Laminate Flooring

Hi:

We just put a laminate floor into a room several weeks ago. I forget the brand--it was whatever was least expensive at STT Home Dept. Don't know how long it will hold up, but at the price I paid versus the cost of new tile (don't know what surface we want in the area long term), I'm happy if I get 18 months out of it--it looks and feels great. A few things we learned:

1) For ease of installation you'll likely want a more expensive brand. The cheaper one we got was a little harder to put together (as we figured out when we went back the store to compare installation instructions on the more expensive ones in the middle of the project) but we worked it out. Though the cheaper one is similar in quality otherwise to some of the more costly products, in hindsight I might have spent more just to speed up the installation.
2) A good rubber mat is worth about as much or more than the floor itself. We briefly considered trying to go with existing carpet padding which was in remarkably good condition (we were replacing old carpeting). We installed a small test section of laminate flooring over the carpet padding--it felt awful so we quickly picked up that portion of floor, dumped all of the the carpet padding and went with a good rubber underlay. It made a huge difference in the look and feel of the flooring.
3) You'll want to avoid installing laminate in any area where there will be lots of moisture, such as dripping people coming out of a shower, etc. Cleans up easily with a Swiiffer pad.

Best,

Islandlola
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Uniclik is one of the best....the problem is that laminate flooring is nothing more than pressed board with a laminate finish. The moisture here WILL be a probl;em and it will swell quickley....

there is a difference between engineered wood and laminate, and you need to decide which you want. We actually tested some of the Armstrong laminate, sitting it in water for 24 hours +. It was basically stable, apparently increased minimally in size (using some of hubby's specialized measuring equipment). Seems pretty stable. Bamboo is also an alternative.

Thanks all. This is very helpful information. I didn't consider the rubber underlay, but that sounds like a critical step. I'll check out the Uniclick. Please keep the comments of your experiences coming--I really appreciate it and it's helpful to hear your perspectives. Kim

PS. Beachy--I loved the idea of soaking the laminate and then measuring it. Sounds like our husbands think along the same lines. My husband just bought a device that measures the amount of electricity used and it feeds into a display on his laptop. So, now I am tortured with--do you know how much electricity you use when you take a shower, dry your hair, etc. I shouldn't complain. I'm probably doing quicker showers now!

Lord, my husband is the same way. I now know how much electricty each appliance in my house uses. The toaster is horrible and the fridge is great as long as the door stays closed. LOL

Ah, hah. I haven't used the toaster since he got his gizmo...there goes the toasted english muffins!

Good morning,
Have you considered bamboo flooring, it's truly beautiful. Flooring for high humidity must be well made, don't go cheap!
Cheers

Eagleray,
Good morning. Do you know of a good place to purchase bamboo flooring? Also, is it the type of flooring that can be put over tile? Thanks, KJ

Hubby and I purchased bamboo flooring while in Houston packing up our stuff to ship our container. Finally got it installed. (We're on STX). It looks FABULOUS! However, now we have some "mold" seeping through the joints. Any suggestions how to eliminate the mold would be great.

KLJ555 I would really check with the manufactures website about putting it over tile. I know you can often put flooring over vinyl but have never heard it was a good idea to put flooring (other then carpet over tile) and since it is such a big expense you really should get the experts opinion. Plus this is a new product to the usvi, i would want to know what kind of warranty they offer and if it extends to the usvi. As always with basic white tile if you put down some fab area rugs no one will notice it. If all your tile is uniform throughout your place and in good shape I thinks it might hurt you on resale to put in a questionable product. Focus on your kitchen, bathrooms, lightening, and curb appeal first. Or put in some beautiful windows and doors, tile is made for the Caribbean and I doubt anyone but you will notice it as a detractor. I know you didnt ask, sorry if I offended but ask a couple of real estate friends what they think first. 🙂

TxSissy,
It could be the adhesive weeping not mold, it looks like mold, call the mfg. and get their advise.

If you use a floating floor system rather than adhesives, you can remove the flooring without damaging the tile.

Betty--thanks for your note & no offense taken. I appreciate all the comments and thoughts. We just sold our house and that process has made us acutely aware of the resale issue. In our STX condo, we completely redid the kitchen a year ago, just remodeled one of the 2 baths (we'll tackle the other one in May), added lights in the living room & closets, and put in some new closets. We also painted the whole place and installed crown molding, which made it look a lot better. For the floor, we would have to use a floating floor system b/c we don't want to take up the tile (too much noise, dust & mess). To dntw8up's point, which I really hadn't considered, the laminate could be taken up if someone preferred tile. KJ