Which holds up better for the main hall of a home. There will be water from boots and plenty of traffic. I am trying to convince my customer to go for hard wood but she thinks the armstrong laminate will last longer. Hit me with your answers. thanks
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better than either choice
http://www.karndean.com/newhome.asp
It all depends on maintanence. The laminate flooring needs virtually no maintanence.
The finish on a hardwood floor needs to be monitored and renewed before it is necessary. If this is done, hardwood will last indefinitely. If the finish is neglected the floor will need to be resanded. This can only be done a limited amount of times.
If the customer is happy with a laminate floor, I wouldn't argue but I would insist on a high quality product. It is well worth the extra price. My biggest problem with them is at transition points where the threshholds have to allow the floor to float. This can lead to weird lips at the top of stairs and other places. All my other objections are aesthetic.
Edited 3/15/2007 6:13 pm ET by Schelling
If it was my house, I would go with the hardwood. A good quality laminate would hold up fine, but they all look to perfect and sterile to me. Hardwood's got soul!!
Heavy traffic and water? Go tile. Saw some pretty impressive but very expensive porcelin 6"X 24" tile that mimics wood. I have to say I was impressed for certain applications. It didn't look cheap...like laminate floor does...it looked "interesting".
Don't try and talk anyone into anything. Everything has their "floors"...lol.
If a laminant floor gets damaged you can't just sand it out. It becomes a BIG problem. If it doesn't get damaged it'll be very durable under normal conditions.
Personally I hate the stuff but its not your or my house.
Different strokes for different folks.
Certainly is the easiest to install and maintain...but so is vinyl siding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFexyK8J1Iw
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
redtoolbox,
Which is more durable plastic or wood?
OK some plastics can tolerate abuse better, but ask her if she'd wear a fake diamond because it looks pretty real.. if her answer is yes then sell her Pergo or whatever she wants.. but be sure to rell her that stone would be even more durable and just as warm under foot.
>>Which is more durable plastic or wood?
>>OK some plastics can tolerate abuse betterI read somewhere that the laminates have stone dust in the finish - I believe (at least) the better stuff tends to wear well - water in the seams makes it swell, though
With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise Him in the midst of the throng. For He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death.
- Psalms 109:30-31
Edited 3/15/2007 8:18 pm ET by rjw
Have her look at pre-finished engineered flooring which can be sanded like wood a few times but is really stable.
The real thing of durability is a factory alumina oxide finish. It is a baked on finish that can not be replicated in a house but it is very hard and water resistant (not waterproof) and weather it is on laminate or hardwood is user choice. Most laminate does not have this coating and it only has grain pattern on the top so if it gets nicked it cannot be repaired and then you have exposed particle board. To get the good coating on laminate you have to spend good money (almost as much as real wood).
Find out her objections and reservations about hardwood so that you may find out if she has bad information or if it a money thing. She may not want to spend, or for that matter, may not have the money to do hardwood. Have her go to a flooring showroom and not Lowes and have her look at pre-finished flooring and talk to the salesman about flooring choices.
-Day
I've installed both. And I love both for different reasons. Pergo is a slam-dunk for maintenance and upkeep. It is hard and will click when walking on it without taking precautions. It all depends on the purpose use for the floor.
"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a governmental program" -Ronald Reagan
Neither.
Laminate is hard, but not terribly forgiving - if you hit it with something sharp, it will dent and the surface will rip. Once that happens, there's no way to repair it. That's okay in some places, but not really what you want in an entryway. You might also get water seepage through the joints as well.
Hardwood - well, it will look nice initially, and a little water isn't a problem. But mud and grime doesn't do a lot for a finish.
I'd choose tile first, hardwood if I was willing to deal with the issues, laminate the same.