OT: flooring 'wood' laminiate

[Philip Wagstaff]

We have finally decided to replace the hall carpet with laminate (not veneer or solid stuff) with the idea of easier maintenace, particularly wiping up dirty foot and paw marks.

A quick glance at one or two online laminate companies puts their stuff at around ?15 a square metre yet our local shops' range is ?20 for click-together stuff and ?27 for glue down stuff, then there's the underfelt ?5 psm, not to mention all the other bits and pieces , borders, edging etc, and installing is ?14 psm, which will add up to a fair old whack.

With four doors to cut round I am not too keen on tackling this (that's why this OT) but if we have to spend this level of money I'd appreciate any experience, knowledge or FAQs you can provide so that we at least make the most sensible choice.

We've asked about hardness, ratings etc, told there no such thing. We're down to picking which 'photo' we like the most and hoping it is not the most expensive, which is a poor way of making any decision.

In case you need to know it would be laid over sound, level concrete.

[Paper2002AD]

Try

Worth a visit if there's a store near you.

[Hywel]

Are you sure those figures are the right way around? If they are, the=20 glue together stuff must be much better quality.

If you can get the skirting and door architrave off, do. You can then=20 replace the skirting over the laminate, eliminating the need for that=20 awful beading stuff.

Last week we bought a load of solid wood T&G stuff from Floors-2-Go. =20 It's 15mm thick, plus the underfelt (insulated, =A32 psq.m), and looks a=20 bloody sight better than laminate, that looks like plastic. After their=20 discount, it worked out at about =A322 psq.m.

--=20 Hywel I do not eat quiche

[Hywel]

Two more things, get a couple of ratchet straps for pulling the boards together, and make sure you don't put too much glue in the groove or on the tongues.

[N. Thornton]

Wood's much easier to clean, but needs cleaning far more often. I prefer it but not everyone does.

The prices you quote are not especially cheap. Have you looked into using pine boards? Theyre solid wood and shouldnt cost you any more than lam. Lam has a habit of delaminating, and does not have anything like the life of solid wood. Pine is nice stuff, although not as fancy as hardwoods, but it lasts a very long time, and is not hard to refinish if it gets tatty from a century of abuse.

thats not difficult. If the DIYers advise you on the right tool for the job, at worst you'll waste a few planks getting it right. Save you a fortune.

well, you dont need to at all, its upto you which way you go. There are even much cheaper options than pine boards. BTW pine boards are laid with no gaps, in case they remind you of 100 year old houses.

I think you need much more info before making any decisions.

Regards, NT

[Alex]

Obviously it's up to you Phil, but laying flooring is one of those jobs that once you've seen them start to lay it, you wish that you had tackled the job yourself. However good the floorer, they will never take quite that length of time to ensure every last bit is perfect like a d-i-yer.

Also, was there any reason you chose laminate over solid wood, aside from cost?

Alex

[Michael Mcneil]

I imagine wooden floor board is cheaper than laminate. It is the varnish or whatever finish that costs.

Use a small plane to put a 45 degree bevel on the pine and some sort of groove down the middle of each board. It will give it a really good looking effect compared to a plain finish.

Leaves a dirt catcher though.

Fix with no nails or similar and secret (?) nail with masonry nails or screw with pellets/dowels in counterbores.

[the q]

at the packaging on most they will have an indication of wear quality. ie "light" "medium domestic" " heavey domestic / light comercial" and "comercial" also as you have dogs going for a water proof variety is a good Idea as there a water bowls, and little accidents when young and old to consider... We've had up to nine dogs at a time and when a adult and fit they don't have much problem with the laminate floors but when old they do fall over a lot we have put ( machine washable) mats down on the laminate to help.. currently we have a 16 and foreteen year old dogs

The Q

>

[Mike Mitchell]

Surely this is THE key question? I would always use real wood if I could afford it. But it is very, very much more expensive than laminate, isn't it? Even if laminate is harder wearing, I would still prefer the sense of real wood underfoot. But if it's out of the question financially, let me use a "picture of wood" instead! At least it's nicer than carpet.

MM

[Mike Mitchell]

This story is like a cartoon! And I'm still laughing now as I picture Fido going tum-ti-tum tum-ti-tum, ooh, darn it! I jes' fell over again! And Cujo helps Fido to his paws, and then they BOTH fall over again, and Fido has a little accident, being 16 and all that...

I bet cats wouldn't fall over so often.

MM

[N. Thornton]

Solid pine flooring is far cheaper. Pine boards theyre called. Varnish (always use clear varnish, pref one made for flooring) or stain then varnish. Solid pine will outlast laminate 10x over.

I'd glue the boards to each other so any movement in the century ahead will not produce gaps.

Regards, NT

[Michael Mcneil]

I don't know what I was thinking of when I wrote that but it wasn't flooring.

You could secret nail it to battons -thin laths screwed to the floor. Don't try using masonry nails in finished work. If they go around a particularly hard concrete particle they will either take your board with it or split the board.

Whatever the case you will have a great deal of difficulty sinking them below the surface.

A far better effect would be obtained using screws with pellets. You will be able to lift the boards afterwards to level any c*ck up or downs. And if you mark the floor for symmetry the pellets will look like a feature.

Sorry about that first post.

[Mike Mitchell]

What will stop non-quarter-sawn pine from warping?

MM

[N. Thornton]

Indeed. The only downside to that is in 30 years you'll have gaps all over. BTW theres no need to attach the battons to the floor. When the planks are fixed to the battons, all will be solid.

yes, and no need to.

What do you mean by pellets? I've not heard of that before.

Regards, NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

(i) pressure impregnating it with polyester resin. (ii) encasing it fully ina steel structure, or casting it in concrete. (iii) building an envcironmental chameber around it and keepin it at an excat temperature and humidty.

Apart from that, nothing on gods earth.

Possibly the worst wood in the world for structural purposes.

Whoch is why Ikea is full of (sh) it!

[Alex]

If I'm ever making a sheet of wood up from boards, I alternate the rings in the wood, i.e. one board up, one board down, this seems to stop the overall board from cupping.

Alex

[Jerry Built]

Yup. I like "Ronseal Heavy Duty" floor varnish over stain. N.B. not all "stain" is suitable. You must use spirit-based stuff like Colron rather than water-based "paint over" stains. This is absorbed by the timber and doesn't chip off.

This seems a good idea, but I have found (when making doors, for instance) that it is lighly likely to cause splits and cracks in the timber over it's entire face as it dries and shrinks!

J.B.

[N. Thornton]

It doesnt seem to be too much of a problem in practice. They wont be perfect, but not often are they so off as to cause problems. Even century old pine floors usually only need a few boards replacing.

Also it can be handled. Annular ring nails are a good idea, and for the occasional boards that wont behave I find a proper screw or two often works wonders.

Compare that to a laminate floor after 100 years... no chance.

Regards, NT

[James Hart]

Does anyone really expect laminate to be down for 100 years though anyway? I see it as the current fashion, in a few years time it will be old hat and replaced by the next in thing like lino or carpet. Those that go for proper wooden floors will no doubt still be enjoying them.

[Mike Mitchell]

Yes, but it only cost me around £200 to do three bedrooms in laminate! I wouldn't care if I had to do them again in 15 years.

MM