Any laminate floor experts?

[Drago]

12 years, you obviously do not have my wife living there, she has destroyed ours in about 5.

We warned you about marrying a pyromanic.

 

[Fnaar]

Miss Goodbody has underfloor heating in her scullery. It's a boon, what with my arthritic knees and all.

 

[gbb]

Just a passing comment really but severely disappointed with some Wickes laminate flooring. Our old stuff had been down for years and was looking shabby so we spent £500 on their easy fit 12mm Bergen flooring. Yep it's easy fit but I really struggled to get a good finish with some lips refusing to latch. Overall I look at it 6 months later and want to rip it up again.....

 

[Levo-Lon]

Just a passing comment really but severely disappointed with some Wickes laminate flooring. Our old stuff had been down for years and was looking shabby so we spent £500 on their easy fit 12mm Bergen flooring. Yep it's easy fit but I really struggled to get a good finish with some lips refusing to latch. Overall I look at it 6 months later and want to rip it up again.....

I hate the stuff..

 

[MacB]

I'd always take tiles/stone or vinyl over laminate for kitchen/utility/bathroom, everywhere else is carpet...IMO.

 

[keithmac]

Just a passing comment really but severely disappointed with some Wickes laminate flooring. Our old stuff had been down for years and was looking shabby so we spent £500 on their easy fit 12mm Bergen flooring. Yep it's easy fit but I really struggled to get a good finish with some lips refusing to latch. Overall I look at it 6 months later and want to rip it up again.....

Funny you should say that, I was going to use Wickes engineered wood flooring in our living room, maybe have a look elsewhere now!.

Out kitchen laminate was locked perfectly, just failed due to the floor underneath. Can't remember who made it though?.

 

[keithmac]

Went with Quick Step in the end, "uniclick" fitting. Very good system and perfectly flush.

Was at B+Q 9am yesterday, had 16m2 laided by 9.30 pm but paying for it today..

 

[KnackeredBike]

As there are a few floor experts...

We bought a house that had brand new laminate throughout all of the house except kitchen and bathroom.

Seven years on it is mostly in good nick but has a couple of worn corners and chips. I have some spare new pieces in the loft.

Is it possible to replace just a few pieces or is it going to be better just to replace the whole floor if it is beginning to wear out? I'm hoping we can eke it out until the kids are a bit older and less likely to throw heavy items at the floor.

 

[Flying Dodo]

On our laminate floor, I've had to replace a couple of sections due to damage. As it's a tongue and groove fitting, I simply cut down with a Stanley knife to go through the tongue part, all the way round the damaged strip, and then forced it out. For the replacement strip, I just cut away the protruding tongue section, covered the edges of the sections around the hole with wood glue and then lowered the new bit in place and left to set. So now you can't see any difference from the rest.

 

[raleighnut]

As there are a few floor experts...

We bought a house that had brand new laminate throughout all of the house except kitchen and bathroom.

Seven years on it is mostly in good nick but has a couple of worn corners and chips. I have some spare new pieces in the loft.

Is it possible to replace just a few pieces or is it going to be better just to replace the whole floor if it is beginning to wear out? I'm hoping we can eke it out until the kids are a bit older and less likely to throw heavy items at the floor.

7yrs is about the 'service life' of 'Laminate', if you're re-doing it then 'Engineered Timber' lasts far longer and good stuff can be sanded and re-varnished.

My tip on laying either type is take the skirting/architrave off before laying it then refix or replace thus avoiding the dreaded 'quadrant moulding' look that screams DIY (even if it was fitted by some companies it still looks like a bodge)

 

[subaqua]

7yrs is about the 'service life' of 'Laminate', if you're re-doing it then 'Engineered Timber' lasts far longer and good stuff can be sanded and re-varnished.

My tip on laying either type is take the skirting/architrave off before laying it then refix or replace thus avoiding the dreaded 'quadrant moulding' look that screams DIY (even if it was fitted by some companies it still looks like a bodge)

This .

To replace one piece is going to be a nightmare . Have done it once and never again .

Skirtings off is much better too although a square moulding can be done nicely and looks like 20s ....

 

[raleighnut]

This .

To replace one piece is going to be a nightmare . Have done it once and never again .

Skirtings off is much better too although a square moulding can be done nicely and looks like 20s ....

Another way of cutting corners is a crappy 'threshold' that isn't up to the job, why try and save a fiver (the difference between a crappy one and something decent) and spoiling the project.

 

[T4tomo]

This .

To replace one piece is going to be a nightmare . Have done it once and never again .

Skirtings off is much better too although a square moulding can be done nicely and looks like 20s ....

Yep agree skirts off is much better, plus gives you a bit a leeway being the depth of the skirt at either side, and re attaching skirting board isn't particularly timeconsuming or tricky (getting it off can be pain though sometimes if it's been "no nailed" on.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Laminate flooring is fine, but if the base is anything but perfect it soon shows the creases, especially those areas that are walked over frequently. it is also highly sensitive to water. My parents washing machine leaked once and the entire floor now has ridges where it swelled; the water traveled underneath about 6 metres.

We have just done our kitchen out in Lino. I would level up the entire lot with new plyboard; it's not very expensive. Fill in any grooves with caulk, make sure there are no high points. Ours was fitted for £43 so all in cost us about £200. Our old lino has lasted at least 10 years but was there before I moved in so could be longer.

Expensive stuff is fine if you have a show home and no kids, but for a well-used family home I would certinaly go for lino. As said above, if well prepared it can look extremely nice, and you will have a far greater choice of pattern and colour.

Just my 2p worth - my MIL has the expensive Karndean stuff. it does look nice but very pricey, and floor has to be 100% mirror flat. They always wear slippers in the house though, and don't have kids or scooters.......

 

[subaqua]

Self levelling screed is better than random sealant on ply .

That's what's been done in our bathroom . With vinyl flooring . Looks good