Hardwood or laminate?

**greysfang** · January 25th, 2008, 02:16 PM

Yay! I'm the first to post in the new forum. I should have let Soji take the honors.

I'm replacing my ground floor carpet and I'm still undecided whether to go hardwood or laminate. Aesthetically I prefer hardwood, but with kids and pets I think laminate might be the way to go, as well as being less than half the price. What do you have and do you like it?

**mrs.v** · January 25th, 2008, 02:21 PM

I like hardwood.
Our house is 100 years old,and there was original hardwood
throughout.We had to refinish though,because the previous owners carpeted the house and used the floors as dropcloths for paint.

Laminate is cheaper,but you really have to search for a nice finish.

**PaintTheTownRed** · January 25th, 2008, 02:25 PM

Yeah, Soj should have popped the H&G's cherry

Anyway, I love hardwood.

**Str8_uncut-jock** · January 25th, 2008, 02:32 PM

Honestly, I find it really depends on the style of house. if you have an old, historic house, I think you should always go with genuine hardwood--it just fits the character of the house.

If you are in a newly constructed home, laminate is just fine. They actually have some great laminates out there...but be bold and try something other than the traditional oak floors...how about cherry, or walnut...or a nice inlay around the room in a contrasting color. I have even seen some really cool floors that had oak and cherry mixed together in a random pattern and it was awesome.

**cynic** · January 25th, 2008, 02:37 PM

Hardwood floors can be refinished once the dogs are trained and the kids are gone. Laminate flooring cannot. It doesn't last as long. But it is cheaper.

**twitchy** · January 25th, 2008, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by cynic

Hardwood floors can be refinished once the dogs are trained and the kids are gone. Laminate flooring cannot. It doesn't last as long. But it is cheaper.

On the other hand, laminates have gotten so cheap that you can put them down if the budget is tight and let the kids and dogs all over them and then replace it with what you want when the kids are gone and you can afford to.

I love hardwood though and some of the bamboo floors look gorgeous too. One of the biggest downsides of laminates that I've seen is that they don't like moisture. The seams will swell. So they don't work in bathrooms or entryways.

**travelbug** · January 25th, 2008, 03:05 PM

Actually, some of the good brand name laminates out now have a 20 to 30 year finish warranty.

don't get bamboo, a friend of mine has it and she says it's worse than wood for scratches and dents.

We have wood downstairs, and laminate in our bonus/playroom upstairs.

**twitchy** · January 25th, 2008, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by hotncmom

don't get bamboo, a friend of mine has it and she says it's worse than wood for scratches and dents.

Oooh! Good to know.

**Sojiita** · January 25th, 2008, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by twitchy

On the other hand, laminates have gotten so cheap that you can put them down if the budget is tight and let the kids and dogs all over them and then replace it with what you want when the kids are gone and you can afford to.

I love hardwood though and some of the bamboo floors look gorgeous too. One of the biggest downsides of laminates that I've seen is that they don't like moisture. The seams will swell. So they don't work in bathrooms or entryways.

I agree..get the laminate now..get the hardwood floors later. Or do half and half and restrict the pets and kids. Hell we were not even ALLOWED in the living room when I was a small child.

**honeysuckle** · January 25th, 2008, 04:16 PM

we have laminate in the kitchen and when i had my cat she had a water dish in the corner and when she would paw it (crazy cat) the water lifted the laminate so if it gets wet you have to get it up fairly quickly so it does not swell and seperate. and i think hardwood is great the feel on the feet and the look you can't beat it.

**A*O** · January 25th, 2008, 04:31 PM

Hardwood, properly sealed and finished, should last a lifetime. I'd be sceptical about any claims that laminate can last that long unless it's in a bedroom or somewhere with comparatively low 'traffic'. However, if you have small kids and dogs then laminate should do a good job in the short term and if some disaster happens it won't cost a fortune to fix.

I saw a fabulous laminate floor in a hallway - very dark cherry with pale ash laid in 'stripes'. It made the hallway look much longer and looked sensational. Because laminate is so much cheaper and there are lots of different colours and finishes you can afford to do something a bit funky with it and if you don't like it or get bored or want to change it to match a new decor it won't break the bank.

**Novice** · January 25th, 2008, 05:45 PM

Laminates - for now... and some carpet in the rooms you use in winter, for comfort!

I saw some (ceramic) tiles that looked like parquet flooring for bathrooms a while ago, some of them were spectacular if you were worried about wet/damp in the bathroom.

That cherry & ash flooring sounds like a famous brand of flooring that comes with a very long guarantee... but is very expensive. (for ideas only - its not to sell it! Living)

**McJag** · January 25th, 2008, 05:50 PM

I had all the carpet taken up & used laminate in my last house. Easy care & great for 2 dogs-they never damaged it at all in 5 years. No I have real hardwood, but just in the dining room. It is beautful, but not as user friendly.