Any opinions on Shaw laminate for bi-level basement

6 years ago

Planning to install laminate floor on my bi-level basement. I got the best price on Shaw Vision Works Laminate- Sandstone Beige for 1.00 per sq ft, not sure how it's so CHEAP. I couldn't find enough reviews for Shaw laminate, especially none for Vision Works product line. Anyone have any experience or thoughts about their laminate? it's 1/4 inch thick plank. I have pets at home, so it'd need to be good against moisture.

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Comments (3)

SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
OK...so let's look at the specifications of the Shaw Vision Works laminate. Issue #1 is it is ONLY 6mm thick (1/4" = 6.3mm thick). That is ranked as THIN. A 'nice' laminate starts at 10mm or more. A VERY NICE laminate is 12mm (without underpad). And a top-level laminate comes in 15mm thickness.

As for 'moisture' resistance this offers NONE. This is NOT vinyl. It is laminate. Laminate is a photograph of something (usually wood) that is glued to the top of fibreboard. That photograph gets a 'finish' on top (often urethane when they are this level of product). The finish does NOTHING to stop moisture.

If you read the installation instructions it states that spills (or animal urine) must be removed as quickly as it takes to wipe it up (a few seconds).

I think we can see this is an entry level product for entry level homes. It will not withstand 'leaky pets' nor will it handle being in a kitchen with a dishwasher or a fridge with a water line.

If this is going down over concrete, you MUST have a vapour barrier (6mil polysheeting = industry standard) AND it MUST HAVE an underpad used with it. Your material costs should 'double' because of the underpad + vapour barrier (assuming you are installing over concrete).

The reason this is so cheap? It is probably end of a line/colour/plank or overstock for the location. The product is made in Germany so I'm going to guess ('cause I know the cost of shipping from Europe) you are purchasing this about 10% over cost. In other words you are paying 'cost + shipping'. It costs roughly $0.35 USD to ship product from Europe to the East Coast of N. America. That means you are spending (roughly) $0.65/sf on the material itself. And that's around the same price the company paid to have it made for them.
Ellie Kim thanked SJ McCarthy
Ellie Kim
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you for the thoughts! This is my first house, I think i'm gonna live here for quite some time like 10 years. Didn't know 6mm is not considered thick enough... I was planning to have 3mm foam underlayment if i decide to go for this laminate.
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SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
The 3mm foam is going to be to thick for this thin laminate. A laminate plank this thin is going to flex too much. If you want underpad I would stick with something like 3mm cork underlayment. Cork doesn't bounce or compress as much as foam. That means a thin laminate like this will work better.

A plank that flexes too much can and will break the click edges. Part of the stability of the floor is the THICKNESS of the click edge. A plank that is only 6mm is going to have a VERY THIN click edge. That makes the floor highly susceptible to damage due to excess movement (ie. the compression created by 3mm of foam).