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SallyC 01-11-2010 08:01 PM

Laminate Flooring. & Scooters/Wheelchairs
 
Have any of you had Laminate floors installed in your home? If so, have you installed it over old hardwood floors? How does it hold up? Will my scooter be alright on them?

I have old hardwood floor under my carpet. I'm thinking of removing the carpet and either refinishing the hardwood or installing laminate wood finish/like floors over the hardwood.

I'd appreciate pros, cons, pitfalls, if any and your advise and thoughts.

Thanks :grouphug:

Jomar 01-11-2010 11:41 PM

We have Laminate flooring in most rooms now.
Don't have a scooter but I do have dogs & move the furniture around couple times a year.
We used the Columbia clic lock type, just clicks together , no glue no nails.
limited lifetime guarantee
http://www.columbiaflooring.com/coll...fm?subcat_id=4

We used some lower cost laminate in a rental job and it was not nearly as good quality as ours.
the edges chipped easier and the joints didn't fit as well.

If you go with a laminate make sure to at least get a mid range product and not the cheap stuff.:(
If you have someone do the install make sure you check out the brand they are installing and it's what you wanted, they could do a switch and give you the cheap stuff while charging for the higher cost laminate.

The floors need to be level with no uneven spots or the joints won't fit well.

Soooo,
I would check to see what kind of shape the real wood is in first, before I would cover it with the faux stuff.

real wood is the in thing now -even if it is not perfect.
If it is still solid and no major damage I say go with the real stuff.

http://www.consumersearch.com/flooring
http://www.floorfacts.com/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Laminate-F...ion&id=2372070

braingonebad 01-12-2010 11:23 AM

I used to be in floor sales. A lot of new products since then though.

I would check costs first. I have no idea anymore how much to install laminate. It's not crazy expensive, even for the good stuff, if you have someone to put it in for you.And it is made for DIY.

They used to have VCR tapes to show you how to do it, we'd lend them out (our stores). You can look all that up online now.

My sis and bro have lams in high traffic areas - no scooters, but lots of kids and dogs. They are really happy with products, but bro says he got too dark a color. Would have gone lighter, to show less dirt/dust.


You know how that is, too light or too dark shows everything.

His floor over 10 yrs old - 4 kids, two dogs, parties 2x a month - does not seem to be showing any signs of wear. It was a 25 yr product (I think by Armstrong).

Sis's is a little older - 5 kids with spouses, parties all the time, one BIG dog - one seam came apart in the door a little - but that is installation, not product. Floor looks good where I can see it.

SIL had hardwood refinished about same time as sis's lam (12-13 yrs?) was installed and I could see just a bit of wear in the traffic zones. 2 grown kids, not a lot of company.

I have HW under carpets too. Personally, I'd go with lams or something other than HW in kitchen, bath, etc. I may re-do my wood now that the kids are grown - just because it's there and suits this old house. I'll be putting area rugs in the traffic zones if I do, though.

Pros of lam is that you can roll on it as soon as it's installed - HW, you have some curing time. do you have a couple days to wait?

Also, insulation factor, both heat/cool and noise.

Some are okay for exposure to wet areas, but most have a tougher surface than wood - less scratching, denting, staining. We used to take keys to the samples to demonstrate. One seminar, a lit cigarette was burned all the way down on a plank. The residue was easily removed with nail polish remover!

One thing, do not install above grade products below grade (basement areas). And always call ins and ask a lot of questions about what kind of water damage you have coverage for. Ask about floods, toilet and appliance leaks, whether first or second floor, if it covers your flooring, etc.


Also look at if you need someone to trim your door bottoms if the new flooring is higher.

Jomar 01-12-2010 12:55 PM

And the salesman let me hammer on the sample and try to scratch it with a quarter.
We took a spare piece of ours and put it in a bucket of water to see how it held up. The Columbia clic barely expanded even after days of being in the bucket. But the bargain basement stuff expanded within 20 minutes.

Also some of the problem with water damage can be from a particle board underlayment. That stuff swells fast and then causes the laminate or whatever flooring you have to get messed up from the warping and bumps under it.

We live in the country and have gravel and grit from the driveway.
So that seems to slowly affect the floor surface by the back door with tiny tiny scratches but you have to be down on the floor looking across it to see those.
And our floors are 13 yrs old & kitchen we did in 05.

Oh I just got an email from the place we bought our flooring from - wanted to post it for you- it has a lot of good info on it for all kinds of flooring choices.
http://www.ifloor.com/
&
http://www.ifloor.com/about-flooring/

SallyC 01-12-2010 01:47 PM

Thanks so so much for your replies and links. I am looking at them all. :cool:

My SSon & DIL were just here and told me, Wood/laminate would be cold, loud and slippery. They have hardwood throughout their home.

They said I would probably like Berber Carpet replacement better. Uhhhhhhhh, what do you think?

Jomar 01-12-2010 01:53 PM

I'll never go back to carpeting due to allergies, pet hair & dirt - just can't get it clean no matter how good your vacuum is.

They have various textures or smooth, and we heat with a wood stove only and don't have any problem with coldness.
When our Lam was new if we wore new socks then it was a little bit slippery, but real wood would be the same at first I think. The fresh polished finishes, etc..
Same with loudness not really a factor.

If you have drafts or doors that are leaky then you might notice a cooler area by the door.

Laminate floors float on a padded plastic pad , some brands have a felt type layer with plastic liner.{insulating}


*but if I already had real wood flooring that was in decent shape I would go with that and just clean it up or refinish it.*

my sis has real wood flooring and even a small dent or little scrape just adds character to it.

But it's really just what you prefer, they all have some pluses & minuses.

SallyC 01-12-2010 02:14 PM

I hear you Jo, I don't want more carpet either..:confused: My Hunks are coming tomorrow to do a bit of repair on my Bathroom. I will get their ideas and expertise, to see which is the smartest, fastest and cheapest way to go.

I will let you all know my decision. :)

braingonebad 01-12-2010 04:08 PM

Well, if you HAVE to do carpet, berber is the way to go, if you ask me. Mine is about 12 yrs old, not the most expensive you can get, and it's not threadbare yet, lol.

It's basically made from recycled soda bottles . Pretty hard to stain.
It's what gets into the pad that gets you. - it'll keep *wicking* back up, you can clean over and over, and it'll come back up.

It holds the allergens down so they don't fluff all over in the air. If you don't sweep all the time, it actually can help by keeping stuff out of the air. That's most of the reason I had the carpets instead of the dusty wood I had to mop all the time - plus padding the kids' falls.

Now, I'm just kind of tired of the steaming carpet, you know? Now we can use a steam mop on wood, so that's easier. The kids still fall, lol.

I'm also going to look at other types of floors. Bamboo and cork sound interesting for certain areas and they look cool. I'm not sure they'd look good here, though.

SallyC 01-13-2010 11:46 AM

My hunks were here today and they decided that laminate is the way to go. The whole house...living rm, dining, hall and kitchen....and perhaps bedrooms.:eek: I'm going to look at samples, including bamboo.

I don't know what color, except, I don't want real light...and I don't want too dark either. All my furniture is on the dark side (mahogany, cherry..etc. What color would you go with?

Jomar 01-13-2010 12:18 PM

what color are your kitchen cabinets ??
- it's nice to have the same flooring /color through out the house

here is a site with an online design program.
you can choose the rooms & style and then select the color/style of the flooring to see what looks best for you.
http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/design-tools.html

other sites might have similar online designer too.

SallyC 01-13-2010 12:50 PM

Thanks Jo....Kitchen cabinets are dark...mahogany, I think.

That is a neat site, thanks. :)

braingonebad 01-14-2010 09:46 AM

Watch some HGTV or DIY if you get those networks. It is in style now not to have matching everything. This being the case, I was ahead of my time, lol. :rolleyes:

You could do a cherry in the more modern lighter, more natural finish if you like that.

I like the floor matching through most of the house - maybe different in bath, kitchen. Depends on the house. My place is too big, I think, to see that much the same. some places *all the same* looks better.

I did diff carpets in each of the bedrooms to respect the age/style of the house and how it would have been decorated originally, sort of. If money would allow, I could see HW instead, with rugs.

SandyC 01-14-2010 11:07 AM

I have a medium oak with a golden hue and my cabinets are also oak but with a red/golden hue. I need to refinish my floors too but I heard we'd have to go away and I don't like the idea of leaving my house with strangers in it. We'll cross that path when I get money.

I would never have carpet again either. Not only because now I see all the dirt that was in my carpet but because in the north your scooter or chair will drag in all the dirt from outside. Next thing you know you have a high traffic area that cannot be cleaned.

We had Pergo in our condo and it was creaky and loud but it's a floating floor so there will be some noise. Nothing that obnoxious though. We have it in two bedrooms and Jim rolls around with hardly a peep.

SallyC 01-24-2010 12:53 PM

Here are the two colors I like. I like the hickory best, but dark may show all the dirty paw and foot prints.....soooo, I'm leaning toward the chestnut.

What do you think? Most of my wood furniture and kit cabs are dark.

hickory......chestnut
http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pro...84087d_100.jpg http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pro...4e7262_100.jpg

SandyC 01-24-2010 01:33 PM

I like the chestnut too. It has some dark in it so I think it will contrast nicely.

Are they refinishing to that color or laying new wood? Did you get a good deal? I am looking at refinishing mine.

SallyC 01-24-2010 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandyC (Post 613911)
I like the chestnut too. It has some dark in it so I think it will contrast nicely.

Are they refinishing to that color or laying new wood? Did you get a good deal? I am looking at refinishing mine.

I'm having Laminate put over the hardwood. Easier, cheaper and faster. It would cost me twice as much to refinish the wood and I'd have to move me and the furniture out of the house, until the floors were finished and set.:eek:

SandyC 01-24-2010 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SallyC (Post 613942)
I'm having Laminate put over the hardwood. Easier, cheaper and faster. It would cost me twice as much to refinish the wood and I'd have to move me and the furniture out of the house, until the floors were finished and set.:eek:

LOL Screw that! We can't move either! :eek:

braingonebad 01-25-2010 11:37 AM

I'd go with the chestnut too. I like the color, the grain. Still has a little red to it. Good luck with the job. If your subfloor is flat, solid, level it should not be any noisier than any other wood floor.

They can get creaky if the floor under them is not flat or level though. An old house like mine, the floors are not always good to start with - my kitchen has a hump that would need to be addressed no matter what floor we put down.

:o

SallyC 01-25-2010 03:25 PM

Thanks, Brain....I already talked to them about that.. I trust them to do it right.

The material is already here, warming up and getting ready for installation. I'm getting excited..:eek:

braingonebad 01-26-2010 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SallyC (Post 614295)
Thanks, Brain....I already talked to them about that.. I trust them to do it right.

The material is already here, warming up and getting ready for installation. I'm getting excited..:eek:

I'm excited for you! YAY!

Momma's Kids 01-26-2010 09:10 PM

I can't wait to see the finished room pics. They will put down a pad that helps keep the moisture from your new wood, and even out the bad spots, the pad used now is way better than the earlier product.

It has rained here, and the dogs have tracked in some rain...I have three sizes of paw prints...the cat refuses to come in since we got Sheba. lol She doesn't chase him/will not go near him. lol

Enjoy your new floor:):hug:

SallyC 02-01-2010 01:24 PM

They're coming tomorrow to do my floors, lala, they're coming tomorrow to do my floors, lala!!!:yahoo::yahoo:

I am sooooo tired and achy from trying to find a place, besides the garbage dump, for all the crap that has accumulated on my floors over the last 5 years. And the dirt under the furniture..:eek:

I told these guys to put cleaning and moving furniture, in their estimate..:p

kicker 02-01-2010 06:28 PM

It'll look great!!

SallyC 02-02-2010 12:50 PM

Shoot, they aren't starting until tomorrow..:mad:

SandyC 02-02-2010 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SallyC (Post 617059)
Shoot, they aren't starting until tomorrow..:mad:

Darn it! :mad:

SallyC 02-03-2010 12:27 PM

One of my hunks has the flu, soooooo???

Kitty 02-03-2010 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SallyC (Post 617479)
One of my hunks has the flu, soooooo???


Is he at your house? Or have they postponed the installation again?

Well, it gives you time to get your camera all ready 'cos we want pics this time, girlie! :cool:

SallyC 02-03-2010 01:04 PM

I'm waiting to hear?? Thanks, Kell. :)

SandyC 02-03-2010 01:22 PM

Ugh, do they know what a flu shot is? LMAO

SallyC 02-03-2010 01:34 PM

Too young. they think they're immune and indestructible..:rolleyes:

SallyC 02-15-2010 09:00 PM

My new floors.....click

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post622105-1.html

Darlene 02-16-2010 02:30 AM

Looks great. I love chestnut there. I bet you are happy it is all over.

Darlene
:hug:

SandyC 02-16-2010 10:28 AM

Very nice!


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