Glue It Down
In a wall to wall remodel last year, we had laminate installed, primarily because it looked more natural. In that respect, we are pleased.
What we are not pleased with are the sounds. If you drop anything except a pillow on the floor, it sounds "hollow" and drum-like. There are several spots, such as the transitions to the tile in the wet areas mentioned by another respondent, where it "pops" or "cracks" when stepped on.
These result from three things:
1. The planks are laid over a 1/8" foam pad and "float". At the edges, a slight gap with the wall will be left and covered over with baseboard or quarter round. This is so the flooring can actually shift ever so slightly.
2. Concrete slabs are never perfectly flat or level. There will be both low and high spots in all slabs (think of puddles of water on the floor when you hose-out your garage. When you step on a low spot, the flooring will flex and there will be a crack or pop. The only way to eliminate these areas is to "float" the slab with "Quickset", a lightweight cement product, before laying the flooring.
3. The thin foam pad lends a drum-like quality to the floor.
I don't know why a vinyl floor would be any different. The only differences I know between laminate and vinyl are that vinyl doesn't look as natural and that you can pour water on vinyl. One poster said you can't "wet mop" laminate. If by that he means you can't flood the laminate and then mop up the water, he is correct. However, we regularly clean our laminate with a damp mop and have found the "Swifter" pads to be superior to a regular mop or sponge.
If I ever replace our laminate or remodel another house, I would, first, have the slab "floated" with Quickset and have the flooring material we chose glued solidly to the surface. Personally, I prefer "manufactured wood", which is laminate but with a top surface of real wood. Admittedly, this flooring can be damaged. If it is, it is fairly simple to repair by cutting out and replacing the damaged plank. It can be cleaned with a damp mop (again, Swifter works best). Plus, nothing but real wood looks as good.
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