Laminate Flooring

vansboy

OK - I know that it's soon to be the 'wrong' stuff to have according to fasion home experts, but it should still suit us, so a couple of Q's, for any thoughts/ideas please....

Do we need the polythene liner, 'cos it'll go onto Marley vinyl tiles, from when the place was built in 1960's - no damp probs & a smooth surface. We'll use the green fibreboard underlay, to make it more 'bouncy' than the thin stuff.

The colour we like is white ish Oak Limed on the https://www.diy.com Aqualoc range. But this seems to be a higher price, due to it being OK for bathrooms/kitchens - ours'll be hallway & lounge. Any thought on cheaper brands/suppliers?

Thanks in advance!

VB

alared

Vansboy
Recently my OH decided we`ll rip up the carpet in the hallway and replace it with laminate.
Being tight-fisted and believing in value for money,I did a bit of research into it.
Basically don`t waste your money on laminate,it`s OK for about a year then it starts to look tatty and gets marked easily and once damaged is inrepairable.(your stuck with it)
If you really want to go down that road spend the extra and buy wood flooring which can be repaired and will last for years.
We`ve decided to ceramic tile the hall.

OddjobKIA

or visit

https://www.harrisslate.com

and get stone flooring that will last longer than the house, and it will only cost 10-15% more than top quality laminate floor.!!!

Skint1

We put down laminated about 4 years ago Front room, Hall .Big family 2 adults 5 kids. I paid for light industrial We have potty trained two toddlers since--doesn't stain or stink like carpet after accidents and a little Dettol does the trick. Also, felt tips, crayons, finger paints and stomped on jam sandwiches wipe up with a damp cloth. My advice is don't just buy the cheapest. Ours came with a ten year guarantee from B & Q and if the past four years are anything to go buy we won't need it. We would never go back to carpets, even after the kids are older And of course laminate doesn't need half the specialist care wood does. Ours stays clean with just a damp mop and no hideously expensive special cleaning solutions. We also chose the no-glue type which is nearly fool[proof to install. We love our laminate.

clairehi

Yes, we had B and Q laminate in our last place, fitted by a pro. we had it for 5 years, 2 small children and it was fine apart from a couple of tiny chips which noone would notice.

however our new house has laminate in the hall and utility and it has been badly fitted by the previous owner. the edges have been badly bodged and as a result it looks cheap and nasty. only DIY if you know what you are doing otherwise GSI.

Charlottesdaddy

I run a Flooring Company and don't sell laminate at all.
Most people go into a high street store, see the laminate and decide that's for them (what they don't realise is that the cost was probably over £40 psm. The mistake that they then make is to go to a DIY shop and get a product for £3.99 psm......obviously poorer quality but looks good in the display stands.
Please consider a vinyl product called 'Karndean'. You get the appearance of Laminate without the negatives. A realistic budget for this would be (not less than) £25 psm (more for smaller or intricate areas)
Good luck

marklefty

I have bought and fitted laminate flooring from Jewsons, Wickes and B&Q over the years and never had a problem. It is hard work to fit in small intricate areas though.
As for wear we have no problem and we have two Lab dogs one cat and two teenage children.
Great fun watching dogs trying to run or chase on the floor first time. :rotfl:

Only slight hitch is the animal hair collects up through the day and blows across the flooring like tumble weed in an american western. But at least its not sat in a carpet.
The underlay is also an insulation so use the best you can afford and it also allows for the deviations in the floor.

aloiseb

What about sanding the floors, like they used to tell everybody to do in the 80s? (befroe laminate was invented)
is this a good idea, if the floorboards are sound and look OK?
I realise stylistically sanded floors may have gone the way of swirly-patterned carpets, but I am tryign to be practical and a bit "green", too.

clairehi

Charlottesdaddy - re Karndean is the £25 sqm price including fitting? Is this the stuff that is similar to Amtico but not quite as expensive, think I saw it in a house I viewed recently but in the details it was spelled "Cardine"?

It looked really good anyway, they had a slate effect border with wood effect in the middle. It might be a good choice for me when I rip up the dodgy laminate in our hall.

starlite_2

I too don't like the look or idea of laminate, but as a result we opted for solid pine and oak flooring and I now regret it!

The gaps between the floorboards, though small, get all sorts stuck in them and are a nightmare to clean, and the edges are sharp so I can't let our baby crawl around on the floor.

A really great option (somewhere inbetween) is bamboo flooring. It looks fantastic and has a similar smooth surface to laminate but is very hardwearing, and also very eco friendly!

vansboy

Thanks for the interest - think it'll be the 'special order' B&Q stuff, after all!

VB