Laminate Floors: Get the Look of Wood (and More) for Less

bepsf One thing that's rarely mentioned about flaoting/laminate floors is that hollow-sounding "click" when you walk on it - It sounds so cheap to me.

Denise Vilim Thanks Paul! I'm printing this out to take with on my laminate flooring shopping trip!

@bepsf - I certainly concur in regards to my current QuickStep laminate floors (they were on the cheap end of cheap when we purchased them), but do all laminate floors, even ones that are higher end and/or have good, think padding (underlayment), make that sound when walked on? Thanks!

Denise Vilim Also, another quick question for anyone who'd like to answer...

Other than being unrefinishable (surely that's a real word), prone to irreparable surface chips and dings (which in my experience are rare and small when they do happen) and sound quality (as mentioned above), are there additional advantages to going with engineered over laminate floors?

Thanks!

Gregory Haynes Advantages besides cost? Yeah, right ;) In all of the spaces shown above, it would seem strange to have such nice finishes all around only to walk on a floating laminate floor. I mean, really, who buys a bacelona chair and puts it on laminate flooring? Such a sin.

bepsf @Archipeep: That's not a Barcelona Chair - It's a cheap knockoff
;-)

bepsf @aprilaries --

I've never inquired about pricing because I've never asked folks what they paid for their floors or what's underneath them - but anytime I walk into a house that has a "wood" floor I can hear whether it's a floating laminate floor or a nailed-down wood floor.

ariadne Some of the comments about laminate flooring just sound snobby to me. I hope people don't feel the need to put themselves in unnecessary debt because the difference is 'obvious' because it isn't to the average person when the quality of work is worthy.

Personally, I prefer some laminate flooring such as the faux slate/ tiled floors. I like the look of tiles but I hate grout, and like the princess and the pea, I feel even the slightest uneveness when tiles have not been laid perfectly flat. My toes find every edge to stub on. Moreover, I like the ease of caring for laminate, especially with kids. And, maybe I'm a philistine but quite frankly, I rather like the smooth even finish of the laminate floors and the price means I can change the flooring with minimal guilt if I redecorate.

I've not noticed the noise difference but then I don't really use heels indoors and the people I know with real wood floors would glare my head off if I wore shoes on their highly polished floors.

Maybe I'm partly biased because I broke several toes on my aunt's highly polished real wood floors while trying desperately not to scuff them with my suitcase. *shrug*

Paul Anater Aprilaries: The differences between the two are pretty profound but the biggest difference is in how long each surface will last. That and cost.

Ariadne: Thanks for your comment. I was getting ready to come in and defend the people who use laminate floors. I used well-designed rooms paired with laminate floors in a variety of styles for a reason. Namely, that a low budget shouldn't consign anybody to living in an ugly home. Besides, laminate flooring is a completely legitimate flooring category that a lot of people use. In some parts of the world, like Northern Europe, it's the default flooring material. People shouldn't feel bad for not spending a lot of money on their floors. What matters is that what ever they buy is a value proposition for them.

The market's full of inferior laminate floors and I hope this idea book will give people who buy laminate floors solid information they'll need to make a smart purchase.

Hollis Erickson I am currently working on a commercial project and we are using laminate flooring. We are replacing heart of pine flooring that is very damaged by high heels. With the laminate you get the look of hardwoods but can withstand a lot of use. They come with a 15 yr. commerical warranty. I will post pictures when installed. You might be surprised!

geoffdog The pictures are beautiful and yes the rooms seem too beautiful for laminate.
Oh those ad agencies and their product photo shoots. Making it look better than it really is. Who would do such a thing?

Paul Anater There's no shame in a low budget. If the last couple of years have taught me anything, that's it.

woofwoof We've have Quik-Step dark walnut laminate planks in our kitchen/den and two of our bedrooms. Our house is slab on grade. At first blush, it looks like wood and the planks have a bit of texture and mild color variation. Looks nice with my oriental rugs. It's a little slippery in socks but that's about it. I don't mop or sweep enough, so it shows smudges and foot marks, but that's my fault. Overall, it's fine. But.....we're renovating a different house in the same area and for that we are doing engineered wood. For resale, it's better, people are turned off by laminate. But honestly, if you've got little kids, big dogs, and you're not planning on selling any time soon, there is nothing wrong with laminate.

kt2le 10 to 12 years ago, we installed one of the early laminate floors (WilsonArt brand) in our kitchen and breakfast room. We were afraid real (or engineered) wood would get damaged, since they were high traffic areas, so we opted for the wood "look." Although is was pretty, we hated it the minute it was down. Walking on it made a clacking noise and it sounded like we were walking on hollow plastic, which I guess we were. Although it wasn't inexpensive, we had it torn up and replaced with engineered wood, which sounded much better. Our initial concerns became true, however, since it became scuffed and dented from kids, the dog and primary traffic in and out of the garage. We've been looking at laminated floors again as a possible replacement for these areas and, possibly, currently carpeted rooms and I've been impressed with the thickness, backing and more realistic/distressed finishes available now that weren't back then. What's holding us back is seeing (and walking on) a large installation so we can hear what it sounds like. I've, also, been told by a realtor that laminate would ruin our resale value (for homes the value of ours) and we'd be better off putting engineered wood into our slab on grade home. I don't know but we've been impressed with some of the newer offerings.

Paul Anater WoofWoof: Thanks for your comment. That's a great point about big dogs and little kids.

kt21e: You make good points too, using it in homes of certain value can harm your resale value but as these products have improved some of the stigma attached to them has lessened. It's still a valid concern if you're planning to sell any time soon. Seeing a new laminate floor like this installed is just a matter of going to a flooring store and asking them if they have a recent laminate customer who'd be willing to talk to you. You might get shot down but then again, it just might work.

Gregory Haynes @bepsf Yes, the black one is definitely fake, but the white one looks right.

@ariadne and @paul_anater I was not trying to be snobby nor make fun of your post Paul. Did not mean to offend if I did. I was merely questioning that if you're going to spend $20k on furnishings, why would you use a $500 floor? For example, my little sister and her husband spent $15k turning their upstairs bedroom in their $500k house into a 'pub'. But they skimped on the flooring and when you go from the downstairs - which is hardwood - to the upstairs, its absolutely noticable. As for your arguments for laminate flooring, I think they're legitimate. However, I'm not convinced that faux anything is the way to go. Faux wood, faux tile, etc. I'd be interested in seeing the laminate flooring industry come out with flooring that isn't trying to be something that it isn't.

lynnrww Very interesting article, photos and discussion. I am re-doing the entire downstairs of my two-story home, in a major metro area, and have decided on engineered wood. I notice there's a huge amount of negativity against wood laminate floors -- unfortunately. I can not always tell the difference, in how they look. But everyone seems to turn their nose up at laminate. I really don't get it.

However, if they make a loud, clacking noise -- well, that is a huge and definite turn-off.

Still, if my wood floor gets all scuffed and dented -- i sure won't be happy with that either.

No kids....grown up now....and only a tiny dog, who seems to NOT have accidents.

If I had little kids, after reading this excellent article and all the fine comments.....I would NOT get a wood floor.

Also, everyone seems totally turned against carpet nowadays. When I was little, EVERYONE wanted "wall-to-wall carpet". That was considered true luxury.. Now, carpet almost seems to be a dirty word.

Odd.

patscats2 Snobby is an understatement. A lot of people, me included, have laminate because of the functionality of the flooring. That doesn't make me a bad home owner or decorator and I can tell you any piece of furniture can sit on my floor and look beautiful. I have the Bruce Park Avenue Makore. Only regret is that I didn't get it in a lighter color because it shows every little piece of fur, but is durabler as concrete. My 65 lb. dog slides all around these floors and doesn't leave a mark. What I do hate is the ceramic tile I have in the wet areas. The grout, even though it is sealed is just too hard to keep up.
These photo's were taken when the house was in the bulding stage. I really do need to get some updated photo's.

patscats2 One more thing, we have the thickest padding that is sold for this flooring and there is no clicking sound. Sounds like you're walking on wood.

ay121212 Photos of your floor look beautiful patscats2

kizr12 Daughter opted to go with a floating laminate floors to protect her 60-year-old oak floors from damage from her dogs' nails, and hold open the option of someday repairing and refinishing the original floors. Seemed like an excellent compromise to me, one that will work well for twenty-somethings who throw a lot of parties and invite everyone to bring their dogs. Boyfriend did the comparison shopping and decided that a product offered by Sam's Club would be the best combination of price, appearance, construction and ease of installation.

jeg700 700 I am all for laminate flooring, but I cannot stress this point enough; DO NOT get the cheap laminate. It is the cheap laminate that makes that horrible clacking sound when wearing shoes, and it is pretty difficult to work with too! After all is said and done, the cheap buy @ $.69 for 7 or 8 mm thickness is not worth the savings. We used the it in the bedrooms and instantly regretted our choice. But the living areas have 12 mm thickness and those floors have held up very well, with very few people able to tell that those floors are not wood, since they also have the bevelled edges as well as the thick underlay. Also, they come with 25 year warranty. Of course, we did pay a lot more, $5.50 a sq. ft. so, like everything else, you get what you pay for.

barevalos I have lam and love it. It does not make a claking noise we went with the "Floor Muffler" underlayment and it sounds just like wood floors. Don't go cheap and you shouldn't have a problem.

Libby Wilkie at aneyefordetail Thanks for all this discussion! We moved last December where main floor was/is "parquet" over cement slab. We got estimates for laminate, both for living room and for kitchen. Well, even that was too expensive for us. Kitchen alone was going to be close to 3K, I think. So, no, the laminate option is certainly not, in my opinion, a cheap one!
We're still living with the parquet, and actually it's not so bad. Someday, yes, top of the line laminate will be installed.

Brian Frailey I think that the offerings inside of the engineered wood market have become so plentiful that it makes the choice easier than ever before. Wood wins hands down. I will say though that f I have a room that will transition periodically (Living room/ Game room/ office) going with a floor that can be easily changed makes more sense. I sell a lot of both types floors. People who are buying wood are purchasing for the investment and longevity. Anyone with questions feel free to call me. I am local to Dallas Fort Worth but, I will answer any questions no matter where you are. 817.632.7206

milichka Laminate floors begin to look bad pretty quickly (within 5 yrs, max life 10 yrs). I think investing in engineered flooring would be far more beneficial, especially for homeowners that intend to stick around. Plus, since engineered is closer to being a natural product its production and waste is nicer to our planet. Nothing beats solid wood, but for the cost-conscious, engineered is the better way to go. And anyway, I've seen quality solid wood that goes for $4/SF. And yes, I know it's quality.

Rula I would take laminate flooring over wall-to-wall carpeting any day. Also I don't see anyone here considering that laminate is a much more environmentally-friendly option than real wood floors!! Just like faux animal furs and prints are an option furnishings, laminate is a legit option for your flooring.

Paul Anater There is no single, superior flooring option for all situations. All materials have pluses and minuses. My goal in this series is to present the pros and cons of a host of the materials out there in an unbiased way so that people who are looking to buy flooring can use this as a resource and figure out which option is the best for their needs and their budget. What works for somebody won't necessarily work for someone else.

colorfast We bought a wood laminate for our kitchen remodel. We bought custom-made wood cabinets with a cabinet maker (ie not mdf/pressboard, etc) and decent (not spec home) granite. Seriously thought about tile, maybe slate, because it is so bullet proof, but our kids go barefoot a lot. I didn't want stubbed toes. We acknowledge real wood looks better, but our better laminate has fooled people who walked in the door.

Why put in an inexpensive wood floor when other elements of your remodel are higher end? It's a valid question. In the end, the budget has to give somewhere. We hope the floor lasts 8-10 years, but is more easily replaced than the other elements of our kitchen. We do have kids and a dog. In 10 years, they are older and we are in a different place in life.

RJM Contractors, Inc. We have installed and removed many Laminate floors over the years, and they are a viable flooring option not to be ignored. The printing technology used on Laminates has improved drastically over the last five years to the high definition quality we see today giving you the beautiful finished products Paul has shown above. While it may not be the perfect flooring for every home or every location it’s affordability, ease of installation, and numerous available patterns make it a great option. Regarding the sound of laminate floors the clicking sound has more to do with its construction and floating installation method. We have used several underlayments and while they can help reduce the “laminate sound” it will not be eliminated. Because it is made of HDF and the fact that the entire floor is “clicked” together the sound reverberates through the floor. Laminate is meant to be a flooring option not to replace wood or tile. Flooring options are a plenty, choose the one that best fits your needs and budget and do your homework before you buy.

Paul Anater Colorfast and Jeremy, thanks for joining in.

taddpeake I've put a Dupont vinyl flooring in my kitchen and both bathrooms. I think it's a lot prettier (warmer, softer to step) than laminate, but the real bonuses are durability (looks like new after years of wear; has a 25 year warranty) and the biggie: it's waterproof. Home Depot sells the line as TrafficMaster. Very affordable.

Paul Anater Taddpeake: Stay tuned, next week's topic is sheet goods, also known as resilient flooring.

rgillenwater Thanks so much Paul for an informative Ideabook. I also appreciate those of you who have posted about your actual direct experiences and the facts to back them up, whether positive or negative.

I agree with colorfast's post that if your budget has to give somewhere, laminate flooring is the thing to go with since it could possibly be the easiest element to replace down the road when your budget allows. Very insightful.

patscats2 ay121212, thanks for the compliment.

I know one thing, I would take sheet vinyl over my miserable tile grout any day. In our other house we had high end peel and stick vinyl and I love it for cleaning and durability. It lasted 15 years. I hate the ceramic with the grout lines. Ugh!!

PamDesigns 3D I've been considering engineered wood for our home remodel for awhile and never gave a second thought to laminate and solid wood is not an option for our one-story, slab-on-grade home. Now I might just be changing my mind. I really like the improved look of the laminate. I don't have little kids or dogs and am not really concerned about re-sale investment as I plan to leave my home feet first. Anyway, I'm replacing wall-to-wall cheap carpet so this could only be an improvement. The difference in the price might just make me get over the fact that it isn't "real wood" that would always be in the back of my mind. I might even be convinced to use laminate instead of ceramic tile (that's supposed to look like stone too) in the kitchen and breakfast room that I'm planning to put radient floor heating in. (Didn't know I could do that with laminate flooring!) The idea of the cushioning underfoot is apealing as well as less broken dishes that are always a gonner if dropped on our tile floors. And no grout to clean? Well that's a no brainer!

Thanks again Paul for another informative post.

saphirebear Thanks for the great article and all the thoughtful comments. I just bought a house that I'm planning to remodel in Central Austin. Some of the laminate that's down now looks like it has worn well, but does have a hollow, clacking, echo to it. It also makes everything very, very loud. Part of the floor was replaced in the kitchen and family room with a different color and type of laminate. (They left the extra boxes behind, so I know that's the new one.) I'm guessing it's because the first installation didn't hold up well and they needed something that looked better for the resale. The new laminate is not wearing at all well, and shows scratches already.

I've owned a house before that had nailed oak floors (built in 1948), and my feeling is that even though those floors badly needed refinishing when I sold it in 1999, those 50+ year old floors still had a nicer, warmer feeling than the laminate in the house I just bought.

I'm planning on staying in this new house indefinitely and it's in an area where the RE values are skyrocketing, so I think it's a situation where very high quality flooring is called for. So I'm planning on installing wood throughout the house. (Not sure about the kitchen.) I'm interested in whether anyone has comments on what type of wood floor (solid, engineered, etc) would hold up the best. The floors are all concrete slab and I have two kids and (according to them) potentially a dog in my future. I'm thinking engineered Brazilian Cherry. Any other suggestions?

Paul Anater If you're on a slab you have to go with engineered floors if you're looking for wood. Just be sure you buy a plank that can be refinished a couple of times. Brazilian Cherry is as hard as a rock and when it's in an engineered plank even more so. Beware bargains and know what you're buying, stick to reputable dealers and you'll be fine.

venicebeach I have cheap laminate floors and they were in the house when I bought it. I would love to replace them with engineered wood floors. Besides the constant clacking noise when anyone walks around, including the dogs, they are extremely slippery in wet. Dangerously so. Additionally, if any kind of hair product gets on them accidently, it also gets very slippery. I can't say how many times I have almost fallen. Maybe the more expensive ones aren't like this.

Michele P We have Brazilian teak BR 111 Engineered wood floor in our kitchen and it scratches & dents too often. The dents are mostly from me dropping stuff on the floor. It looks great when clean, but I wouldn't install it again. It hurts too badly when it dents.

Helen Long I had laminate floors for 10 years with children and a boxer that use to slide down the hallway all the time when she was being chased! There was never any damage to the floor and we had them in 4 bedrooms the living and dining room and hallway. It was the Pergo cherry wood and was absolutely gorgeous!

James Brooks I went to the flooring store with the intent of spending $5 to $7psf. After several weeks of testing engineered wood floor samples for durability I found that most of the expensive ones didn't hold up to normal wear. Even though they advertise that some can be refinished, I thought that through found it improbable. I didn't want to go through the extra labor and mess of nail down and glue down is out for me. (bad experience)
Then I found this German laminate that fooled me. It looks real in person because of the registration of texture and print. I tried to destroy the sample for two weeks, even left it in a bowl of water. It could not me damaged under normal wear. I installed them myself with great ease and LOVE them. So go on and be snobby about engineered vs. true nail down and make fun of laminate. I'm sold! Did I mention they only cost $2 psf? Use a good underlayment.

lizetthomas James, any chance you could share a link to the German laminate that you are talking about? Thanks!!!

chakag After reading these comments, I had to go check my floors. I have an old real oak floor in my dining room (old country farmhouse), and a laminate tile-look floor in my kitchen. I honestly could not tell the difference in noise in the two floors. The laminate is slick with socks on but so is the wood floor. We are building a new home and are trying to decide what kind of flooring to install so all your comments are helpful!

Judy This article is very timely for me, just trying to decide what to do about my floors. I just moved into this house and certainly don't love any of the flooring. The two bedrooms and living room are carpeted (not very nice carpet either) and the rest of the house is tiled. I don't like the tile either – a yellowish beige. However, I figured I would have to learn to live with them, at least for a while. Then I discovered what I hated the most: the kitchen! So much so, I just can't live with it, will have to get a new one. Had some people out to give me quotes and they all tell me the same thing. Not much improvement can be made to the kitchen (which is “open plan”, together with the family room) if I want to keep the same “footprint”. They all tell me the tiles will need to be replaced, so that the island bench can be moved and a walk-in pantry can be designed. If I have to replace the tiles, then I would have to replace ALL the tiles (except the bathroom) as the entry hall, the laundry all flow into each other. So, that got me thinking that if I'm going to do that, then it would be a good time to get rid of the carpet as well. Problem being two things. First thing is budget. The kitchen is already an expense I wasn't counting on, and now the floor...
I must say I have always been one of those “snobs” never even considered engineered wood, let alone laminate. However, I do know that to get “real” timber floors, I would have to move out and take all the furniture with me, so that is out of the question. Also, as much as I love timber, I don't like it in wet areas and that, to me, includes a kitchen. To replace the tiles with new tiles, would (I think) involve having to remove the existing tiles, which would probably cost a fortune also. I do like tiles, but certainly don't like cleaning the grout. :-) So, I think I am left with floating floors, but am still a bit worried about the clicking sound.
Has anyone got any advice for me? This house is also on a concrete slab. I don't have any kids, but a dog is in my future. I am in Australia, BTW. Also, would the fact that some of the floor would need to go over the tiles, whereas the rest would replace the carpet present more problems? Could the height of the floor be adjusted somehow, so that all the floor ends up the same height?

@Paul Anater I have to say that you CAN get wood on a concrete slab. I used to live in an apartment with a concrete slab and was thinking of renovating it (ended up moving out instead) and had some quotes for solid -strip-timber. It was 12mm thick from memory, certainly wasn't cheap. Here is a link to a place I got a quote from You need to navigate to “view our gallery/solid timber”. It basically says: “Solid Strip Timber can be glued directly to concrete, ply or particle board flooring. It can also be fixed to joist or hardwood battens. Advice on the correct installation procedure can be gained from experienced staff at our showroom, or from our experienced layers. Solid Strip Timber can be supplied in 19mm thickness for structural purposes and 12-14mm overlay, used for direct sticking to a sub-floor. Widths of the boards can be as varied as 80mm - 210mm. Most species can be supplied as a natural or pre-finished product."

@Jeremy Parcels. Don't all floating floors (including engineered timber) make a “clicking” sound?

@obsessive I am curious, aren't the bevelled edges hard to keep clean? I once spoke to a women who complained about her bevelled edges, saying that they were impossible to keep clean, have to regularly scrub them with a toothbrush. I remember making a mental note to make sure I never get those. :-)

@James Brooks Yes please James, I would love to know the name of the floor too.

@designsc I would love to see your photos

dmeade22 We installed Pergo in our kitchen 12 years ago. It still looks great, even after two generations of dogs. There are about 3 very small nicks in it. I don't see the need to stress over the finish of a real wood floor when laminate is cheaper and more durable. I'm planning on going with laminate again. There are so many choices now. The ones with defined seams look good, but dirt might collect in the indentations. Anyone have experience with that?

pollywolly After reading some of the comments about laminate floors I felt I had to add my two cents worth. We installed German manufactured laminate floors through the living room and dinning area about 6 years ago. Today they still look as good as the day they were laid, which includes having a large dog running around on them. As to the clicking sound so many refer to, we installed a good quality underlay not the thin styrofoam kind it was like recycled fabric, anyway it not only made the difference in the sound it made it warmer. I am now looking to do some other floors in the house, with some real wood being available at comparative pricing to laminate I still intend to go laminate. Laminate is easy to lay, no special equipment needed, affordable and when we want to change its easy to take up.
Ultimately the decision is the home owners and what suits the application, but laminate floors don't need to be noisy or cheap looking.

James Brooks In reply to Lizetthomas and Judy. The German Laminate I used was called Sensa from Floor and Decor Outlet. The color was calypso oak. Sorry to be so late in my response. http://www.sensa-flooring.com/

pollywolly In reply to demeade22, my laminate has the grooves making it look like real planks but I don't have a problem with dirt collecting in them. I use a dry mop to pick up the dust (and dog hairs) and then a wet wipe to remove the dogs paw marks, with the occasional vacuum to get those areas left from the mop, it looks great.

ncheranich Most of these comments have made me lean w/ a decision to go with Laminate (from Sears). Really could not tell any difference next to my other hardwood floors (Sears rep had lots of samples that I placed next to the existing floor). Family room: decided on faux "hardwood" that will go right on top of pre-existing something, circa 1967, which is on concrete slab. Decided on faux "tile" in the kitchen (which will go right on top of existing old asbestos containing vinyl), plus entry way, and bathroom. About 400sq ft. total. Cost: they quoted me just over $6K (labor and tax, etc. incl. of course). They use a pretty thick looking foam sheet under the laminate, taking away much of the 'click' (I hope). Thanks all for your help.

carol T great discussion I too had heard the thicker such as 18-12 mm Laminate makes less clicking.and some of the new textures and edges really improve looks. Laminate in the Kitchen -i thought that there was some laminate that waxed edges and made it more water resistant.if there are any horror stories about laminate in the Kitchen Please share them with me

lrhome . I am completely redoing my kitchen and I am thinking about installing laminate. Found a great looking one from Mannington and fell in love with it. My contractor is trying to dissuade me. he says tile or hardwood. Also tells me that the laminate does not get installed under the cabinets. What should I do? I also have a small dog. He will bring mud in come November, as our kitchen leads to the back yard. Timely advice is highly appreciated.

PamDesigns 3D Since I originally added to the comments here some 10 months ago, I have actually gone ahead and installed laminate for almost the entire house last January. It came from the Home Depot and is their better laminate floating floor. It's darker with a piano finish called "Brazilian Hickory". I understand from them that it is a Pergo product though it has another name on it exclusive to Home Depot.

We had HD do the installation and they did a wonderful job. Since then, we haven't had any issues at all with noise, scratching or maintenance. We have a small dog that lives with us now and he hasn't done any damage to it either. It's really easy to maintain and I love that it's easy to keep the dust under control (which makes the small dog's owner happy who has severe dust allergies).

Now we are two months into a remodel that affects about a third of our square footage that includes the kitchen, 1/2 bath and large laundry/hobby room. My husband installed the same laminate in the kitchen and 1/2 bath. His only issue with it was the tongue edges that snap together. He thought they were a bit flimsy and couldn't use the rubber mallet that we were told to use to tighten the seams. His project was about one fifth the size of our original install done by HD and he was ready to pull his hair out when he was finished. Though I must say he did a wonderful job and you can't tell where HD's install ended and his started.

I'm very happy with my choice to go with laminate and know that I would never have been able to have this finish with a real wood product. It's gorgeous and allowed us to spend our remodel resources on other priorities like higher end cabinets and appliances that we would not have been able to afford otherwise.

Irhome: I've been a kitchen designer for about ten years now specializing in remodels. It hasn't been common practice to put any kind of flooring under the cabinets as it's a waste of the material. Cabinets are usually shimmed to raise them up if necessary to compensate for the height difference between whatever flooring thickness is to be used. This is to allow situations like being able to pull out a dishwasher after it's been installed if it needs repair. There would be flooring under your appliances. So --in my opinion-- this should not affect your choice between real wood, laminate or any other type of flooring. My main concern with wood would be scratching from the dog's nails. I don't think that resale value is as big an issue for laminate floors as it used to be... though as previously stated, it really depends on your market. There are better laminates that are indistinguishable from wood. If you look at Paul's NALFA diagram above, you'll see that good quality laminates are not hollow. Mine actually came with a padded underlayment attached which not only muffles sound but makes it more comfortable to stand on than our old tile floors. We added a moisture barrier between the flooring and the cement slab foundation as a precaution.

lrhome Pamela, thanks so much for your timely advice and suggestions. You helped ease my mind. Looks like we have a winner!

Harry Walden Very late to add a comment to this article, but I have mostly lived in older homes with real timber floors. The look is always warm and I have always found both engineered timber and laminates to be a poor imitation. True, timber floors do mark; we have two very lively dogs that have in the past severely scratched the lovely polished floors, but in my opinion that's just the patina that comes from living in a home.

carmynf Make sure you do your full research before making any judgements on laminate flooring. Yes, it usually is the lower price alternative to wood flooring but that is not always the case. You can get laminate flooring that is almost impossible to tell the difference between that and wood flooring and that includes when you walk on it, for $5-$7 a square foot. Research brands, how they make it, and what they are willing to offer for a warranty. Also, one very important thing to look at is the thickness. The thicker the laminate along with a top grade under-layment will eliminate that hollow sound when you walk on it. Recently my husband and I went to a Home Show Expo and the cheapest home we walked through was $520,000, which is still a very high priced home for our state. There were debates going on between couples if the flooring used was hardwood or laminate. To many people's surprise, a couple of the homes had high quality laminate. It felt, looked and sounded like hardwood. The floors were a wider plank in a deeper chocolate color that were textured. They were a thick millimeter with a top of the line under-layment.
My suggestion to anyone considering laminate would be to only shop at a flooring specialty store. This is where you will find sales professionals that know each of the products and they will have the selection you are looking for. I hope this helps.

margaeg Can laminate floors be recycled when they're torn out?

Guy Shaviv How durable are parquet laminates for the kitchen? Will I be sorry (or happy) after 5 or 10 years? Do they last the moisture typical in kitchens? Any special laminates I need to ask for?

janandsally We decided on laminate because of durability and so I did not worry about them We put extra underlay and do not hear that hollow sound.

Kim Gilley PLEASE tell me how to clean laminate! We've been in our house for a year now and I nearly kill myself trying to keep my laminate floors clean without mopping with water. I was told that using anything other than the cleaner specifically for laminate would void my warranty. I've tried these cleaners but I always end up with a streaky mess. I wish I had gotten laminate with more surface texture to hide the streaks from cleaning. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

pollywolly Hi Kim, I know what you mean about streaks, I have both a laminate floor and an engineered one, my laminate is fine but the engineered one show every little streak. One thing I've found is to go real easy on the cleaner as when it dries it leaves a film. The best cleaner I've found comes from Home Depot, doesn't smell as nice as some others but it does a better got and not very expensive, it comes in a blue spray bottle and you spray it directly on the floor then just use a dry mop. Hope this helps and maybe others have found the solution.

Helen Long Hello Kim,

For my laminate floors I always used Murphy's Oil soap. I wouldd first use the swifter to collect all the dust then use it with the Murphy's oil. It always left my floors shining and no streaks. Here are a few links to check out for you are anyone else that is interested.

Best regards....Helen

http://floortalk.wfca.org/2009/01/13/murphys-oil-soap-faq/

http://askville.amazon.com/whats-product-cleanign-pergo-laminate-floors-clean/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=3651216

chakag Regular cleaning solutions DO leave streaks. I have laminate tile-look in my kitchen and have found a little vinegar in some warm water works the best for me. Plus inexpensive compared to other cleaning solutions!

pollywolly Thanks chakag, I wondered about using vinegar but was nervous about it taking the shine off or stripping the finish.

leiyuan0086 That sounds very nice. From the price and decoraiton effect. But I am a little afraid about the lifetime. I have learnd new Ceramic Wood Tile. It'll be cheaper than Natural Wood Tile, but easy clean, longlife time. I think it would be good choice also. What's more it's near natural wood tile surface.

Rebecca Behrent It is not true that laminate floors cannot be repaired. There is a product called Lamanator Plus that cleans, shines, and restores laminate floors. For details, go here: http://www.laminate-floor-cleaner.com/?shine&gclid=CPe6n4CszbICFYw-Mgoddh0A6A

Rebecca Behrent For serious repairs like chips and gouges in a laminate floor, here's another site I'd recommend. http://homeimprovement.lovetoknow.com/Repair_Laminate_Flooring. Also, before you ever install your laminate floor, buy 2 to 3 extra boxes. That way, if something really major happens that is totally beyond repair (say a meteor flies through the window and hits the floor), you'll have some extra flooring to take care of it.

PamDesigns 3D So far, the best I've found to clean my laminate is plain water with vinegar. Everything else leaves streaks.

pollywolly Thanks Pamela, just wondering what part water to vinegar you use and also how does it effect the shine?

chakag I also use vinegar. I use about a half a cup to about a half a gallon of water. I don't really measure. :-)

PamDesigns 3D I use a cleaning mop that allows a choice of either a washable microfiber pad or a disposable pad (both work great) and has a refillable tank that sprays the vinegar and water mixture on the floor. The ratio I use is about 4 parts water to 1 part vinegar to fill the tank. I'm sure to wipe the floor dry as I mop so that there are no streaks. My floor has a 'piano finish' which is very shiney. This is the only method I've found that doesn't make it dull.

nancy_pennock yes I totally agree with bepsf...I hate that sound of the hollow- clicking sound like and echo. Really looks good and then you walk on it......

pollywolly Nancy, laminate floors do not have to be noisy...it depends a great deal on the thickness and what you put underneath them. There is a product at Home Depot that I recently used made from cork, not only does it absorb the sound but it has an R factor for added insulation. I have both real wood and laminate floors, they both have positive elements, my real wood floors mark more easily than the laminate but the real wood feels warmer. As for the finish they both look good and laminate can be restored, there are a number of products that work great.

wtfruta So I have been reading, with great interest, the article and comments about laminate floors. In 1996 we installed Wilsonart Laminate floors in our living, dining rooms and kitchen. They are still here today. I have shocked so many people when I tell them it is not real wood. They do NOT have a hollow clicking sound. We had them professionally installed with a high grade under layer. They have survived SO much abuse including, but not limited to: a wheelchair and various other large pieces of medical equipment (some with sharp edges) for over a year, tools being dropped, children and their trucks , Legos, and limitless energy, virtually every family holiday for my extended family, kids birthday parties, a 60 lb. greyhound, and my excessive need to clean. There are some small dents here and there, but they still look fabulous.
These floors butt up against solid oak stairs with a solid oak landing. Guess what. The solid oak landing was a wreck only two weeks after it was installed. It needs refinishing so badly, but my husband wants to tear it out. It is so gouged and marred, with finish coming off everywhere. It is just an eyesore.
10 years ago we had a leak in our dishwasher. The laminate took it well, but the vinyl beneath the laminate did not and the water went through to the ceiling below. Still, the laminate has trudged on, taking more abuse. Now it is finally starting to buckle in one spot. So now we need to replace it. Unfortunately, Wilsonart no longer makes laminate floors. We cannot find anything that comes close to matching it, so it all needs to come out. After studying and reviewing all our options, including wood and ceramic tile, we are going with laminate again. We have higher end Pergo in the bedrooms, and will probably use that same floor in these areas, with laminate tile in the kitchen. I just hope it holds up as well as this old Wilsonart. These floors have been a good and faithful friend to this family, and I am sorry to see them go

colorfast Just wanted to update my prior post that my floor has been in for 18 months now and still look like new. We have 3 teens and a dog, and this flooring goes up to the front door and gets a lot of use. It is a Shaw product (SL244 Natural Values II in 651 Fairfield Pine).

As to cleaning wood laminate floors: Our contractor recommended using Bona Stone, Tile and Laminate Floor Cleaner. The first time, I bought the Bona mop and the spray together. What is nice about the spray is that it seems to evaporate/dry quickly with the Bona mop and there are no streaks.

patscats2 Congrat's colorfast on your new flooring. My laminate has been in for 3 years now and has survived roughhousing by two 60 lb. dogs and a few cats. You can't scratch or dent them. I made the mistake and bought the high gloss one and wish I had gone with a more weather looking floor. Keeping this shiny floor spot free is impossible so I just go for clean and not perfection anymore. LOL

Diane Kirsch can i put laminate on top of my tile floor? the tile is soooo ugly, and i cant take another year of it... we cant rip it up because it is adhered to asbestos tile, which is on top of concrete... although this sounds like it is very thick, or raised..it really isnt. i just love the look of wood floors and am wondering if i would be able to do this.

wtfruta yes, you can do that. The floor will be slightly raised up and you will need a reducer strip to bridge the gap between floors. Of course, I am assuming the floor is not already raised up a 1/2 in. or so. Really, you should have an installer look at it. My floor is directly over vinyl. It has never been a problem.

wtfruta So here is the continued sage of my laminate flooring. We needed to replace our 16 yr. old Wilsonart laminate kitchen floor, due to a flood ten years ago. I wrote all about it above. Anyway, we were told by the installer that since the dining and living room floors are in such awesome condition, we should just replace the kitchen. So we chose a Armstrong, top of the line w/ lifetime warranty, stone look laminate. This stuff WAS NOT CHEAP. Install day came, and the installer spent 3 hours trying to make it work. The materials in an entire box were defective, and no matter what he tried, it was not going together without leaving large gaps. The store manager came out to look at it. He was shown, with a level how uneven the seams were and how 4 of the large pieces cupped upward in the middle. The store gave me a full refund, and said they would do whatever I wanted to fix the situation. I had to live a week with the crappy under floor in my kitchen and set aside another day for install.
As it turns out, I went with wood look ceramic tile. It went down so easy in my tiny kitchen, and looks fantastic! I can say I am happy the Armstrong was such a disaster. Now, I still think laminate flooring is a wonderful thing, and I love it's usefulness for today's families. I must say though, when a major brand like Armstrong makes such a disaster of a product, and it passes quality control, this makes me wary about product dependability. This was not just one or two defective laminate boards. We went through an entire box trying to find one that had straight seams!
I hope those of you that want laminate still go ahead with your dream project. Please, do not let my experience sway you. Laminate floors are a great product and have a very useful place in many homes. I just wanted to bring a close to my laminate flooring commentary. I am showing a photo of the ceramic floor that was just finished today. I wish you all a home full of blessings and peace.

colorfast WT, I'm so glad you found something that worked better than your initial purchase. Thank goodness the company was willing to acknowledge a poor job. Also great to hear of another good flooring alternative. It would be helpful if you could mention the brand and color/style of your tile for people reading this thread in the future. It seems to have a lot of traction.

wtfruta Those are Style Selection tiles from Lowe's in the color "gunstock". I purposely did not get a tile that was embossed with wood grain, for easy clean up. Many of the wood look tiles have a grain pattern embossed in them. While they are beautiful, they seem to be a dirt and grease trap to me.

cpb49 We purchased our home two years ago, and the kitchen, dining and hallways are all tile installed over cement board...unfortunately very durable! Walking on tile all day is hurting my knees and back, and I do not like the look of it. However I understand that the cost of a new wood or laminate floor will be dwarfed by the cost of taking up the old tile! Any suggestions?

wtfruta You could lay a laminate or engineered wood floor directly over the tile. This is the beauty of the "floating floor" system. I would be sure and use a very good underlayment (maybe even cork) for extra cushioning. I agree, tile is a very hard surface to walk on all day. Gel cushion mats in front of the sink and stove are a necessity for me.

debdebweb Hello all. Love the comments about flooring.

I was wondering if anyone could make some recommendations for my situation? I run a small doggie daycare in my home with wall to wall carpeting (I know, I know, it sounds gross). I steam clean twice a month (boy dogs want to mark everything in this house!). Not to mention that we get a lot of puppies who aren't fully potty-trained. But I love that the dogs can race around the sofas at full speed without loosing traction (our doggie racetrack). Plus, they love lounging everywhere on the carpet.

However, I'm tired of all the steam cleaning and want to put in hard flooring with rugs. Laminate sounds great, but I'm worried about the "accidents" seeping between the seams of the laminate, creating moisture damage and ongoing odors. Does anyone know if you can (or should) seal laminate flooring to prevent moisture damage? Plus, I'm worried about how slippery laminate might be for little furry paws.

I'm also considering vinyl/linoleum, but am afraid of the cost.

Does anyone know if there is a type of flooring that has some grip for little doggie paws to avoid slipping while being non-porous for easy cleanup? Maybe some rubber-like material that looks like wood or tile? Any and all suggestions would be appreciated!

If it helps to know, we live in a small 1300 square-foot 1950's rancher in California.