How well does laminate flooring stand up to usual wear and tear?
Question:We have 2 dogs and a 21 month old.
We are going to be installing it ourselves, it is the Harmonics Laminate flooring from Costco.
Answers:
I have it in our rental place, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The last tenants were filthy they had 2 dogs, 2-4 people and lots of messes. The second ones had a dog, a four year old, and a newborn. The floor has been down 2 years and it looks exactly the same. It is wonderful.
Don't cry on the floor. And don't cry when your dogs' toenails tear up your Costco flooring.
I hear laminate flooring is supposed to be more durable than real hardwood floor. If you drop something heavy on it, it's very durable, and real hardwood would expand and contract depending on the weather, but lamnate will not do it, not to mention it's a lot cheaper than hardwood floor. I think with 2 dogs and an infant, laminate floor should be fine. They're quite durable.
It should do. Those are quite difficult to scratch. Its cheaper than hard wood and tile. Carpet isnt a good idea with dogs anyway. Its the choice I would go with.
The floor does not age well colour wise. The most problems seem to be where the seams are, one side tends to raise itself up where it gets trampled on by many toes. The floor just does not look nice after a few years.
However you have a young child who is going to play on the floor (rather have them fall on laminate then tile or hardwood), drop things on the floor (cracked tile is the worst to fix) and 2 dogs that will tear apart hardwood in seconds.
I think based on your situation you are best to go with your choice as its easy to clean, easy to replace once your child ages, the selections available are huge and its not as expensive as the alternatives.
To keep the floors looking good, remember to clean and wax regualary and if problems arise with the floor, fix asap before additional damage occures.
O! and never write on the cement or wood underneath the floor with a black marker as it will acutally seep through the liminate floor and be visable to everyone that its 23.5 inches from here to there...
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