Thoughts on hardwood vs LVP?

If you like feel of a floating floor, COREtec is sure to have a style you may like. But because there's existing laminate, my guess would be that it is currently a floating floor for a reason... there was probably carpet before the laminate. I would have to recommend you sticking with another floating floor system, whichever material you choose, just so that you don't run into additional prep-work costs for subfloor repair if you decide to go with a glue-down like LVP.

As far as a style recommendation, even though the light color on the floor does look nice and bright, maybe consider a wood-look plank with a darker color to give the whole space some contrast. The floor plan is open enough to go darker if that's something you'd like. The pairing of dark floors with no kids or pets sound like a great match. As far as cabinets go, they look like they're in pretty good shape, and you'd be surprised at the difference a new floor makes to a whole space; if you go with a dark colored, high contrasting floor, you can compliment the counter tops and appliances and keep the light colored cabinets. Good luck and congratulations on the home!

Here are some links to our flooring blog with this years flooring trends, and more about COREtec and other floating systems.

The Flooring Blog-

Flooring Trends - Post

COREtec - Post

You have a budget of $15K to remove, purchase and install 1850sf of flooring. That works out to be $8.11/sf - which includes install I am going to assume. Removal/disposal of laminate can be as much as $1/sf. With that assumption, you know have $7.11/sf. Assume that roughly HALF OF THAT will be labor (preparation and install).

Excellent. We are down to $3.55 per square foot for flooring + under pad. Another HIGH END laminate will do the trick with a high-end under pad. CoreTec can START at $4.50/sf and go up from there.

Other LVT = $1.79 from Home Depot...rising all the way up to $7/sf from high-end independent dealers.

The "laminate is splitting" is the INSTALLATION in the KITCHEN...not the laminate itself. The LACK OF TRANSITION STRIPS through the DOORWAYS is causing ALL THE PROBLEMS (and the fact that they installed an inappropriate floor in a kitchen = big NO-NO)!

With a budget such as yours, and a kitchen that you wish to "deal with" I would save my money, fix the floor so that it stops doing what it is doing, get a REAL kitchen floor installed and deal with the counter tops to suite your lifestyle.

Congratulations - you've just spent $15K.

The laminate throughout the house is fine...you just need to drop in some T-mouldings through doorways (couple hundred dollars) and install a PROPER kitchen floor ($1000 - $3000). You can do that when you deal with the counters/cabs. And to be clear, you will use the $15K just on the counters and cabinets...with only a small amount left over for the "proper" kitchen flooring.

Cancork, what do you mean by "proper" kitchen flooring? Laminate can't be used in kitchens? Cracker barrels, that's what I was planning on doing with my kitchen/flooring remodel. If I don't do laminate (I HATE tile), then it's carpet, laminate, something else in a row in such a small space.

@knickema - Yes...that's exactly what I'm saying. Laminates (traditional laminate) is not designed for water - of any sort. We see many laminates "dying" within 3-7 years when installed in a kitchen. The biggest "killer" = dishwasher steam! Yep. The laminate around the dishwasher can, and will, bubble and buckle/peel because of the steam coming out of the dishwasher.

If you want to use laminate, then I suggest you buy ENOUGH flooring to replace the kitchen. So if you have a 200sf kitchen then order 400sf for that space. Put the rest away in storage for the day you need to replace it...which should be about 5-7 years from now.

Enhanced laminates - like Aquaguard - are designed for this situation. They have a more stable core and are less likely to get upset with water or steam. They double or triple the price of your flooring...but they get the job done.

A vinyl floor (double to triple the cost of regular laminate) will do what you want without much effort. If your kitchen is rather small, I would look at working with the laminate you want for the REST of the house, and then purchase sheet vinyl (in a stone look or something else other than "wood look") and spend a little bit more on the SMALLEST part of the space.

If you want the same flooring throughout (carpet is not for kitchens either) then you will have to work with a product specifically designed for kitchens - like enhanced laminate or vinyl.