Real wood or Laminate?

[wings]

My partner is insistant that we lay Real HardWood flooring in our home.
But a few of my pals have this and they say it tends to mark very easily, especially with children galavanting around all the time on toy cars and what have you.
I really dont want to go to the expense of putting this down to be dispappointed with how easily it will wear down.

Can anyone tell me of there experiences with real hardwood? Especially if you have young kids........!

I know with a good click system laminate it will not mark easily at all as i have had this before..

[pultneytooner]

Here's (http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/consumer/healthyfloors.html) a wee f.a.q about hardwood flooring.

[Bobinovich]

We have a friend who has real wood and, after 3 years with young kids, it seems in good condition. Any scratches/wear can at least be sanded out and then re-varnished - probably once the kids get old enough that they're unlikely to make the same kind of marks.

However we put down laminate in our sitting room, conservatory and both kids bedrooms. It's a lot cheaper, can be laid by anyone with a smattering of DIY knowledge and you can now buy touchup filler in a variety of shades for any dents or bad scratches, etc. But to be perfectly honest the cost is so low we'll probably just keep it regardless and replace when it becomes absolutely necessary. It beats carpets hands down!

I would say there's really no benefit to spending out vast sums on real wood.

[emszxr]

you can get real wood for 20 quid a square metre, ok not as cheap as some laminate.
i would like laminate but him indoors not keen on it, too cold and noisy

[crystal]

i would say laminated looks better than hard wood but thats a matter of oppinion, i would also say laminated is cheeper (i think) :roll:

[Rheghead]

you can get real wood for 20 quid a square metre, ok not as cheap as some laminate.
i would like laminate but him indoors not keen on it, too cold and noisy

I got tongue and groove wood flooring for £8.50 per sq metre at Bridge end supplies.

[wings]

Here's (http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/consumer/healthyfloors.html) a wee f.a.q about hardwood flooring.


thanks folks,

thanks to you also Pultneytooner, i will print this off for my partner to read.

[Buttercup]

Laminate is fine but not if you've a dog. The noise will drive you mad apart from the fact that the dog can't get a proper "grip" on the laminate and tends to skid if he runs!

[Dreadnought]

I have had tongue and groove hardwood flooring for six years. I can honestly say I have come to truly hate it! I will be ripping it out and fitting carpets later this year.

[rockchick]

I prefer real wood over laminate flooring, same as I prefer wood furniture to chip-board. You pay more, but you get more.

As for scratches and living up to kids, a wood floor just gets better with age. One thing that may make a difference to how your floor lasts is the type of wood, as different woods have very different hardness levels and will stand up to wear and tear differently. Pine is much softer than oak; birch is softer than maple.

There is a compromise, by the way, and that is engineered flooring. It's easy to install like laminate, but it is actually thin layers of wood instead of a picture of wood. It wears like wood and you can sand it down 2-3 times if you need to refresh the surface.

I have wood floors in my house and would never go back to carpet. Much easier to keep clean, and if you or your kids have asthma you will notice a world of difference as there is much less dust caught.

[Derlyn]

I have laminate flooring in 3 rooms and find it easy to keep. I don't find laminate cold either and often walk round in bare feet. I know someone with hardwood flooring and it is very easily dented and scratched.

[George Brims]

I put laminate flooring (from Ikea) in our kitchen and the adjacent room. The one problem I had was a gallon of bottled water in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet (earthquake emergency supply!) that sprung a leak. The water dribbled out of the cabinet and got *under* the flooring, warping several pieces. The top layer is waterproof but the backing isn't. I worry now what will happen if there's ever a plumbing problem causing a more substantial leak.

[percy toboggan]

I have had tongue and groove hardwood flooring for six years. I can honestly say I have come to truly hate it! I will be ripping it out and fitting carpets later this year.

I agree.Carpets are cosier. You can't beat a good one. You get what you pay for. Our twelve year old axminster cost a fortune but still looks good. No allergies here.

We love wood, but not on the floor. Too noisy, and no purchase when I'm crawling to bed the worst for drink.

[DrSzin]

I put laminate flooring (from Ikea) in our kitchen and the adjacent room. The one problem I had was a gallon of bottled water in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet (earthquake emergency supply!) that sprung a leak. The water dribbled out of the cabinet and got *under* the flooring, warping several pieces. The top layer is waterproof but the backing isn't. I worry now what will happen if there's ever a plumbing problem causing a more substantial leak.We had a new kitchen built a few years ago and I wanted a real hardwood floor. But our builder warned us against it: his argument was that it's much easier (and cheaper) to replace laminate flooring than a real hardwood floor. I wouldn't have a clue so I went along with his recommendation.

[Tristan]

when I first saw this thread I thought it was between "real" wood and laminate.

Strip hard wood flooring is great but expensive
Laminate (especially the good stuff) can be very good as can some linoleum that looks like wood.
Real wood is laminate type flooring with either a 0.5 or 4 mm hard wood veneer on top. It is hard wood with the ease of laminate and if you get the 4 mm version it can be re-sanded.
If installing in a kitchen always make sure you get the laminate (or real wood) that is suitable for moist areas and mop up any spills IMEDIATLY.

[Rubha_an_Tuir]

I put down a cross of real wood laminate, got in B&Q and OK it took me 5 days to lay it, but once down it's superb.

few tips,
1. Remove the skirtings and do it properly, the edge beading never looks right IMO

2. Careful what you do with underlay. You get proper wood underlay, about £14 for 20 odd sheets from B&Q. Remove any trace of the old underlay as it can knacker the finish after the event, and believe me, you don't want to have to take it all up again!!!!

3. Stagger the planks properly, don't try to make the room fit the planks, don't be scared to buy 2 extra boxes to ensure you get the best line up effect.

4. Black and Decker Work Bench, Jig saw, a good rule, Wooden mallet and Knee Pads. Yes get those knee pads, oh you need them!!

Good luck

RaT

[lorr_mun14]

i have a dog and I can't wait to change from carpet to wood flooring in my living room, i'd rather have him sliding around than the carpet full of hairs all the time!! at least you can sweep the floor and it doesn't hold the doggy smells either!

[Smithy]

Seemingly flemmings in inverness have a good deal on oak flooring at the moment

[Rheghead]

I put down a cross of real wood laminate, got in B&Q and OK it took me 5 days to lay it, but once down it's superb.

few tips,
1. Remove the skirtings and do it properly, the edge beading never looks right IMO

2. Careful what you do with underlay. You get proper wood underlay, about £14 for 20 odd sheets from B&Q. Remove any trace of the old underlay as it can knacker the finish after the event, and believe me, you don't want to have to take it all up again!!!!

3. Stagger the planks properly, don't try to make the room fit the planks, don't be scared to buy 2 extra boxes to ensure you get the best line up effect.

4. Black and Decker Work Bench, Jig saw, a good rule, Wooden mallet and Knee Pads. Yes get those knee pads, oh you need them!!

Good luck

RaT

Here Here! Your post brought back memories for me of a real brain-numbing job that I did on the old house, and your tip about the knee pads is very important!

[sjwahwah]

my parents house is 45 years old and still has the original hardwood floors upstairs and down and they still look beautiful and are easy to clean and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them even after several children and grand children played and lived on them for years and years, in fact they look better now a bit broken in if you know what I mean. In my rented flat here in Edinburgh.. I have laminate floors which are less than 5 years old I'm told and they are peeling up and dag nasty and the dog cannot barely walk on them and when she does it would wake up the entire building. I know what I'd choose.

[Rubha_an_Tuir]

Finally the most important tip of all when doing wooden flooring....

5. Measure twice and cut once!!!!

RaT

[Whitewater]

Finally the most important tip of all when doing wooden flooring....

5. Measure twice and cut once!!!!

RaT

Great advice.

Good quality laminate is hard to beat and you can get a great variety of finishes. Hardwood flooring is also excellent, Flemings in Inverness have a great selection, but as Rhegers has said "Bridge end supplies" is an excellent source, as is the "Saw Mill" in Wick. If you do go for hardwood make sure your planks are not too wide otherwise you tend to loose the effect, I would suggest 3" max width.

Good luck with whatever you choose and there has been good advice onthis thread for you to follow.

[rockchick]

I agree with Dr.Szin about not having wood floor in your kitchen (or bathroom) as the moisture level can make it warp. However, I wouldn't put laminate in there either, as someone else said if you get a plumbing problem it can knacker the underlay.

Ceramic tile or linoleum would be my only choices for kitchens or bathrooms. They can handle the moisture and the wear, they're easy to clean, and you can replace them if you want to change the colour.

[obiron]

i like the laminate but if i could have proper floorboards i would love it. our house is all that very cheap chipboard which is useless and looks really horrible and i just dont like it.

[Victor Vendetta]

The best way to answer this question is to ask another.
If laminate and wood both cost exactly the same what would you buy?
I have a real hardwood floor and its lovely, we have had numerous children's parties and there is barely a mark on it after 5 years.
I intend to put some laminate flooring down in the future or maybe karndean flooring but that's based on cost and ease of laying nothing else.