Wooden or Laminate Flooring?...

andrewmoorcroft

pitdog wrote:

800mm thick flooring... now thats wat i call hard wearing.....mind the step !!

Must have high ceilings or keep banging their head!

tawnyowls

charlie_chaplin wrote:

Can anyone give opions on the pro's and con's of engineered wooden flooring, i really want solid oak flooring, but visited a wharehouse that sells it and the guy working there advised me to think about engineered oak flooring, now he would make much more by selling me solid 150mm wide oak which is 20mm thick, but said to me to consider engineered oak, anyone have any views on this product?

There's a very good article on here, and it basically covers all the stuff I was told about when I first started in the flooring business. http://www.fastfloors.com/articles/Solid_or_Engineered_Flooring.asp

suey2

We are also big fans of Quick step flooring, took us an age to decide between real wood and Quickstep, my Mum was doing the same and she went for real wood about a month before us and my Dad pulled the fire grate over it a few days after it had been fited and scratched it couldnt get the mark out unless the whole floor was sanded back and re coated.! We went for Quickstep 950, looks fantastic, easy to clean,[Dog proof] and looks so like real wood. Bought perspective 4 planks which are bevelled on all sides, its not cheap but we are just moving and are going for the same again in our new bungalow. They do a great range and local stores will let you take planks home to try for colour. http://www.aspen-laminate-wood-flooring.co.uk/acatalog/Perspective_4_way.html. Hope this helps.
Sue~

tawnyowls

You should just have been able to sand down that bit and revarnish. Unless very deep (and I doubt a fireguard would have done sufficient damage), most marks on wooden floors will just damage the varnish, and it's usually quite easy to fix. It's always sensible to keep any offcuts in case of later repairs; it's usually possible to cut a piece out of the top layer to fit any damage.

flippinmental_2

Have just sat n read all your messages - thanx to all of you. What brilliant feedback and discussion. Doesnt it just show that what suits one family doesnt suit another. I guess you have to weigh up your personal needs n lifestyle n go with that. Our long hallway kitchen/diner and loo are all tiled which is great, but would like the contrast of wood/laminate in living areas. Havent looked at engineered wood, so will now consider this also. Thanx for the useful websites too. Will keep you updated. Good luck to everyone else in the same predicament!

gribbo2001

Oak flooring looks great and adds value and character to the house!

tawnyowls

flippinmental wrote:

Have just sat n read all your messages - thanx to all of you. What brilliant feedback and discussion. Doesnt it just show that what suits one family doesnt suit another. I guess you have to weigh up your personal needs n lifestyle n go with that.

Yep, it would be a dull world if we were all the same! Have a good look round some of the big flooring stores to see as much as you can, and don't be afraid to ask for advice and especially, for samples. Try out some pieces of wood in your house (with some newspaper underneath for sound insulation) and see if the noise level is acceptable to you.

BTW, I just got my new Karndean catalogue, and they have a new range called Art Select, which is an 'aged' range of wood plank tiles. They are actually quite convincing and very nice. On the Karndean site (https://www.karndean.com), there's a downloadable bit of software that will 'floor' a room for you so you can see the ranges a bit better (need to be on an administrator account to install it).

HappySad

Loft to be done and using wooden floor beause if there is a damage then you can sand it down. with laminate you have to replace the whole lot. Also wooden floor ages well do a wooden floor damage will look great. I have floor boards in most of the house and they are very old and look great.

Cleaning wise Your house is cleaner when you can hoover or sweep then mop clean and put the rug in the washing machine and know that there is not dirt still living deep in the pile of the carpet.

Carpet looks worn and does not age well after a few years .. wooden floor looks better as it ages.

Bambam

Carpet for me next time. Have had laminate for a few years now. Good quality, bought by ourselves and laid by a fitter but NEVER AGAIN. I agree with everyone who says it is noisy and cold. We have it throughout the ground floor and because my OH works night shifts I have to take my shoes off as soon as I come in otherwise I wake him. I have also had rugs down but when I move the furniture to clean there's that much 'tumbleweed' (carpet fluff) I got rid of them :rotfl: I will keep it in the hallway as it is easy to clean off muddy footprints, but definitely carpet throughout the rest

Stabilo

What should I expect to pay for 950 Quick Step fitted in a 8m X 4m room (South Yorkshire)?

Is DIY laminate floor fitting a bad idea for a novice?

For a living room with a 16 month old baby would you recommend 700, 800 or 950. I have read that 950 can be difficult to fit, although that could be down to the wood being warped.