Living With Laminate Floors?

[me63401]

John.... was the above installed on a concrete slab floor?

Or was it on top of a wooden floor..... what?

John

[Goedjn]

Rubber-backed coasters. Or a chuck of cut-up mouse-pad.

[Art Begun]

If you drop something on the laminate, you will damage it. In a rental I would think people are more likely to drop stuff and be careless.

For example, we were putting up a ceiling fan and the electrician dropped one of the globes for the lights. Incredibly it bounced and did not break but even though we had a cloth on the laminate we got a small hole in the piece. Because it was a click together floor which allows multiple clicks (some click one and that is it) we were able to easily replace the damaged piece. But sheet vinyl would be much cheaper for a rental.

The new stuff clicks together and in my opinion the better versions allow unclicking and reclicking. If necessary, a moisture barrier goes underneath and molding and sometimes silicone around the edges. Read the directions.

[CAStinneford]

That really depends on the laminate and there are as many manufacturers and degrees of quality as there are prices. We have a laminate floor in one room that's been there six years. Two teenage boys, two dogs, two cats and two adults haven't left a mark on it. We've also had Wilsonart Estate Plus in the kitchen and laundry room for the last year and again, no marks on it. Dishes, glasses, pots and frying pans have been dropped on it as well as canned goods and I think at least one frozen turkey....my kids are good droppers....and the floor is in perfect condition.

[Art Begun]

I should note that the drop was from 8 feet and hit on an edge of the globe. Probably equivalent of dropping a knife and the blade hitting the laminate.

which

edges.

ruined.

[chattycat]

My Wilsonart laminate floors are not very slippery at all. Now that I'm looking at them, they do have a bit of texture on the surface. It's not obvious as I've never noticed it before. And it does not make them any more difficult to clean.

[Nil]

On 05 Jan 2004, [e-mail] (John Roesner) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I was wondering about this. I would like to put a laminate floor in my bathroom. None of the stuff at Home Depot is the glue-together kind, it's all the snap-together. Are you saying can use glue even with the snap-together stuff that doesn't require it? What kind of glue?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Shop someplace else. You can get good prices and better selection at other stores Ed

[Art Begun]

I called up Mannington regarding using their click together floor in bathroom. They said it was superior to using a glued floor in bathroom because the water resistence was built in and not dependent on glue being done correctly. Just follow direction which included silicone around the edges and a vapor barrier underneath and click away...

[Nil]

On 07 Jan 2004, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in news:tiVKb.3734$ [e-mail]:

Yes, I know. "Home Depot" was just an example, and had nothing to do with my question.

[Nil]

On 07 Jan 2004, "Art Begun" wrote in news:9QWKb.14364$ [e-mail]:

I'm glad to hear that - the snap installation sounds so much easier than if I had to use glue. Thanks for the advice.

[EJ]

I installed Uniclic flooring from Quick-Step. I used their vapor barrier and caulked around the edges. The floor is holding up fine after two years but their quarter round doesn't. I guess a plastic molding rated for external use would be much better.

EJ.

[John Roesner]

It was installed over a wood subfloor, and on top of that I put down some thin mahogany at the time, to smooth over some minor nics/gaps in the subfloor. (it was on sale, can't get it anymore, but I needed to make the subfloor generically flat)

[John Roesner]

I just used wood glue to keep it together - not that it probably needed it. I have read about that they make it to be water resistant. The caulking is key though - if it can wick down, and under, I am not sure how it would keep up.

[Mary Shafer]

Maybe, maybe not. Here in the sandy Coachella Valley, they don't offer it as a flooring option because the sand will abrade it mercilessly. Laminate is tough, but there is a limit. Sand will wear down ceramic tile, after all. But in places that don't have a lot of sand, it should work well.

Mary

[HARDKEN]

Retired aerospace engineers should be able to afford a real sanded finished floor When you live in a hotter ,drier climate use american cherry, pinon or austrailian hardwoods even iron wood that actually does not require finish For a man with the paramount experiences see ken