My flooring does not sound hollow because I used a good underlayment underneath plus it is almost a 1/2" thick which makes it very sturdy. Now considering that it floats, I do have a few spots where it creaks a bit but that really doesn't bother me.

If you buy a good quality laminate you shouldn't have chipping issues. Mine is 18" months old and I don't have a single chip. In fact, my husband dropped a ceramic plate on the floor the very day it was installed and there is only slight scratch.

The only room I put laminate in that would be exposed to water was a half bath. The only way it gets wet is when our cat sits on the vanity, begs to have the sink filled, and then dips her paw in the water to drink and shakes her paw...lol. I wouldn't put laminate in a room where you would get enough water on it to cause it to be slippery. Tile can be slippery too if wet.

I'm not sure what you mean by "very hard." It's actually TO ME about the same hardness as our vinyl floor on my feet. I can walk on both easily w/o socks or shoes and isn't brutally cold like tile.

I have never regretted my decision. We picked one of the best products on the market and most people (including those in the building trades) think it's real wood. I actually enjoy telling them it's laminate because they are shocked due to their preconceived notions of how laminate should look.

Good luck!

You can buy sound deadening underlayments for these laminate creations. It helps kill that hollow sound and helps to make walking on the things less 'creepy'...