[Nick B]

We’ve decided to get rid of out carpeting and replace with laminate. About half the floors are tile which we will be keeping. Prices for the laminates are in the $3.50 to $4.00 a sq ft range. Square footage is probably 600 or so.  By the time the installers add for carpet removal, removing the baseboards etc etc it’s starting to add up to a bit more than we want to spend. We’re within two hours of Vegas and there are discount flooring shops there. We’re waiting on some estimates and the thickness of the laminates varies from 4 mil to 12.
As I’ve told the local companies, it’s just my wife and me and the cat. We don’t want to have any issues re wear for the next 10 - 15 years.
What should I look for or be cautious of when checking out laminates?
Nick

[avta]

I assume you’re referring to vinyl laminate. We’re in the process of remodeling our home. We looked at a number of options and chose engineered wood. It’s essentially a wood veneer on top of treated plywood. We chose an oak veneer. It costs a bit more than laminate but you get a wood floor that can be resurfaced at least once and in our view is more attractive.

[Nick B]

I assume you’re referring to vinyl laminate. We’re in the process of remodeling our home. We looked at a number of options and chose engineered wood. It’s essentially a wood veneer on top of treated plywood. We chose an oak veneer. It costs a bit more than laminate but you get a wood floor that can be resurfaced at least once and in our view is more attractive.

Thanks much for your input. The products we’re looking at are engineered laminates that look quite good. For a number of reasons, we’re not wanting or needing a product that can be resurfaced. We have a budget and just want to educate ourselves more and explore what’s out there, especially discounted materials. If it ends up over our budget, we just won’t don’t the project.

[JLM]

Laminates (like Pergo) are very susceptible to water damage (leaky planters, wet shoes, damp underfloors, short term water flooding).

Some brands show wear within a few months of installation, but some hold up very well.  Generally you get what you pay for.  Shop carefully.

[jpm]

We just purchased 260sf of flooring for our RV. In this application being waterproof was a top priority, along with wanting a product that wouldn't need transition strips installed to accommodate expansion and contraction.

We ended up purchasing the Nucore product from Floor & Decor, in part because it has a cork pad attached to each plank - anti microbial and hypoallergenic.

At under $3 sf it struck the right balance between cost effectiveness, finish and specification for us. We plan to do the installation ourselves because ... what's the worst that could happen? We end up paying someone else to finish it off?!

[Nick B]

As we live in a dry climate, there are no kids in the house and water spillage aren’t issues, we should be just fine. There is a Nucor dealer fairly close and the pricing and warranty are excellent. I’ll do some checking as to how long Nucor has been around.