Advice on Laminate flooring

[carlyb]

We are thinking of laying laminate flooring in our lounge/dinner.

Would like opinions on your experiences. Is it hardwearing? drafty? My mum reckon that it is dangerous (something about sliding). Has this been anybodies experience? We are thinking of getting the Floormaster 1600 aqua loc, Noble Beech. thanks

Is hardwearing - not noisy, not draughty - not slidy either, even in socks (would be if you polished it I spose). Also very practical and hygienic. The fact that you lay it on top of squidgy foam stuff makes it more like carpet and less like floorboards.

I think it's wonderful! We have it in dining room and hall - would like it in living room too but the idea of getting all the furniture out (large metal-action sofa-bed - 7' bookcase full of books - very long sofa - wedged-in purpose-built pine cabinet with all TV kit and wires) fills me with dread so keep putting it off.

i used the floor master loc stuff in my living room, hated laying it as was different to the homebase stuff which u just tapped together and was soo easy. why u getting the aqua loc?

as regards to sliding, no problems really. have 2 very active dd and no accidents yet, and we do have laminate in the bedrooms and the living room.

We've just done out kitchen in exactly this carlyb, and it is v easy to keep clean. There have been a few slippy incidents when DD was practising "ice skating" but it has been a great success. Looks good too!

Got laminate in kitchen/hall/utility/downstairs toilet but not very good quality (installed by builders)and dirt gets ingrained. Only got one chip on it which is quite major but was caused by fridge door falling off - not a regular occurence. Installed it in bedroom used as office because carpet ruined by wheels on desk chair. Do find chair tends to go flying when I sit down but it looks great in there.

Laminate is yuck - what is wrong with carpet??

Laminate is cold, gets dirty really quickly and is a nightmare to clean really well - I used to end up doing it on my hands and knees!! You will end up with dust balls blowing around (especially if you have pets) and if you ever have a leak and it gets wet you will have to take it all up!!

Carpet is warm, soft, easy to clean and looks much much nicer - bring back carpets!!!

carpets are a dust trap, are a nightmare to wash when kids spill juice/food on them, animals hairs get stuck and arent any good for dd asthma nd ezcema.

I have laminate in my living room and am considering having it carpeted. It never looks clean to me. Like Twinkie has said I can always see dust on it even after I've cleaned it. I clean it on my hands and knees every day, and then I still see smears, hand prints etc.

But, Northerner, those smears, handprints etc would be on your carpet too - only you wouldn't see them...laminate is cleaner even when it looks dirty!

Brilliant stuff! Don't know how we managed without it.

We've got floormaster loc in the lounge, dinning room, conservatory, kitchen, utility and downstairs bathroom.

With three guys in the house, bathroom is a must as you can just squirt it with dettol and wipe away their misses. The stuff in the kitchen looks just like slate tiles but with the bonus of glasses just bounce rather than shatter.

I would never go back and have decided that when we've had the loft conversion done it can go up there in the kids bedrooms to. Very easy to clean although I recommend a darkish wood. I know people who've had the pale stuff and they don't like because it constantly looks dirty. I can get away with just sweeping mine once a week!!

It isn't noisy and it's very easy to do. One of the easiest DIY jobs you'll ever do. Conservatory took 2 hours / kitchen, utility, downstairs bathroom took 6 hours in total. Even my hubby could do it and he's a little accident prone (set himself on fire / electrocuted himself twice).

Go for it!! You'll never look back. Even the dog got used to it.

PB,

WHAT????? You can't just tell us that and then stop - details, please!

When we first moved into the house we cut down loads of trees and decided to burn them in the garden. He couldn't get the fire started so he decided to pour petrol on it. I told him it wasn't a good idea and that he should let me have a go, but you know men. It must be the cavemen and fire thingy!

Well anyway he lights the match and throws it at the pile but it went out before making contact. So he tried again and again, each time getting closer. I could see the disaster about to unfold, but it's much better to say I told you so after the event. Eventually he was stood right next to the pile of wood and he lit it with a match and it went up in big fireball. Little did he know he was stood exactly where he'd let some of the petrol drip. He set fire to his pants and came running down the garden leaping around like an idiot. I went in the house and shut the door. I didn't want him setting the house on fire. I watched from the window laughing as he stripped off his pants in the garden in front of one of the neighbours who was also watching and laughing. I got to tell him I told you so later when I could manage to speak without erupting into laughter.

The first time he electrocuted himself wasn't his fault. That I admit. The guy who had the house before us had done a really crappy job of the wiring and all the light fittings just had black wire in them so you didn't know which was live. He wired up the light fitting in the bedroom and went to put the fuse back in the box. I heard this huge bang and when I got downstairs there were sparks coming out of the box and he was half way across the room looking a little stunned.

The second time was his fault. He was wiring up the outside lights to a plug. He attached the plug to one end of the wire. Checked everything and then plugged it in and switched on the socket. Then he picked up the other end to wire that into the lights. Queue big bang and him being thrown across the kitchen. It took three hours for him to be able to move his fingers again and he was shaking for the rest of the day. I still laugh when I see the startled expression on his face.

I'm afraid I'm not very sympathetic to his disasters. Those are just a few. Still, at least he does jobs around the house. I just never leave him alone in case I need to hit him with a piece of wood or turn the hose pipe on him.

Thanks, PB - nothing like a big laugh to get you going in the morning! I specially like the last one - really can't believe he did that - is he any more careful now?

Nope! Just recently he was putting new floor boards down in one of the bedrooms. He carefully screwed them all down making sure that he didn't go through any wires or pipes. Then he decided that there was one board which felt a bit springy and he'd put another screw in it. Once again, I was stood there and I told him to just leave it. No, he wanted to do a proper job. I said maybe he'd left the gap for a reason and he said he hadn't. Guess who was right?

He screwed the floor board down and tested it. Not springy at all and he gave me a really smug grin. My responce was, do you smell gas? At first he thought I was joking but sure enough there was a hiss of gas and the smell. Follow lots of verbals I can't repeat from him. So he picks up his drill to unscrew the floor board and I practically rugby tackle him to the ground. The moron was only going to use an electric drill which produces a spark on the motor every time you press the trigger to unscrew the floor board. He'd have blown us all up.

Having once again had a brush with death he stormed off out in a sulk leaving me with a leaking gas pipe and two kids. So I did the only thing I could. Turned the gas off at the mains, phoned my dad to come and fix it and took the kids to the park. By the time he came back, everything was sorted and we've never talked about it since. Of course I laugh about it with my friends all the time. I could write a book on his DIY accidents.

ROFL Pipbeckett - your husband sounds like a right little disaster

OMG Pip!!!! Sure my dh would be like that if he knew what a drill was!

carlyb, what age is your house. I think laminate is great in modern houses but it makes me cringe seeing old houses with it in.