Replacing Carpet with Laminate?

aiHandle

Thinking of replacing the old carpet in the bedrooms. Specs are

Modern apartment/flat
2 Bedrooms
Approx. 12-13 sq.m per room

Never done this before and was wondering what modern laminate is like? Compared it to wood and vinyl and thought it was the best alternative considering price vs function. But have been told it's not great and durability declines by possibly the 5yrs mark... although I'm thinking laminate technology has come a long way plus it's in the bedrooms which is low traffic...

Would I need to get underlay?

Was browsing CarpetRight and Tapi to get an idea - any other suggestions?

Any particular laminate brands people would recommend? e.g. Balterio?

Thanks!

Aylesbury_Duck

No idea on brands but have a look at engineered wooden flooring. I've used laminate, engineered and real wood over the years and in my opinion, the quality, look and feel rises in that order. Engineered is a nice compromise on price and quality so I'd take a look at it. It's also relatively straightforward to work with - I've laid flooring in easy rectangular bedrooms and more complicated shaped living rooms and hallways with decent tools, patience and DIY. Lots of guides online to help if you fancy doing it yourself.

The other advice I followed and which served me well was not to scrimp on the underlay. Get the best quality underlay you can and use the balance of your budget on the flooring. A decent underlay is thermally and acoustically efficient and provides a solid, flat surface for the flooring. You'll regret it if your nice new flooring bounces around, is cold underfoot and is noisy, no matter how lovely it might look.

Carrot007

You must hate the people arround you and want to cause noise. Laminate is bad for neighbours and should be restricted to detched properties only unless cost prohibitory underlay is used.

AJGuy

I’m not sure about prices but before we bought our house we rented a place with laminate flooring everywhere other than the kitchen and bathroom. Honestly, I hated it! It’s was brand new when we moved in and it lasted about two years before just mopping the floors would cause the gaps to heave up, it was creaky in places where they was a dip and our sofa legs actually penetrated the laminate in the living room, by the front door and the hallway had flakes of laminate colour chipping off.

When we bought our new house we were blessed with laminate in the kitchen, it’s actually not a bit of bother! No dents and feels solid. We have a hardwood flooring in the new living room but personally it feels too cold for a living room. In the conservatory we the have same type of laminate as the kitchen and considering conservatory can be harsh environments with temperature fluctuations and high humidity levels it’s looking good as new (6 years old).

We are planning on keeping the laminate in the kitchen and conservatory but the living room is going to be covered up with carpet to give a more warmer feel and take some of the echo out.

I think it all depends on the price you pay and how well it’s installed, our rental place had been scrimped on in every way possible and this unfortunately showed. As for where to use it, that’s down to personal preference.

We’ve just had a new bathroom installed and I did not want tiles so we went for a composite flooring, it’s a 3 x 3m room and cost £259 for the composite, foam underlay and plywood underneath. It’s a beautiful white wood effect that feels more solid than the hardwood floor and is completely waterproof.

Rodders53

Check your Lease for the flat. You may well be prohibited from fitting anything but carpet in most rooms due to noise issues. Although very modern flats may be better soundproofed than older ones?

Bed castors are likely to damage the surface of cheap flooring?

vansboy

Check some 12mm thick designs and ask for their BIG samples most other places send you such a small piece, you have no real idea of how it will look.

https://www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk/free-samples
They have 10% discount offers regularly & were really helpfull and friendly people to deal with.



I've just done the entire place with their flooring, but used Screwfix for the underlay. As others mentoned, noise and uneven floor surfaces, as well as heat loss, so it's worth looking at your options. But this Vitrex product, is something I've used on several projects and is far easier to use, than the dusty and fragile fibreboard in Wickes and B&Q.


VB

Norman_Castle

AJGuy wrote: »

It’s was brand new when we moved in and it lasted about two years before just mopping the floors would cause the gaps to heave up,

Laminate floors are not designed to be mopped.

Fire_Fox

Carrot007 wrote: »

You must hate the people arround you and want to cause noise. Laminate is bad for neighbours and should be restricted to detched properties only unless cost prohibitory underlay is used.

Sorry but you are misinformed. Buildings vary widely in construction and thus in noise transmission.

My apartment block is mid 20th century converted from offices. My parents' apartment block is mid 19th century converted from a worsted mill. Both blocks have solid subfloors and a variety of flooring finishes (thin laminate, wood veneer, ceramic tiles, carpet).

Neither block has a problem with neighbour noise from everyday activities.

AJGuy

Laminate floors can be mopped, it all depends on the make and how much water you use.

silverwhistle

AJGuy wrote: »

We are planning on keeping the laminate in the kitchen and conservatory but the living room is going to be covered up with carpet to give a more warmer feel and take some of the echo out.

Have you considered using rugs over hard flooring? I've got some dodgy laminate in my lounge (courtesy of hard treatment by tenants) but during the colder months I use a large rug which I then take up when the temperature rises (the month may vary!) and makes the place feel cooler and easier to clean.


I hope to replace with real or engineered wood eventually as I think it has a warm feel to it, but maybe continue with rugs depending on experience.

aiHandle

thanks for all the comments and various advice!

and thanks vansboy for the link and your experiences will look into them more. how did you pick your underlay? As in what determines good quality in underlay? also how does ukflooring direct compare to say carpetright or tapi?

I think if we do go for laminate it'll be at least 8mm and possibly AC2 or AC3 rating?