Personally, I'd rather have urethaned real wood or a 'real' tile floor, if cost was no object. If I was on a budget, I'd rather have a good vinyl floor with area rugs, or even wall-to-wall over chipboard, than faux-top laminate. Never seen a fake woodgrain that didn't look like a gigantic countertop, and felt like one walking across it. Can't address durabilty or upkeep, since I've never had one, but I just can't get past the fake look of the stuff. It just screams CHEAP IMITATION to me. I'd rather have honest low-end stuff.
YMMV, of course, and if anyone reading this loves their Pergo or whatever, more power to you. I understand you can get laminate with real wood on top now- that might be okay, if it was installed so it didn't feel hollow when you walked on it.
I agree with you on the laminate. I haven't seen any yet that doesn't remind me of cheap linoleum with fake woodgrain or the really cheap fake woodgrain paneling. Same here on ceramic tile -> sheet vinyl ->
True there are some brand laminates that recomend their own brand cleaner but Swisher puts out a kit with a battery operated sprayer and special pad and it says it works with laminates and as long as you don't go crazy getting the floor too wet it works well at least on the Mannington.
For what it's worth, I've had the opposite experience. I've got Pergo Premium stone -sytle tiles as a perimeter around Alpine Beech woodgrain. This is the good 8 mm stuff, properly installed in a 500 sq foot (dry) basement.
It's more than three years old and looks like new, despite furniture movement, cat issues, and daily use.
It cleans up really easy (I do use the Pergo brand cleaner, still on my first bottle).
While real wood or real tile/stone might be better choices, I would have no problem recommending Pergo Premium.
We have Pergo and also have had the wood planks. The only problem with the laminate so far is , our dishwasher leaked and soaked under a few planks and swelled them. I am dreading taking them up and replacing them. The wood plank floor we had, also had problems, such as squeaking and coming loose, but lasted many years. The Pergo laminate is easy to maintain, we mop with plain water and then dry with a towel and its looks brand new again. we have had the laminate for 3 years and very pleased so far.
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