Wood vs: laminate

[missypie]

The home we live in now (not in TV), has wood flooring.

I am reading many things about people installing laminate floors.

So what are your reasons for choosing wood or laminate flooring?

[linandvin]

Given the choice, I would choose wood. When I walk on laminate I hear "clicks" and actually feel as if I am on a boat. Probably something wrong with my inner ear! I like the feel of wood.

[quirky3]

If you have pets, laminate is more resistant to scratches. My sister-in-law has hard wood floors, but now she she dog-sits for her son's dog, and finds scratches on the floor. I have had dogs and cats and no scratches (laminate).

[missypie]

yes you are so right! My wood floor here does have scratches on it. Good point to consider.

[hansel]

It you have pets laminate is the way to go. If it is properly installed with a padding underneath it does not make and "clicking" noises.

[jimbo2012]

If you get scratches from your pet just cut the nails.

Laminate wood flooring is made from composite wood pressed together at high temperatures. The photograph or image of hardwood is then covered over the composite wood to form the laminate, thus is cheaper. install cost is 50% less than hardwood.

Laminate flooring doesn�t repair easily. If you buy flooring that comes in individual pieces and snapped together, you may be able to replace. Although, depending on sunlight and age, the new piece may not match properly. To get to damaged piece you may have to take much of the floor out because they all interlock.

But the prices are really low now I've seen them under $1.00 a sq.

Hardwood can always be sanded and refinished, but cost more.
It is now sold pre-finished from the factory.

Both are IMO better than tile or carpet in LR kit DR.

[quirky3]

If you get scratches from your pet just cut the nails.

Laminate wood flooring is made from composite wood pressed together at high temperatures. The photograph or image of hardwood is then covered over the composite wood to form the laminate, thus is cheaper. install cost is 50% less than hardwood.

Laminate flooring doesn�t repair easily. If you buy flooring that comes in individual pieces and snapped together, you may be able to replace. Although, depending on sunlight and age, the new piece may not match properly. To get to damaged piece you may have to take much of the floor out because they all interlock.

But the prices are really low now I've seen them under $1.00 a sq.

Hardwood can always be sanded and refinished, but cost more.
It is now sold pre-finished from the factory.

Both are IMO better than tile or carpet in LR kit DR.
Jimbo, my nephew's dog is very pampered pooch with constantly trimmed nails, but he still leaves scratches as he skids across the floor running or chasing a toy, etc. Their hardwood floor is oak, which is relatively soft.

[jimbo2012]

Well oak is one of the hardest woods, I think the scratches may be in the finish coating not the wood, you may want to take a closer look at the surface.

[graciegirl]

If you get scratches from your pet just cut the nails.

Laminate wood flooring is made from composite wood pressed together at high temperatures. The photograph or image of hardwood is then covered over the composite wood to form the laminate, thus is cheaper. install cost is 50% less than hardwood.

Laminate flooring doesn�t repair easily. If you buy flooring that comes in individual pieces and snapped together, you may be able to replace. Although, depending on sunlight and age, the new piece may not match properly. To get to damaged piece you may have to take much of the floor out because they all interlock.

But the prices are really low now I've seen them under $1.00 a sq.

Hardwood can always be sanded and refinished, but cost more.
It is now sold pre-finished from the factory.

Both are IMO better than tile or carpet in LR kit DR.

We have both wood and tile in our new house but both are installed over cement. They both are hard as a rock and hard on your legs and back. Pretty though.

[ilovetv]

My preference is definitely hardwood that is factory pre-finished and the surface does not wear out nor scratch. The factory pre-finishing is about 13-times baked on aluminum oxide(?) and in-home-stained/glossed woods do not compare for durability.

When I went to buy hardwood here, it's a different story than in the midwest because of the no-basement and no-wood-subfloor factors. On the concrete pads here, they don't have the wood sub flooring to nail the solid hardwood onto....and so the hardwood has to either a) float, with a lock and fold engineered hardwood; or b) be glued down to the subfloor, which reputable dealers here told me they do also with no problems.

Premium grade laminates look great in some cases where it is individual planks and not a sheet of it, and especially when the planks have beveled edges. But the clack-clack sound is not eliminated with even the best padding in multiple layers under it. It's the laminate's hard...I mean REALLY hard...surface that makes the sound. We've looked at a lot of friends' laminate flooring that's premium and we still like factory-finished hardwood better.

[jimbo2012]

There is also a 3/8" hardwood made primarily for in floor radiant heat but they claim it can be glued to concrete.

This in not engineered it's real solid wood.

There is less of a transition in floor height ie: 3/8 vs 3/4.

[hotrodgirl]

Is it better to have hardwood (my preference) installed as a floating floor in FL or to glue it to the concrete?

[jimbo2012]

I think glue, but you're supposed to have the concrete moisture tested first if it's a an older home.

I guess the floating floor may make noise with shoes due to the air space below.

I'm no expert on that.

A friend has the floating floor over a mold resistant pad, it just isn't the same feel, and seams open up from time to time.

But in my current home, I glued the 3/8" to plywood subfloor, 20 years no issues.

[hotrodgirl]

I have the original hardwood floors in my current home, built in 1941. same year as my car! The floor is still beautiful and I had it sanded and resealed about 10 years ago. I definitely would like to have hardwood in my new home in TV as well, and want to make certain it is installed properly! Thanx for your
.02 Jimbo!

[2 Oldcrabs]

Hardwood looks the best. But we went with Hand Scraped laminate from Georgia floors direct in Ocala. Looks like wood but no scratching, no fading in the Fl sun, the padding under it makes it easier on the legs and no "clicking"