Hello! I am a professional interior designer and general contractor. I use MANY products from Home Depot - I do like their ceramic tile options very much - but many I do not use as I have found them to be sub standard - not a big fan of their plumbing fixtures. In this instance, I would probably steer you away from the HD product. Shaw makes great flooring and with a wide range of price points. Flooring is something that is going to take A LOT of wear and tear and you should get the best quality you can afford. Most importantly to keep in mind - It's the labor (inc. demo, haul and install) which is takes up the bulk of the cost, material is typically just a small portion. Hope this helps. Caryl H.

Did you decide on your floors yet? I was just at Home Depot and saw that same flooring and fell in love with it! I also saw a bunch of rave reviews on it. We're considering using it on all 1700 sf of our home. Love the price, but also, it's the only flooring we've found so far, that actually is the look and color that we want.

the cheap stuff at Home Depot is the best flooring I've ever had. Just did an install today on my new house. Was a complete gut job since I buy bank owned houses and live in them short term. I've paid a lot of money on flooring in the past and it has failed to hold up to much. I had friends that had this stuff with 100lbs dogs and never a scratch. I switched to it in my last house over the expensive flooring and it never once had a scratch or a ding from dropping pots and 2 hyper pit bulls playing on it. Get it and don't look back.

Justin, what kind of flooring from Home Depot did you use? I am also looking for the least expensive and good looking type for a short term living arrangement.

I am considering this flooring for my 1500 sf house. I am not concerned about looks or install. I am concerned about how it will hold up over the next 5, 10, 15 years. It is only 7mm thick and that is thin. Most laminate flooring is 10mm & 12mm. Can someone speak to the longevity of this product? And 7mm flooring in general? Thank you.

Also, is it possible to seal it with a protective coat to harden & protect the surface? I'm thinking a clear polyurethane coat like what you would put on an actual wood floor.

Glopping crapola onto a laminate floor is a recipe for a peeling mess. It's cheap for a reason. You will never get what you refuse to pay for. There is a reason flippers use it. They are out of there in 6 months. No sticking around to see it wear out.

That is my biggest concern, is that it will look good for a short while but not last.
As far as the polyurethane goes, I'm not sure why you refer to it as 'crapola'. It has been used for decades to protect wood floors and make them really 'shine'. If there is an actual reason that would not work on laminate flooring I would like to know, instead of just derisively putting it down.

I know that I'm late to the party but we installed the lakeshore pecan flooring on our main floor (1400sq ft) in 2014. It is still amazing! It has held up better than we could have imagined! We like it so much that we are putting it in another house as well. We have 2 big dogs and the flooring shows no signs of wear... We also don't take shoes off when entering our house. Durable product!

P.S. since this photo, our decor has completely changed to more cream and grey and the slightly rustic floors with modern decor looks amazing.

Tina Gallegos thank you for your comment. I just bought this flooring yesterday to replace the 13 year old carpet on the entire first floor of our house. I have been putting off the project for years because of the cost with hardwood or LVN. But when i saw the sample in the store, i fell in love with it and it's very affordable. Good to know that it held up well.

RC and anyone else that wants to know what cheap stuff I was referring to is traffic master. I Have flipped houses w it. Not only is it cheap it lasts a long time and I don't need to worry about dropping my drill on it when installing cabinets. Lakeshore pecan is what I'm currently living with and it takes the abuse from my 3 yr olds spills and our crazy dog. Don't listen to people when they say don't get the cheap stuff because flippers use it for a reason and are gone in 6 months. Look closely at the displays. You'll notice the more expensive you get the more scratches the displays have. Those are people like me testing the durability with keys. Go ahead and stress test the displays yourself. I've installed about 10 floors now and the cheap stuff from Germany holds up the best ALWAYS.

Mae - I hope that the lakeshore pecan works as well for you as it has for me. In another house, I'm in the process of choosing new quartz countertops and fireplace tile... I love the lakeshore pecan so much that it'll be installed in this house as well and I'm selecting the rest of my materials and finishes based on that floor. It's so versatile! The last pic I posted was more earth tons browns... I found another pic of that house after I had changed to grey/cream and the flooring still worked. I love the floor for its price, versatility and durability.

I saw the color on the store and it looks a lot lighter than the pictures you are sharing… i like the color i saw at the store a lot, but looking for an equivalent that is water resistant…