Laminate Flooring Best Brands?

[rdhdleo]

I need some help. For months now I have researched laminate flooring which is what we want to replace our tile floors with. Just when I think I have found a quality brand that has the look and color we want I find reviews that are very disturbing. So my process starts all over again. I want high quality laminate and am willing to pay for it but there is much to consider, 8mm or 12mm, durability rating AC3 or AC4 warranty etc. Those that installed laminate and had it for awhile what brand did you use and how long has it been installed? We have a Shaw laminate in our bedrooms and it has held up beautifully but this will now before the great room so a high traffic area. Thanks for any and all input.

[rdhdleo]

Please anyone that has installed laminate in the last few years really need your input on this. Thanks!

[TNLAKEPANDA]

Inexpensive laminates look cheep and will not wear well. Higher priced laminates like Pergo are a better choice but they are still laminate. You would be much better going with an engineered wood floor for about the same price. Wood floors will increase the value of your home and laminates might even decrease the value. Do some research and look at what you can get.

[NYGUY]

You might also want to consider luxury vinyl plank.

[pbkmaine]

NYGUY, we are thinking about going the vinyl route. What brand did you use? Who installed it? What rooms did you put it in? How long have you had it? How does it wear? I am very curious. It seems to me it would be much easier on the feet than ceramic tile or even wood, but I have seen both good and bad reviews.

[alanmcdonald]

As many know, I work for Shaw until I retire for good to TV next year.

When we bought our new home in TV it had Mohawk carpet. We replaced it with Shaw EPIC engineered hardwood.

Today I'd recommend luxury vinyl tile over laminate. It will last longer than laminate and has no moisture issues.

[NYGUY]

NYGUY, we are thinking about going the vinyl route. What brand did you use? Who installed it? What rooms did you put it in? How long have you had it? How does it wear? I am very curious. It seems to me it would be much easier on the feet than ceramic tile or even wood, but I have seen both good and bad reviews.

We have not pulled the trigger yet, but we have picked an earthwerks plank product to put in our living room, dining room, kitchen and one bedroom that we use as an office. We think it looks very real. We are working with The Floor Shoppe on 301 (Rick Smith 352-748-4811).

[dbussone]

As many know, I work for Shaw until I retire for good to TV next year.

When we bought our new home in TV it had Mohawk carpet. We replaced it with Shaw EPIC engineered hardwood.

Today I'd recommend luxury vinyl tile over laminate. It will last longer than laminate and has no moisture issues.

If a moisture barrier is put down do you think the moisture issues would still exist? We had the vinyl product and replaced it with a high end laminate. Very please with it...so far.

[pbkmaine]

Why did you replace your vinyl plank?

[dbussone]

It did not work out well on a slab that was less than perfectly level.

[rdhdleo]

Thank you all for the input. I agree cheap laminate does look cheap but today there are some very high end laminates that are thicker and more solid and have great real wood look to them. I don't want hardwood as we have 2 dogs and hardwood while the name says hard is a softer product than laminate. Our neighbors did a vey nice laminate throughout their entire house and it's absolutely beautiful. I did research their product though and if something does go wrong it seems the manufacturer is not good at backing up the warranty. I hope theirs holds up. We are taking out the bad tile job we ha done years ago so this time I want to get it right. We used about 5 years back a Shaw laminate in our bedrooms and it has held up very well and looks wonderful so easy to take care of too! Let me add I don't care about resale as we plan on being in this house till the end ;) Anything I have ever done to my house has been for our enjoyment alone at this point in our lives that's just the way it is. Will post when we decide. Thanks again :)

[rdhdleo]

If a moisture barrier is put down do you think the moisture issues would still exist? We had the vinyl product and replaced it with a high end laminate. Very please with it...so far.

If I may ask what laminate product did you use?

[alanmcdonald]

If a moisture barrier is put down do you think the moisture issues would still exist? We had the vinyl product and replaced it with a high end laminate. Very please with it...so far.

There are two different moisture issues. I agree that if you put a barrier down you should not have any moisture issues from the concrete.

On the other hand, liquid spills can get down through the seams if not handled quickly. The HDF fiberboard forming the core of laminate is less tolerant of moisture than hardwood or vinyl.

[alanmcdonald]

I'd fault the installer for not patching the concrete to level before installing vinyl tile. It's part of the installation instructions, since vinyl tile is more flexible than laminate.

[collie1228]

We have a barn board pattern laminate flooring made by Armstrong. It is very high quality (and high price). You get what you pay for with 99 cent laminate.

[salpal]

We used East Coast Flooring and the product is called QuickStep (laminate) -- it was around $5 or $6 a square foot. The color we used is 'Saffron Hickory" and it is a scraped surface, making it look like real hardwood. We have 2 dogs so did not want hardwood. We are very pleased. In fact, two friends of ours saw our floor and chose same exact floor for their home. There is no echo when we walk (as with some installations) because they use a barrier made of same stuff as scuba diving suits.

[rdhdleo]

We used East Coast Flooring and the product is called QuickStep (laminate) -- it was around $5 or $6 a square foot. The color we used is 'Saffron Hickory" and it is a scraped surface, making it look like real hardwood. We have 2 dogs so did not want hardwood. We are very pleased. In fact, two friends of ours saw our floor and chose same exact floor for their home. There is no echo when we walk (as with some installations) because they use a barrier made of same stuff as scuba diving suits.

We have a barn board pattern laminate flooring made by Armstrong. It is very high quality (and high price). You get what you pay for with 99 cent laminate.

Thank you both so very much. It seems the more research I do on different brands the more confused I get :( Can you tell me what thickness your laminate is 8mm 10mm 12mm? Do you know the AC rating (hardness, durability) AC3 or 4? Thanks so much again!

[shcisamax]

We used Qulck Step as well but I think it was a bit more in price than $6. That said, we have been very happy with it and have a big dog that runs about. It has held up very well. Most people think it is hardwood when they see it and are surprised when I tell them it is laminate.

[tippyclubb]

Thank you both so very much. It seems the more research I do on different brands the more confused I get :( Can you tell me what thickness your laminate is 8mm 10mm 12mm? Do you know the AC rating (hardness, durability) AC3 or 4? Thanks so much again!

We are having East Coast Flooring do our laminate floors Thursday. We decided, to use Bella Cera which is AC3, 12.3mm, and HDF, high density fiberboard core. East Coast will answer all of your questions and explain the entire process. We chose to use them because of the great reviews on this forum.

[rdhdleo]

We are having East Coast Flooring do our laminate floors Thursday. We decided, to use Bella Cera which is AC3, 12.3mm, and HDF, high density fiberboard core. East Coast will answer all of your questions and explain the entire process. We chose to use them because of the great reviews on this forum.

Thank you so very much!

[HMLRHT1]

Very good info

[bo's custom flooring llc]

hello my name is joshua i am a floor installer for best flooring company i have done work in your area you may want to contact steve at the fuitland park branch he can help you get the best of the best please tell him josh with bos custom flooring sent you thanks and i hope you find what your looking for if you need a installer call 3525122072 i would love to help with your project i am lic. and ins.

[llaran]

I had Armstrong Cherry Bronze installed about 4 years ago, I bought it on line from hurst Flooring, and saved quite a bit, it is 12mm , 1100 sq ft thru the whole house except the guest bedroom, wears like iron, it does not show any wear, even in the kitchen or entry. I think the warrenty 13 30 years. It floats, i would suggest changing to 5" baseboards at the same time. We bought them at Pat Sales on 441 just after the split. Our installer was Mike Wilson 352-638 7979

[rdhdleo]

I had Armstrong Cherry Bronze installed about 4 years ago, I bought it on line from hurst Flooring, and saved quite a bit, it is 12mm , 1100 sq ft thru the whole house except the guest bedroom, wears like iron, it does not show any wear, even in the kitchen or entry. I think the warrenty 13 30 years. It floats, i would suggest changing to 5" baseboards at the same time. We bought them at Pat Sales on 441 just after the split. Our installer was Mike Wilson 352-638 7979

Thank you so very much!

[collie1228]

Thank you both so very much. It seems the more research I do on different brands the more confused I get :( Can you tell me what thickness your laminate is 8mm 10mm 12mm? Do you know the AC rating (hardness, durability) AC3 or 4? Thanks so much again!

Our Armstrong/Bruce laminate, Woodland Reclaim/Textured Timbers, is 12mm. No idea what the hardness is, but it's been in now for a year and looks and performs great.

[rdhdleo]

Our Armstrong/Bruce laminate, Woodland Reclaim/Textured Timbers, is 12mm. No idea what the hardness is, but it's been in now for a year and looks and performs great.

Thank you so much for your input!