Tile or wood laminate

[gerryann]

I know this has been asked before, but no prices have. I am hoping (due to dogs) to replace carpeting in new home with either tile or laminate. I'd love real wood, but heard that it scratches too easy with the dogs.
Can any one give me a guess as to what this would cost in a 3 BR CYV? I just want to either keep thinking about it, or get it out of my mind.....just an approximate amount to see if it might be do-able for me and my budget.

Thanks

[shcisamax]

I may be wrong but I think the laying of tile costs more than laminate. We put in laminate and the only problem for the dogs is if they are running, and they make a corner, they slide. So far, it hasn't slowed one of them down. Hoping the coin will drop soon. I had my doubts if the laminate would hold up to the dog scratches because they ruined our hardwood up north. I can't see any marks whatsoever. Also, remember tile is a little harder on the joints. If you have an older dog with arthritis, the laminate will be far better. For us humans too :)

[asianthree]

cost depends on which 3/2 cyv you have i would not guess have someone come out

[Joaniesmom]

One little kinda "unpleasant" thought about tile. If your puppy has an accident on tile (and I have experience with this) the accident will get into the grout and travel across about half of your room. Takes a long time to mop up. Just sayin'

[liere]

We have a three bedroom ranch...we did one guest room and the master bedroom....went with East Coast Flooring up on 441 on the way to Ocala...cost just shy of $2,000...they were slightly higher than other places we went to but what sold us on them was their professionalism and service. They took out the carpeting, moved the furniture, put down the floor and were done in just over half a day and not a spec of dirt around....very polite, etc...good luck!

[gerryann]

Thanks for the info.

[2 Oldcrabs]

Laminate about $6 sq foot. Tile $8-10 sq ft. Installed. You can do better when Lowes, Home Depot and independents have sales. If you are unable to measure the exact square foot. Use the room measurements from TV web site. They are close.

[gomoho]

Be careful on which laminate you choose. We bought a pre-owned with laminate and the dogs are scratching it like crazy. Does have a high gloss and that may be the problem with mine.

[shcisamax]

Gomoho. Perhaps that was the problem. I was pretty firm that my dog would make mincemeat out of hardwood and wanted to make sure whatever we picked would withstand the weight and demeanor of that dog. Also, picked a very high end product.

[getdul981]

One little kinda "unpleasant" thought about tile. If your puppy has an accident on tile (and I have experience with this) the accident will get into the grout and travel across about half of your room. Takes a long time to mop up. Just sayin'

It will get down between the cracks of the laminate also.

[CFrance]

We had a Pergo floor put in our house in Grand Rapids, and our golden retriever scratched it. Plus it water stained. We had it replaced with real board-by-board hardwood with three coats of polyurethane. The dog then scratched the poly, but not down to the wood. Still, after three years it needed to be sanded.


So we went to a rustic-textured, all-tile floor at our condo because it's in the middle of sand dunes and we knew we and he would be tracking in sand. That has been a joy to maintain, not too slippery for the dog, not too cold due to heating vents on the floor. The tile is wiped up immediately by the person who spills anything, and puppies are crated and taken out every half hour during housebreaking, so a spill spreading has never been an issue.

Our house in tv came with carpet, which we are ripping up and replacing with tile to match the kitchen, baths, and entrance. I can't wait. The person who installed the kitchen is going to do this on the side, at a much lower installation price. He came in to fix a cracked tile, so we saw his finish work. The matching tile is already bought. We just have to get down there to have the job done.

PS: Stanley Steemer does a fantastic job of steaming tile floors, and will seal the grout too, although I've been told that sealing the grout will void the warranty, so don't do that till the warranty expires.

[casita37]

It will get down between the cracks of the laminate also.


That's right, and if you don't get to it quickly, it can be a real problem. It will seep under the seams and cause the laminate to buckle. We bought a resale, and the laminate was already here. It was not the highest quality, nor was it the best installation job. The previous owner had a dog, and I do believe he must have had accidents all over the place because we have the buckling at the seams all over the house.

If I were doing it (and probably will have to in a few years), I would go with tile and just make sure to use an excellent grout sealer and keep it resealed, as needed.

Probably doggie accidents won't be a problem for you, but if you drop an ice cube on the laminate and don't get it up, it can be a problem. Maybe higher quality ones are better, so be sure to discuss that with the company you decide to go with.

[casita37]

@CFrance
I never knew there was a warranty on grout. Never thought about it. What does it cover and how long is normal? I know there are some real hi-tech grouts out now that are not supposed to stain.

[shcisamax]

I think when I asked about pergo, I was told to stay away from it. Can't remember why but that might be why.