Laminate flooring Questions?
Question:I'm fairly certain I want Laminate (wood) flooring for my high traffic area i.e. Living room, kitchen, dinning room. I'm remodeling and have taken up the old carpet and lenoleum (sp?) I've been into all the home improvement stores and have looked at a lot of them. Which is the best? Which brand has the best wear and warranty. Which one seems to be the best value for the buck? I've found a brand and style that I like at Lowes but it seems expensive at $4.37 a square foot and I have to special order it. I don't care for the stock laminate that costs less. Anyone know where the best place (maybe on-line) to look for reliable laminate flooring and good service. I need to cover about 575 square feet. Thanks everyone!
Answers:
DO NOT USE PERGO.
It was the first laminate out on the market. They continually try to be the lowest price but they are the worst brand as they have not kept up with the changes. They warp very easily.
Mannington is one of the best. You want to see a warranty and see how the product does in WATER. Many floor stores have samples soaked in water, showing that they do not curl or bend. In other words, no damage from water.
Because I had Pergo floors I never want another Laminated Wood Floor. It was the worst and most expensive venture for me. We replace it 3 times and kept using Pergo to match the areas we did not lift out. One time my refrigerator leaked and ruined it, another time the area where my pets drank their water. Any water can damage it and I mean any. When you clean them you have to hand wash and dry because if any water sits on it for any length of time it gets between the creases and lifts the wood.
It was the worst nightmare for us and costly.
Never go with the cheapest. You want expensive but do your research on the best brand. Also I would re-floor only a small area first. Because if damage occurs to one area you have to replace the whole thing. Why? The only way you can match the wood is in the same LOT. We tried it and it never looked right. Also stay away from the squares of wood. They are the easiest to ruin. We had the planks but were told the squares are even worse.
Before you buy at Lowes, ask around at flooring companies. Compare prices and products. And if Lowes still has the best deal, buy from them.
lumber liquidators - all they do is hardwood and laminates
I agree, Lumber Liquidators has a huge supply of laminates and hardwoods. They pay for so many commericals on the radio in my area, so I know that they carry Bella wood and it has a 50 year warranty. They're online, but also have a number of physical locations around the country. Check out their website for more:
Not a huge fan of laminate flooring. I installed it in a kitchen. Cons: After mopping you end up with water streaks (just like the ones you get after wiping countertops), It is an extremely slippery surface (our dog wasnt able to stand or walk on it, we had to put down rugs for him), durability (my ex-wfie dropped a skillet that took a huge chunk out of it), I took it up and replaced it with hardwood flooring. Hardwood is less slippery, didnt show water streaks, and if you damage an area the worst that will happen is a dent.
Try www.lumberliquidators.com
they seem to have all kinds of sales on both hardwood and laminate. We installed an inexpensive off the shelf laminate in one of our spare rooms two years ago and it has held up well ($1.99 sq ft). But at $4.37 per sq ft, I would install a prefinished real hardwood floor, it will hold up well and can be refinished, or stained at a later date. Hardwood also will be a better selling point should you decide to sell your home.
try your local flooring co. they may have a discontinued color that is acceptable at a greatly reduced price!
If you cannot find it cheaper elsewhere- wait for a sale- then go and open an account with them. You can usually get 10% off your first purchase.
I found mine on sale and then opened an account with the 10% discount and it saved me a bundle. If you need it right away then go online and look up that particular name brand and see if any web site has it cheaper. Sometimes you can order so many square feet and get free shipping.
Good luck.
I put Armstrong brand laminate flooring in my kitchen 10 years ago and it looks the same today as the day I put it in. I have dropped heavy skillets, hot bacon grease, got tar on the floor and also got some insulation on it (the kind that comes in the can that expands), I have three dogs who are confined to the room. The flooring is fantastic, cleans easily with nail polish remover if you get something on it. They make specific cleaners for laminate flooring and it seems to work the best. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Before putting the floor in we cut off a small piece of it and stuck it in a glass of water. I waited about 2 weeks and pulled it out of the water. There was no damage, no warping and it did not fall apart. I would not buy Pergo brand. It may have changed over the years but Armstrong was a much better made product back when I installed it. Make sure that you put felt pieces on the bottom of your kitchen chairs.
Try ifloor.com. They have good prices and they carry Armstrong brand.
Also try bid4floors.com. I called them a couple of days ago about cork flooring for our basement. I called back today and they dropped the price .20 a sq ft. It is 2.88 cheaper per sq ft than the local carpet store.
SimpleFloors.com based in Ca. they do shipping, delivery.. As far as Laminate Floors, they work best in a Pier & Beam type of home, b/c they "FLOAT" meaning when your house shifts, the flooring wont pop up, crack..
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