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Original poster

Has any recently installed laminate flooring in their house?

21 replies

RubyRedRuby · 21/03/2017 18:10

Dh and I are trying to decide between LVT - luxury vinyl tiles e.g. Karndean, polyflor etc and laminate.
We've discounted wood as it is too expensive.

The real sticking point is that dh love the bevelled edge you get on laminate so it looks like real wood boards (also, it is textured to match the grain of the 'photo' on the top which is very impressive) whereas I prefer LVT but I think it's because I can't get over being a snob about laminate. Even though I know it is so much better than it used to be!

It will be going throughout the downstairs including the kitchen. I'm not particularly worried about the 'if there was a leak' drama about laminate - which a keen to sell us £££ LVT salesman mentioned. If we have a really bad leak which wrecks the floor we have house insurance!

Anyone got recent experience of laminate and if so, which brand did you use? Thanks.

OP posts:
BananaPie · 21/03/2017 20:18

Quickstep laminate. It has the bevelled edge, and I think it looks ok. The scotia (bit that goes round the edge) matches the skirting board rather than being an extension of the floor. I think that helps with how it looks. I'm pleased with it.

EineKleine · 21/03/2017 20:45

Pretty sure you can get textured LVT.

We've just picked a Balterio laminate over LVT. They vary but the laminate we found looked more realistic to us, and was half the price once we'd factored in fitting. We replaced the skirtings rather than use scotia round the edge.

We may be unduly influenced by the LVT in our kitchen, which is great to maintain but v slippy when wet and always freezing cold. Head says this is probably due to other, fixable factors - subfloor and insulation - but psychologically it was easier to choose something different for a main living room.

My worry with the laminate is whether it'll wear ok. No evidence either way yet.

blueobsessive · 21/03/2017 21:25

I may be an odd one but I really like our laminate: it's cleanable, feels nice underfoot (I like the grooved edges too) and things dropped on it break less often than on other surfaces (not that I am clumsy I am terribly clumsy as my non laminate kitchen floor today claimed another ikea glass knocked off the worktop). It may yet become the magnolia wood chip wallpaper of our era, (but then would be much easier to remove if a future purchaser didn't like your taste). If you like it, I'd go for it. No experience of the other floor coverings though

blueobsessive · 21/03/2017 21:27

Our laminate was from wickes . The delivery service was terrible (failed to deliver it 3 times) but they ultimately gave us a discount. The quality was great.

MistyMinge · 21/03/2017 21:33

We're just about to have a oak effect laminate put down in out hallway. I originally wanted engineered wood but was a bit too pricey, and I was impressed when I saw the laminate samples, at half the price. The one we're going for is much more matt than the old styles and is textured to feel like wood grain.

I have no experience of LVT to compare it to.

Original poster
RubyRedRuby · 21/03/2017 21:57

Thanks for the replies! Glad I'm not the only one impressed with the look of it. When I think of laminate I automatically think of the shiny, thin plank stuff which was so popular when it first came out but the stuff dh and I saw (some quick step, some Balterio) did look v realistic.

Disappointing to hear LVT can be slippery, we have tiles at the moment and they are a nightmare for being slippery when only the tiniest dot of liquid is on them!

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SnowGlobes · 21/03/2017 22:09

We had quickstep laminate similar to your description fitted in our upstairs rooms at our old house 8 years ago and was fab. Children were very young and liable to spills etc. so wanted something cheap and durable unlike the solid wood floor (£££) downstairs. It was still doing brilliantly with no signs of wear & tear 8 years later when we sold. Never had LVT so can't compare.

SittinginaSleazySnackBar · 21/03/2017 22:16

I love our oak effect laminate flooring, it was just on offer in b&q as a stop gap until we could afford something better but it's staying put as it's so easy to clean and I've had quite a few compliments on it.

Emily7708 · 21/03/2017 22:18

If you like Polyflor have a look at their new product called Camaro Loc - it's basically laminate with an LVT layer on top. It's great as you get the look of LVT but with the lower fitting coats of laminate.

EineKleine · 21/03/2017 22:21

It might just be our LVT that's slippy though. It's old, we inherited it with the house 7 years ago. Laminate's come a long way in 10 years. Maybe LVT has too.

oleoleoleole · 21/03/2017 22:41

I've lived with both, laminate by choose as we installed it, went with waterproof stuff and it was great. It does chip eventually but no more than a carpet would wear I suppose.

House we live in now has karndean/amtico. I think it's posh lino and I've yet to see it anywhere where it looks like wood or whatever it's purporting to be.

rallytog1 · 22/03/2017 13:22

Our lvt definitely isn't slippy. It's got a lovely texture and is really hard wearing. The planks have bevelled edges and visitors often ask us if it's real wood.

Original poster
RubyRedRuby · 22/03/2017 17:37

Rallytog - which brand is it?

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Spickle · 23/03/2017 08:33

We have Quickstep oak laminate everywhere downstairs but Amtico vinyl tiles in the bathrooms. I am very happy with the laminate, it's been down for about a year and still looks as good as new. It was done as part of a renovation project and we replaced skirting boards so the laminate fits underneath them. I would have liked engineered wood, but the laminate stands up to lots of abuse and I don't feel anxious every time someone comes in with high heels on or drags stuff across it. The Amtico is slightly warmer for the bathrooms but have to say, it has marked. There are water marks on the bevelled edges which I have to clean off with limescale cleaner and there are scratches on the surface where we had put a temporary clothes rail when we were in the midst of renovating. I don't think it would last very long in a high traffic area such as the hallway or kitchen.

VickieCherry · 23/03/2017 13:02

Those who have oak effect laminate - can I ask what you have, please? We're planning to have it installed soon and I can't make up my mind - would appreciate recommendations!

ElsieMc · 23/03/2017 13:27

We have some laminate - in the kitchen and loo. I prefer it to the luxury vinyl myself as it seems more substantial. It has worn very well and is particularly good in the kitchen. This was from B and Q, it was expensive but in the sale. The staff there always told us not to buy their cheaper ranges.

The luxury vinyl is in the downstairs loo. It does look nice, but was quite fiddly to fit. We had to put it together like a jigsaw puzzle as all the strips are not uniform. Ours looks okay but dh said his employer put in down in the office area and it is very random.

QueQueQue · 23/03/2017 14:40

We have Balterio laminate laid throughout entire downstairs in tasmanian oak. It's a bit darker than most people go for, but I love it

QueQueQue · 23/03/2017 14:42

Here

Has any recently installed laminate flooring in their house?
Original poster
RubyRedRuby · 23/03/2017 22:08

That looks great quequeque!

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Gimboid · 23/03/2017 22:13

We've also got Quickstep Pulse click, brilliant stuff, waterproof and easy to lay (according to DC)

Has any recently installed laminate flooring in their house?
Original poster
RubyRedRuby · 23/03/2017 22:43

Gimboid - that also looks brilliant!

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