Flooring Question - Hardwoord, Bamboo, Laminate, Carpet???

Skimmerking · #1 05-13-2007, 02:22 PM

here is my flooring that i put in along with slate tiles.. I went with the saloon grade i like it

My wife says you could have cleaned the shoes away its all about presentation...

andsoitgoes · #2 05-13-2007, 08:12 PM

ugh - see, this is what I'm talking about :P

andresont - I totally get what you're saying, and that's why I was going to grab some samples to really test them. I was seriously considering the glue, even with the snap lock pieces..

asmodeus - how much do you spill on the floors, and do you guys have kids? I'm really concerned about that side of things.

See - even without salesman, I'm getting 2 completely different sides to the story! :P

andresont · #3 05-13-2007, 08:53 PM

I am confused, how is that you see a difference in our stories?

Is this because I am saying that hardwood will warp when moisture is present?
I remember two people who had to replace the hardwood for this reason. One was on top of Coral Ocean shop in Vancouver on Boundary and KingsWay, she replaced her floors twice in one year! Just call Colin at (604) 733-1888 ( 3622 Kingsway - Coral Ocean) and ask him. He will tell you that woman on top of his store did replace the floors twice. (I don’t think it was moisture from his store though, but this is a different subject)
The other one is on top of my old apartment on Patterson ave. when they had a supply line broken in the bathroom. In both cases hardwood warped.
That is why I am recommending to test samples by submerging in salt water for 12 hrs , regardless of what you choice is laminate or hardwood.
In any case, as people here are indicating that whatever case may be (laminate or hardwood) it is a matter of personal preference. The point is to test it that’s all there is to it.
You may want to test few assembled samples just to see that it will stay aligned, so perhaps a small vat/bath would be even better for this purpose

andsoitgoes · #4 05-13-2007, 08:56 PM

well yours vs asmodeus

The experience you've had with hardwood seems the exact opposite he's had!

He doesn't seem to have any warping, and others are always telling me "no, laminate will warp the second water looks at it!!"

That's the confusion/difference I speak of!

Quote:

Originally Posted by andresont

I am confused, how is that you see a difference in our stories?

Is this because I am saying that hardwood will warp when moisture is present?
I remember two people who had to replace the hardwood for this reason. One was on top of Coral Ocean shop in Vancouver on Boundary and KingsWay, she replaced her floors twice in one year! Just call Colin at (604) 733-1888 ( 3622 Kingsway - Coral Ocean) and ask him. He will tell you that woman on top of his store did replace the floors twice. (I don’t think it was moisture from his store though, but this is a different subject)
The other one is on top of my old apartment on Patterson ave. when they had a supply line broken in the bathroom. In both cases hardwood warped.
That is why I am recommending to test samples by submerging in salt water for 12 hrs , regardless of what you choice is laminate or hardwood.
In any case, as people here are indicating that whatever case may be (laminate or hardwood) it is a matter of personal preference. The point is to test it that’s all there is to it.
You may want to test few assembled samples just to see that it will stay aligned, so perhaps a small vat/bath would be even better for this purpose

Skimmerking · #5 05-13-2007, 09:16 PM

Ok here is my story . First off when you buy a house the is priced at $300,000 and they say top notch Laminate floors/

Come on people If you are spending that much money you better be giving me Hardwood.

YES I HAVE Kids 10yrs old Girl and 6 yr old BOy that love to race car around and the floors do hold up and yes with kids lots of stuff gets spilled and i mean spilled. I have it in the kitchen and thurout the house. I love it wipe it up and your done. swifter, and wipe down...

Laminate is great for a fast fix, if you are selling a house and want that nice look great go for it. Laminate if you get a scratch you can't take it out its done.

They say that certain types of laminates are back with a 25-30 year guarantte. ya what is going to happen on yr 15 when that company is not there. and its does scratch and it does warp. and most of the time depending on your floors you will need a sub floor to make sure that the floors are even across. Lots of people are doing laminate and are putting in a sub floor reasons that house is older and the floors are uneven.

Now Hard wood there is lots to choose from. its natural, easy to clean, if you do get a scratch you can get it bluffed out or refinished , if you have a piece that is cracked , and yes if can happen I called the place that did it. They came over and cut if out and placed a new piece in there. you can't even notice it. and you can buy colors to match the floor to color in any light scatches. And with a older home you dont need a sub floor the hard wood acts as one. have done lots of hardwood floors. SO dont let them tell you that you need them.......

Price laminate is going from 1.00 -5.99 PER Sq ft. Hardwood can go from 3-22dollars per ft depending on that wood and color. with Hardwood you can sand that floor and refinish them 3 times and it takes a long time to wear out hardwood. Look at some of the older houses that have Natural wood in them and they are over 100 yrs old.

HTH

P.S if you do go with hard wood don't get a dark color it shows dirt, scratches alot easier.... We do have a dog and its really easy to clean up after him .......

michika · #6 05-13-2007, 09:02 PM

I would say go for hardwood. I have oak hardwood from the 50s, the small 1" slats through all of the first two floors of my house, and from what I've put it through it holds up really well.

They hold up quite well if you clean up a saltwater related spill immediately they do warp if the water isn't cleaned up/dried quickly. The warping I see is only the edges of the boards where the sealant has worn off. If you do go for hardwood invest in a fan you can direct at your floor in case of spills.

I have two dogs, and they haven't managed to damage our floor yet. I just make sure that their nails get cliped regularly and that I file them down a bit after to prevent sharp edges.

As for kids I can't comment, but I'm pretty rough with my floors; moving furniture around, dropping stuff, etc. If your worried about child-related damage consider putting down a nice rug with underlay in their primary play area to prevent damage/stains.

If you opt for underfloor heating, you won't regret it. My parents have it in their bathroom, and its a nice refreshing change from cold hardwood in the winter. They went with the above mentioned heating mats under 1ftx1ft tiles. I haven't heard any complaints, and according to my mother it hasn't caused any damaged to their heating costs.

andresont · #7 05-13-2007, 09:08 PM

All asmodeus said was that he loves hardwood, and I do too. He never said anything about water on the floor did he?
All i am saing that you need to test thats all.

Skimmerking · #8 05-13-2007, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andresont

All asmodeus said was that he loves hardwood, and I do too. He never said anything about water on the floor did he?
All i am saing that you need to test thats all.

how about giving a guy a chance to type out.

hawk · #9 05-13-2007, 09:42 PM

Any flooring except maybe tile that is submerged under water for 12 hours will more than likely need to be replaced. So I'm not sure what a 12 hr. water test will tell you. There are exceptions to everything but take a look at hardwood that has been in place for 10-15 years you'll see dings and scuffs but in comparison to carpet, tile and laminate it holds up very well. No doubt kids are tough on floors but at least with hw you can have it refinished when the kids are less destructive. I would go one way or the other, install very cheap laminate and replace when the kids are older. Or go hw and refinish "if" needed later. Maybe a combination of laminate in bedrooms and hw in living areas. As far as water damage to hw, I have had my share of floods, but I was always around to clean it up with no noticeable affects.

andresont · #10 05-14-2007, 05:00 AM

yea, i agree 12 hrs might be too much...
3hrs good enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawk

Any flooring except maybe tile that is submerged under water for 12 hours will more than likely need to be replaced. So I'm not sure what a 12 hr. water test will tell you. There are exceptions to everything but take a look at hardwood that has been in place for 10-15 years you'll see dings and scuffs but in comparison to carpet, tile and laminate it holds up very well. No doubt kids are tough on floors but at least with hw you can have it refinished when the kids are less destructive. I would go one way or the other, install very cheap laminate and replace when the kids are older. Or go hw and refinish "if" needed later. Maybe a combination of laminate in bedrooms and hw in living areas. As far as water damage to hw, I have had my share of floods, but I was always around to clean it up with no noticeable affects.