Laminate flooring

**Sekretgardengal** · 01-25-2007, 04:08 PM

We just came back from a flooring store and we saw the new laminates available. Wow! The man said to look up on the computer Wilsonart Laminates. We saw the one that looks like slate and boy how beautiful it is.
We are going to go with Renaissance Bronze. It looks gorgeous. Now I need to see it in person. We want to put in in the living room and into the kitchen and possibly the foyer leading to the bedrooms. Is it hard to install??

**PDXnative** · 01-25-2007, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sekretgardengal

We just came back from a flooring store and we saw the new laminates available. Wow! The man said to look up on the computer Wilsonart Laminates. We saw the one that looks like slate and boy how beautiful it is.
We are going to go with Renaissance Bronze. It looks gorgeous. Now I need to see it in person. We want to put in in the living room and into the kitchen and possibly the foyer leading to the bedrooms. Is it hard to install??

Personally, I would not go with laminates. Especially if you have dogs. If you go with the higher end stuff that looks real, you might as well go with the real stuff as it will be the same cost... and its real!!!

**Sekretgardengal** · 01-25-2007, 04:22 PM

Hmmm, we will shop around. We have Spanky and he isn't so big but he has hard nails. If we went with tiles the floors would be so cold. The laminate stuff looks really beautiful. We will do some more homework!

**the dufferz** · 01-25-2007, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sekretgardengal

. Is it hard to install??

I've installed pergo a couple of times and another brand of laminate flooring.

What is the installation method they recommend?

**a1m1700** · 01-27-2007, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sekretgardengal

We just came back from a flooring store and we saw the new laminates available. Wow! The man said to look up on the computer Wilsonart Laminates. We saw the one that looks like slate and boy how beautiful it is.
We are going to go with Renaissance Bronze. It looks gorgeous. Now I need to see it in person. We want to put in in the living room and into the kitchen and possibly the foyer leading to the bedrooms. Is it hard to install??

You know we were out looking at new homes in NC a couple of weeks ago. I saw that slate laminate I couldn't beleive it, I thought it was real I had to bend down and touch it, it looked great. That was the exact color that bronze. Very very nice!! I'm a slate freak!!! I would have everything slate if my husband would let me.

Bones · 01-28-2007, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sekretgardengal

We just came back from a flooring store and we saw the new laminates available. Wow! The man said to look up on the computer Wilsonart Laminates. We saw the one that looks like slate and boy how beautiful it is.
We are going to go with Renaissance Bronze. It looks gorgeous. Now I need to see it in person. We want to put in in the living room and into the kitchen and possibly the foyer leading to the bedrooms. Is it hard to install??

Not hard at all to install. However, I would not install a laminate floor ever again unless it is glued to the existing floor. It is noisy for pets claws, and hard sole shoes.

**the dufferz** · 01-28-2007, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bones

Not hard at all to install. However, I would not install a laminate floor ever again unless it is glued to the existing floor. It is noisy for pets claws, and hard sole shoes.

I've done glue down and floating.

None are nice to install as a DIY, especially on a larger floor. Thought that glue down would be better, but the glue pulled the planks apart, so it was a tough installation.

If you got the buck, have it installed for you!

**thecuban** · 01-28-2007, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the dufferz

I've done glue down and floating.

None are nice to install as a DIY, especially on a larger floor. Thought that glue down would be better, but the glue pulled the planks apart, so it was a tough installation.

If you got the buck, have it installed for you!

We are talking about vinyl right? If so I agree should be done by a pro!! You need the proper tools including a roller.

**the dufferz** · 01-28-2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thecuban

We are talking about vinyl right? If so I agree should be done by a pro!! You need the proper tools including a roller.

I think we are talking about laminated flooring like a pergo. These come in pieces and are usually glued together, tongue and groove style. Some systems use a "floating" system where the floor just sits on top of the old floor, some are glue down.

**thecuban** · 01-28-2007, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the dufferz

I think we are talking about laminated flooring like a pergo. These come in pieces and are usually glued together, tongue and groove style. Some systems use a "floating" system where the floor just sits on top of the old floor, some are glue down.

Yea I know what it is but I didn't know it came in a slate look. As far as I knew that look only comes in vinyl. Wow I had no idea! In that case if its not the glue on it can be done by a reular Joe.

Quote:

We saw the one that looks like slate and boy how beautiful it is.

Bones · 01-28-2007, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the dufferz

I've done glue down and floating.

None are nice to install as a DIY, especially on a larger floor. Thought that glue down would be better, but the glue pulled the planks apart, so it was a tough installation.

If you got the buck, have it installed for you!

Never heard that before. I used the floating with foam backing and went down very easy except around the ceramic tiles I put in the center. They donot cut very easy with the top coating.

**Sekretgardengal** · 01-30-2007, 06:34 PM

We have decided to go for hardwood floors. We saw the real thing today and it is so beautiful.

**PDXnative** · 01-30-2007, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sekretgardengal

We have decided to go for hardwood floors. We saw the real thing today and it is so beautiful.

Nothing looks nicer or holds up better than REAL. Good choice!!!

**Sekretgardengal** · 01-30-2007, 06:57 PM

Yea, you were right. I am not settling for anything but the REAL stuff.

Jenbar · 02-02-2007, 09:43 AM

I love love hardwood - but the drawback is that it DOES get dinged easily. A dog's nails are killers for a hardwood floor.

We had hardwood in a townhouse, which with kids and dogs, in a year was pretty heavily marked up. When we moved, we did pergo-type laminate in the downstairs - and while yes, it's not as nice as hardwoods - the maintenance was better.

I would seriously consider your traffic level. Hardwoods are an expensive upgrade that can really add value to your home - but if it's marked up and not nice looking, really shows.

Laminate wears better.... you can find amazingly great prices if you shop the "warehouse" discounter places. NOT homedepot, lowes etc.

Jenbar · 02-02-2007, 09:45 AM

Oh, and we installed the floors ourselves - well, actually my husband did. Prior to this he had no experience and was not particularly handy - but he did our whole downstairs, except the kitchen, and they turned out very nice.

We had the click together floating type. The only thing that took some time was the cutting. Other than that, it was pretty easy.

**Sekretgardengal** · 02-03-2007, 03:46 PM

Gosh, I am so confused. The wood looks so much nicer.

**Sekretgardengal** · 02-04-2007, 01:43 PM

I think I will have to go and look again. We are going to take our time deciding though. I don't want to rush into making the wrong choice.

01-25-2007, 04:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sekretgardengal Hi guys, I am here! Join Date: Nov 30th, 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,111	Laminate flooring We just came back from a flooring store and we saw the new laminates available. Wow! The man said to look up on the computer Wilsonart Laminates. We saw the one that looks like slate and boy how beautiful it is. We are going to go with Renaissance Bronze. It looks gorgeous. Now I need to see it in person. We want to put in in the living room and into the kitchen and possibly the foyer leading to the bedrooms. Is it hard to install??

01-25-2007, 04:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
Sekretgardengal Hi guys, I am here! Join Date: Nov 30th, 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,111	Re: Laminate flooring Hmmm, we will shop around. We have Spanky and he isn't so big but he has hard nails. If we went with tiles the floors would be so cold. The laminate stuff looks really beautiful. We will do some more homework!

01-30-2007, 06:34 PM	#12 (permalink)
Sekretgardengal Hi guys, I am here! Join Date: Nov 30th, 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,111	Re: Laminate flooring We have decided to go for hardwood floors. We saw the real thing today and it is so beautiful.

01-30-2007, 06:57 PM	#14 (permalink)
Sekretgardengal Hi guys, I am here! Join Date: Nov 30th, 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,111	Re: Laminate flooring Yea, you were right. I am not settling for anything but the REAL stuff.

02-02-2007, 09:43 AM	#15 (permalink)
Jenbar Banned Join Date: Feb 01st, 2007 Location: Here Posts: 594	Re: Laminate flooring I love love hardwood - but the drawback is that it DOES get dinged easily. A dog's nails are killers for a hardwood floor. We had hardwood in a townhouse, which with kids and dogs, in a year was pretty heavily marked up. When we moved, we did pergo-type laminate in the downstairs - and while yes, it's not as nice as hardwoods - the maintenance was better. I would seriously consider your traffic level. Hardwoods are an expensive upgrade that can really add value to your home - but if it's marked up and not nice looking, really shows. Laminate wears better.... you can find amazingly great prices if you shop the "warehouse" discounter places. NOT homedepot, lowes etc.

02-02-2007, 09:45 AM	#16 (permalink)
Jenbar Banned Join Date: Feb 01st, 2007 Location: Here Posts: 594	Re: Laminate flooring Oh, and we installed the floors ourselves - well, actually my husband did. Prior to this he had no experience and was not particularly handy - but he did our whole downstairs, except the kitchen, and they turned out very nice. We had the click together floating type. The only thing that took some time was the cutting. Other than that, it was pretty easy.

02-03-2007, 03:46 PM	#17 (permalink)
Sekretgardengal Hi guys, I am here! Join Date: Nov 30th, 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,111	Re: Laminate flooring Gosh, I am so confused. The wood looks so much nicer. __________________ I am back!

02-04-2007, 01:43 PM	#18 (permalink)
Sekretgardengal Hi guys, I am here! Join Date: Nov 30th, 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,111	Re: Laminate flooring I think I will have to go and look again. We are going to take our time deciding though. I don't want to rush into making the wrong choice. __________________ I am back!