Wooden or Laminate Flooring?...

Kirri

laughing_cow wrote: »

I'd choose solid wood, without a doubt - looks nicer and ages better than laminate.

When I bought my flat it was a wreck and as I was living in it I needed to do some of the basics quite quickly (and at limited cost). So, I sorted the electrics, installed heating, got it plastered throughout and had a laminate floor laid. This was all quite easy as it was my first flat and I hadn't bought sofa/table/bed etc at this point. Now I really wish I had thought ahead, spent a little more and got a quality solid wood floor. The laminate is ok, but I've seen my neighbours oak floor and it's SO much nicer. I'd love to change it but it's not just the money that prevents me, it's the difficulty. I've now got furniture and I'm in a one bed flat at the top of the building so I have nowhere to put my stuff if I wanted a new floor laid - it certainly won't all fit on my balcony!

I'd go for solid wood, but whatever you decide, get a decent quality floor - it's a lot of hassle and not moneysaving to need to change it in a few years time.

I've had similar thoughts myself, I had to re-do everything in my flat when I moved in but it was easy with no furniture and most was laminate from the previous owner, but seeing a friend's flat with wood flooring it looks superb and I wish I had it! Though probably not worth the expense in a studio flat I suppose. Now I don't have a choice as I have nowhere, like you, to move furniture to, I don't even have a balcony!

I still don't like carpeted places though, whether it's coming back in fashion or not. I like to clean/wash floors and I'd never feel a carpet was clean (given how dirty I find floors get from hard flooring!).

loracan1

betterbargains4u wrote: »

Stripped floorboards and laminate are both going out of fashion.
Carpet is coming back "BIG TIME"

This is my favourite quote on the whole of this 4 year old thread:D

andygb

George_Bray wrote: »

Unfortunately, the word 'naff' comes to mind in that laminate flooring is 100% fake - a plastic photo of wood. I can't understand how it took off in such a big way given that it's so easy to criticise as cheap and nasty, even if it's actually quite expensive, i.e. over-priced.

Other examples - which would you choose to avoid looking naff?
- plastic handbags and brief cases vs leather ones
- plastic house plants vs real ones
- Artex vs plain ceilings

Regards
George

You must be one of these people who drives a car with a wooden chassis and hand painted coach enamel bodywork, or maybe you use gas lighting in your home.
There is such a thing as progress, when new materials and new methods emerge.
There are some very cheap and nasty laminates, which look nothing like wood, and there are some very good laminates, which are hard wearing, maintenance free, and look like a wood floor.
The top wood floors - I think Junkers was mentioned, are superb, at a price, but you have to be very careful with them, and keep them maintained.

Glaswegian

Anyone else got any ideas for wooden flooring that won't buckle when damp or break the bank either?

ta

Glaswegian

Has anyone had any experience of flooring like this?
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/40125965

Seems to good to be true?

Glaswegian

Bump… anyone used Ikea Lakt flooring?

Thanks

trumpton

Hi. We had Ikea Tundra laminate in our last house. We had a few different laminates at one point or another, but the Ikea was the easiest to fit and probably looked the best. It was down for 10 years and still looked ok when we moved.

The one you are looking at is engineered - top layer is birch wood. It is a good price for that kind of product. I wouldn't call it 'too good to be true' as Ikea have massive buying power and can get products at very cheap prices. HTH.

Penny-Pincher!!

We have Amtico throughout downstairs and is very hard wearing and looks great. Although pricey, its well worth it.

PP
xx