Laminate is cheap for a reason. You'll hate it within 3 years. Some things in life are worth going on a beans and rice diet for. If tile or hardwood is what you want, tile or hardwood is what you should get! This is your main living area, not a place to skimp.

Not everyone hates laminate! There are some available that look pretty darn good. I had it in my old house, and frankly, it was the easiest floor to take care of that I ever had. We have two kids and a kitty, and that floor looked as good the day we sold the house as it did when we installed it. We even had the house rented out for 5 years, and it still looked good, despite the fact that the lady was a slob who never cleaned the floor. We went in after she moved out and cleaned it well, and it looked great. I have hardwood now, and it's not as easy to take care of. I also have some tile, and the grout is a pain to keep clean.

I do love the hardwood I have now, it's beautiful, but definitely more expensive than laminate and it will scratch if you're not careful. I do think it looks nicer than laminate, there's nothing like real wood. But I was happy enough with the laminate when we had it.

@shars55 money is really tight and even though I really wanted tile we cannot afford it. I'm glad that you said laminate can last long. I saw the southern grey oak in Home Depot and it looked just like real wood. My son plays very hard and our dog acts crazy sometimes so anything that can withstand the both of them and is cost efficient I will take.

Laminate is a good option. I wouldn't ever do hardwood again with pets, it just gets ruined. You might also consider vinyl, inexpensive and durable like laminate and there are some fabulous options that mimic wood quite well these days.

Since money is an issue, check out local carpet and flooring stores. You may get a better deal than the big box stores and bigger furniture and carpet stores usually have professional installers contracted. That said, I installed a quality laminate in my whole house 3 years ago. (2000 sq ft) and I am totally happy with it. Two Yorkies, no kids but dogs in and out in all kinds of weather with muddy footprints. The laminate is so easy to clean and looks great. Beware of laminate cleaners as many will leave your floor with a residue that will dull the finish. After much trial and error the only thing I now use is vinegar and water with the driest mop possible. The spin buckets seem to work best. You do have to be quick to mop up spills and pet accidents as standing water can bubble up the seams on laminate but the finish itself seems impervious. Microfiber dusters will keep the floors clean between moppings and with the right color you will not notice the dust until it gets really heavy.

Seems like there is lots of conflicting advice - it's just personal taste and budget. I have had both and would always have a solid oak floor. We applied our own water based extra tough varnish which meant that when it was a bit scuffed (which took years) a quick light sand and you go over it again. Laminate will still incur a cost which will be lost if you go off it and replace with real wood. It's a tricky one.

Thanks for all the input everyone. We went to Lowes and Home Depot yesterday and this is what we decided to go with. The Southern Grey Oak looks like real wood and I like the feel of it.

I have laminate and do not like it. I would rather have hardwood which I had in a previous home. The laminate shows every foot print and piece of lint or crumb.

Another option might be a faux hardwood porcelain tile floor. The porcelain is very durable, easy to clean and comes in many colors. It is shaped like a plank of wood. It's pretty popular now and is probably available at places like Home Depot. I have attached a photo of the porcelain flooring we used in a recent project. It is a pretty light finish.

@Harrison Leigh LLC

That's what we originally wanted to do. The wood like porcelain tiles. Because we had to re-negotiate on the price for the house last minute we don't have enough funds for tile. We have to replace the carpet on the first floor before we move in and because my dog and toddle are extremely unpredictable I don't want to go with carpet again because it's a mess waiting to happen.

We just put Hickory Sinatra Laminate by Nature's Walk throughout our new Condo. It wears better than hardwood, is easier to look after, and looks great!

Laminate can sometimes feel like you're walking on formica, so I'd consider going with an engineered hardwood. It's basically a hybrid of solid hardwood and laminate but will feel more substantial. Check out these options: http://www.lumberliquidators.com/ll/s/engineered-hardwood-flooring?googlePageType=product

Perhaps check if Home Depot is now carrying it. It really looks great. I have seen it in many colors...always looks really nice. It also has a slight texture so it's not slippery.

I wouldn't buy ANYTHING from Lumber Liquidators. They are being sued for unhealthy levels formaldehyde in their laminate. Not sure about their engineered flooring, but I wouldn't trust them. Engineered hardwood is more expensive than laminate, and the OP is looking for something that's not too pricey.

I had this same struggle! Just built a new house & was concerned about price & durability (I have a small dog too). It's product + labor for cost so if you go cheap & need to replace in 3-5 yrs, was it really a savings (even if it's a DIY)? I ended up going middle ground (engineered) & used a reputable manufacturer (Shaw) and found an online source for WAAAAY cheaper than big box (floormaina.com) Since I was ordering a known Shaw product, no worries about quality. Shaw sent me free samples. Once you hold laminate, engineered & hardwood samples in your hand you'll see the quality difference. The only catch was floormania will only deliver to a business. My friend let me deliver to his shop & it wasn't a big deal--the truck basically just used his parking lot while we transferred the product to my car. Everyone thinks my engineered wood is 100% hardwood!

Have you considered bamboo? If you really shop around online you will find that it is not that much more expensive than laminate and looks and lasts very well. If that is not an option then Home Depot has really great deals on good looking, good quality laminate. (I prefer HD's quality to IKEA's.)

My best friend has had Pergo for years and it still looks brand new and she loves it!

Put coretec they have several colors available and looks and sounds better than laminate

I loved my hardwood floors in an older home in another state because they were so beautiful and warm compared to tile. I have Pergo because the hardwood would not be practical with all the sand that is tracked in my home. You have to be so careful with water around laminate--no aquariums or buckets of water with Christmas trees. My call since someone posted damage from an aquarium. Tile would stand up to everything children and pets can dish out if you get porcelain, but even porcelain can be damaged by blunt force. My Pergo floor looks just like the wood floors in my former home, but they do not have the feel of real wood. I chose a medium color and no dirt shows, and little messes are easily wiped up. We installed the Pergo ourselves since there is no glue or nailing down involved, just the trim around the edge of the walls. And it goes down FAST.

Sorry, just noticed that you had already bought laminate. Hope you are loving it. Be sure to post pictures!

Here is a pic of what we have done so far with the house. The laminate will be delivered Saturday. We are still working on the paint.

So its been about a year....did you ever install the floors? What do you think of the end result?

Laminate is plastic. go with the wood

This post is a year old. She already decided in the laminate. We just want to see the end result.

Kim this is a beautiful result, I am glad you love it. I will be doing laminate as well and the color is what drew me to your post. This turned out amazing. I recently went to a friends house and I refused to believe her laminate floors were not hardwood. Until she tried to dent it with her keys! For kids and dogs I think this works quite well.