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Laminate vs. Engineered Wood Flooring Jacksf 06-14-2007
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Posted by Jacksf on June 14, 2007, 6:58 pm
I'm an older retired guy living in the SF Bay area in a small 750 sq.ft.
home built in 1933. Have had the kitchen and bath remodeled last year
and now am doing the bedrooms and front room.

My quandary is; Price is a major part of what I can do. I need
something that will last 15yrs even 20 if I last that long.

I plan on staying here until they carry me out but have to make sure I
don't spend money needlessly.

The current floors are wood, slight cupping in many areas so it might
have to have a bit of sanding. Total 0f 560 sq.ft to replace.

The contractor I have been talking to had said he won't install laminate
because its not as good as engineered wood. There are tons of styles
and colors in laminate and the cost to install is minimal. I do not
plan on doing any entertaining either. Contractor said its noisy but
that's not really an issue since I will be using area carpeting.

So, what's the general consensus of opinion? Is laminate that bad for
someone on a very limited budget? Out here its 1/3 of the cost of
engineered wood.

Thanks to all for you previous help. I appreciate it.


Posted by thestuccocompany.com on June 15, 2007, 12:18 am
Jacksf wrote:


> I'm an older retired guy living in the SF Bay area in a small 750 sq.ft.

> home built in 1933. Have had the kitchen and bath remodeled last year
> and now am doing the bedrooms and front room.

> My quandary is; Price is a major part of what I can do. I need
> something that will last 15yrs even 20 if I last that long.

> I plan on staying here until they carry me out but have to make sure I
> don't spend money needlessly.

> The current floors are wood, slight cupping in many areas so it might
> have to have a bit of sanding. Total 0f 560 sq.ft to replace.

> The contractor I have been talking to had said he won't install
> laminate
> because its not as good as engineered wood. There are tons of styles
> and colors in laminate and the cost to install is minimal. I do not
> plan on doing any entertaining either. Contractor said its noisy but
> that's not really an issue since I will be using area carpeting.

> So, what's the general consensus of opinion? Is laminate that bad for
> someone on a very limited budget? Out here its 1/3 of the cost of
> engineered wood.

> Thanks to all for you previous help. I appreciate it.


I have just completed my own laminate floor project last fall and I'm very
satisfied with what came out.

Price was an issue as well as resistance to scratches as I have two large
dogs in the house. One obvious downside is: you cannot poor water on
laminate floor without consequences, but if you are planning on installing
it in a generally dry area (living/family room etc.) you should be fine.
Noisiness depends on the type of underlayment you choose but it is
generally higher than other types of floor I think because the surface is
very hard which is, of course, what makes it so scratch-resistant.

I've done 750 sq. ft in about 5 days with the help of my family members so
you should be able to do your 560 sq. ft in an extended weekend.

Make sure you have fine cut carbide blade for your saw, by the way. The
stuff is so hard it dulls a regular steel blade in just a couple of cuts.
I've gone through two carbide blades on my 750 ft.

As far as pricing, try to stay away from the cheapest laminate as the
quality is not there. All it takes is to look at the way edges are
profiled, and you'll know the difference right away.

And the last thing: 560 sq. ft. is not really that big an area (you are
going to need something like 16-18 cartons) and so you might get lucky and
snatch a good deal at H.D. or Lowe's on remainders of colors that are
being discontinued. I got a good deal on a cherry color I liked and L was
going to discontinue. Obviously, makes sense to buy a carton or two spare
just in case.

Good luck with your project!

D~



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Posted by CWatters on June 15, 2007, 4:06 am

> The current floors are wood, slight cupping in many areas so it might
> have to have a bit of sanding. Total 0f 560 sq.ft to replace.

What kind of wood? Could you just sand them and have them refinished. That
would be cheaper than replacing.

> The contractor I have been talking to had said he won't install laminate
> because its not as good as engineered wood.

Generally speaking that's true. Some laminate is very poor quality - it
amounts to a photograph of wood pasted to some recycled board with plastic
coating. At the other end of the range you can get 21mm thick Engineered Oak
which is typically 5-6mm of solid wood on an 11 ply plywood. Some Engineered
Oak is more expensive than solid oak. It's more stable so you can lay wider
boards with less risk of cupping.

As I understand it laminate is next to impossible to repair if the surface
wears. Engineered wood can frequently be sanded and refinished 3 to 5 times
before the T&G fails.

There are tons of styles
> and colors in laminate and the cost to install is minimal. I do not
> plan on doing any entertaining either. Contractor said its noisy but
> that's not really an issue since I will be using area carpeting.

In which case I suspect a good laminate might be better... I suspect real
wood will change colour differently under the carpet vs uncarpeted areas.
Make sure you use anti slip mats as a regular carpet on laminate is asking
for a broken hip.





Posted by s c r o o g e on June 16, 2007, 9:35 am
a company by the name of AMTICO makes an excellent
flooring called "vinyl planking" strips of vinyl that look
like wood, the "spacia" series are heavy duty and quiet
and lay easier and faster than wood yet last at least 10
years, or more...i just installed about 500 s.f. in a luxury
condo and it's getting all kinds of oohs and aahs...
price wise probably about 25 percent less than wood
and people will not be able to tell the difference...AMTICO


> I'm an older retired guy living in the SF Bay area in a small 750 sq.ft.
> home built in 1933. Have had the kitchen and bath remodeled last year and
> now am doing the bedrooms and front room.
>
> My quandary is; Price is a major part of what I can do. I need something
> that will last 15yrs even 20 if I last that long.
>
> I plan on staying here until they carry me out but have to make sure I
> don't spend money needlessly.
>
> The current floors are wood, slight cupping in many areas so it might have
> to have a bit of sanding. Total 0f 560 sq.ft to replace.
>
> The contractor I have been talking to had said he won't install laminate
> because its not as good as engineered wood. There are tons of styles and
> colors in laminate and the cost to install is minimal. I do not plan on
> doing any entertaining either. Contractor said its noisy but that's not
> really an issue since I will be using area carpeting.
>
> So, what's the general consensus of opinion? Is laminate that bad for
> someone on a very limited budget? Out here its 1/3 of the cost of
> engineered wood.
>
> Thanks to all for you previous help. I appreciate it.
>



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