, more than capable of standing up to young children

http://www.wood-floor.co.uk/quickstep-laminates/perspective4.shtml

i hope you mean 9.5mm thick? and not 950mm:eek:

~Chameleon~

ormus wrote: »

i hope you mean 9.5mm thick? and not 950mm:eek:

:rotfl: I think maybe I did!