Has laminate flooring had its day.

[Dowser]

I'm ha the house rewired in march ( dreading it)
As the carpets have to come up am wondering about putting laminate down but wondering if that ship has sailed and it's old fashioned.
Plus will it be noisy. We live in a bungalow.
Dh had oak type flooring in his house and it looked lovely . My carpets are beige / cream which make the rooms look spacious.
There's a black and white theme going in my house but I think black flooring would be oppressive .
I just don't know what to do.

i think laminate still has a purpose, but its preference.

I dont like that it looks a bit plasticy and its a bit noisy.

When you pay the extra to get one that looks half realistic you would be able to afford engineered wood.

Your carpets can be relaid afterwards. I wouldn't, but a lot of people seem to like them.

LVT Luxury Vinyl Tile is the better version now, some need underlay, some don't. Look at Quickstep as an option.

Laminate has improved hugely in the last few years. A family member renovated their house recently and I couldn't believe it when they told me their new wooden floor was laminate - I had assumed it was engineered boards. Before that I would have outruled laminate completely because that plasticky stuff was just so awful. It'd be worth going to a showroom and having a look at some samples.

LVT has been around for longer than laminate - laminate can be a lot cheaper and a DIYer can fit it, hence it's popularity.

Laminate in kitchens, conservatories and utility rooms and possibly bathrooms but not in living rooms and bedrooms imo. Too cold and bare looking and they do get dusty! Carpets for me!

Hmmm , big decisions. It would be in the lounge, hall, kitchen and maybe bathroom.
Will have a look at quickstep thank you.

Friends who have recently re-done their floors have either gone for engineered wood or wood effect Karndean - both options look fantastic, and more natural / warmer than laminate

I have quickstep and depending on the colour and style you go for it really doesn't look cheap nor plasticky.

I think it had its day about ten years ago tbh. If you really care about that sort of thing.

Mind you, engineered wood scratches like a motherfucker and Karndean/Amtico etc is lovely but £££.

Laminate has its place, particularly in high traffic areas.

I just got my bathroom done and looked at all options that weren't laminate because the previous floor was laminate and was awful. I eventually went for.... laminate. It couldn't be mote different. We chose a waterproof light rustic oak look and it's beautiful, was reasonably priced and our handyman fit it in a day. I would be okay with it throughout the house and we've got real oak in the downstairs!

We have laminate all through because of Dh having allergies, it's cold and dusty but I've got no idea what we could replace it with maybe I should replace Dh instead

I think there is some great stuff available now but at a price. The stuff people would traditionally see as laminate has had its day, it looks a bit old fashioned , plasticity and everyone had it. If you do it right and spend on it, yes it can look great.