Laminate flooring

mad1 · 03-25-2002, 06:54 AM

Does anyone have laminate flooring,what type?I am looking at installing,http://www.armstrong.com/reslaminatena/prod_detail.jsp?itemId=49035 , in my home.

crystaldragon · 03-25-2002, 08:19 AM

I don't have it my home but I have installed quite a bit of several brands.
Your question is?

mad1 · 03-25-2002, 08:42 AM

What is the opinion of this brand?

If it is in your home what is your opinion of it,what brand is that?

crystaldragon · 03-25-2002, 09:39 AM

In general Armsrong makes a good product. As I said I have installed several different brands. The toughest I have seen yet is put out under the Macklinburg-Duncan line. I actually have some of it installed as the entry way floor to a lingerie store! No damage at all in almost a year. (have you seen what a womens high heel can do to a floor?) Wow.
The armstrong line is a good product. I've installed it in several homes with families up to 3 kids and 2 adults. It does seem to wear well.
With any of this type of flooring though be certain that the install specs are followed exactly. It will usually void all warranties otherwise.

Lillian · 10-23-2005, 03:06 PM

Hi
I am putting in new flooring in my kitchen dingroom and saw your opinion that the Macklinburg-Duncan line was the strongest. I have a large family with 17 members in and out of my home so need a tough floor and one easy to clean but could not find this flooring on the net . Could you give advise as to where this product could be seen? thanks
Lillian

Zulu95 · 10-29-2005, 09:07 AM

Installed Pergo in the kitchen 7 years ago. LOVE IT! If I were ripping out my hardwood or just doing a new install this would be my first choice.

RedFury · 12-25-2005, 02:31 AM

Pergo type products are great for their durability, but they still can't replace the charm of Hardwood. I can only recommend using them for small areas, or areas where the "faux" look will work with the environment ( such as a dept store display or major thoroughfare )

They hold up extremely well, but the biggest complaint is that no matter how good it looks, it's still fake wood ( if you get the wood veneer that is )

I've seen plenty of ceramic tile styled floors that look absolutely excellent and wouldn't have a problem installing them just about anywhere ( I used 15" tile style Wilsonart flooring in my bathroom )

Couple of things to consider about flooring like this however. You need to consider what you are putting it over. If the floor beneath isn't flat, you'll have to flatten it, and do a good job at it, because these floors will "bridge" low areas causing a hollow sound whenever you walk over that area, not to mention the stress on the panels. Also, you need to take into consideration any kind of moisture that may reach the floor. The "snap lock" styles should have some kind of sealing glue applied to the seams if there is a risk of moisture, because the edges of that laminate will peel up if exposed to to much moisture.

As with any flooring product, please do proper research if you plan to install it yourself, to avoid regretting your decision, or hire a contractor that really knows the ins and outs of the flooring you want ( because anyone can lay a floor, it's not that hard...laying it properly is another matter however )

And I just noticed how old this post is! Whoops! Well, it's relevant information regardless.

Lara RR · 12-27-2005, 10:59 AM

A month ago I had wood laminate installed in my living room, hallway, and 3 bedrooms and, so far, I love it - it looks great, seems pretty durable, and clean-ups easily.

Red, why do you say laminate should be installed in small areas only?

Beware of those who would delight in taking your money for non-needed things. I had one major showroom reseller/installer/salestype tell me that particleboard subflooring is substandard; they'd need to rip it out and put down plywood subflooring before the laminate installation in order to guarantee it. This would've resulted in 100s if not 1000s in extra expense. I queried 3 licensed, bonded, and insured professional flooring installers who told me that was, well, BS - provided the particleboard is in good condition to be begin with.

Note: Laminate can be cold so area rugs may need to be considered for barefoot comfort.

Agreed; ceramic tile-look laminate looks pretty good these days, I'm considering it for my baths and kitchen instead of real tile..

Gingey · 12-28-2005, 12:17 AM

The Quick reply page wen't white when I hit submit????

Anyway laminate , hardwood and tile, stone.

Personally I would not put laminate in a bathroom. Yes it may look like real photocopied wood but it has a fiberboard core, which could expand at the joints if not kept dry. It is also floating or bouncy if the floor is not dead flat..

Personally I like tile Photocopied, Slate, Porcelan........ Make sure the subfloor is flat, sound, well fastened, I prefer plywood. Next the isolation membrane, either Orange mat or cemant board, a must to grout failure loose tiles...

Be creative, lots of dicount tile shops

Natural materials????

Any body know of a good color laser printer for 400, In which the customer service is on this continent.
I read of HP service SHISHHHH sounds a little like Dell but worse.

RedFury · 12-30-2005, 10:23 AM

My opinion on laminate in small areas is so that the "effect" of the flooring being "fake" isn't lost by the viewing angle...the further you get away from a laminate floor, the "faker" it looks, because it becomes a flat surface that is only reflecting light.

Imagine a piece of plexiglass laid over a piece of wood. When you look straight down on it, it looks like a nice piece of wood, but when you start tilting the wood at an angle, you start seeing less of the wood and more of the Plexiglass ( this is a reason why many people choose Satin over Gloss finishes for their natural wood floors.

As far as the particle board story goes, we won't warranty work done over particle or OSB subflooring as it is too unstable compared to plywood floors. It's simply because OSB and Particle board suck up moisture at a faster rate and the board movement is much more pronounced.

No matter how you cut it, compress it, glue it, nail it or bond it, it's still a tree. An inch and a half wide strip floor that's 3/4th an inch thick over a 10 foot wide span, will move 1 3/4 in from the wettest the wood can get to the driest it can get.