Laminate flooring recommendations please

[HouseReno21]

Hello,

I'd like recommendations for a sturdy, durable, water resistant laminate flooring, preferably budget friendly/ on sale for living room and entryway please. I would appreciate if anyone could give me advice about pricing/ fitters/ suppliers/ brands, etc.
Any recommendations/ advice are welcome, as I have no experience with DIY, house works, tradespeople, etc.

Your help is much appreciated.

Personally I’d recommend vinyl if you want waterproof, we have a wood effect vinyl in the hallway as the laminate lasted about 3 seconds with muddy feet, soggy dog and teenage bag throwing. Ours looks as good as laminate and is far easier to look after- slop a wet mop around and it’s sorted, laminate is a ball ache to keep scratch and damage free.

We have had laminate in a couple of houses now. It's by a brand called Elka but we got it from a local flooring company who do the fitting etc. They are made by the same people that do Quik Step but are cheaper. My builder was so impressed he's laid some in his house and has recommended it to another of his clients they are all very happy with it.

They do a specific waterproof version which I've not used before as I've not had it in a bathroom but the standard one stands up very well to kids, dogs etc. in our downstairs without scratches.

elkaflooring.com/flooring/laminate-flooring-1

We’ve just had Quick Step laminate laid in our living room. It’s from the Impressive range so it’s fully water resistant, has scratch guard treatment and a 25 year warranty. We had the same range laid in DD’s bedroom last year and it’s still immaculate despite her constant spills and droppages 🙈 Cost around £25/sq metre plus fitting. We’re really happy with it 😊👍🏻

We have Quickstep in our dining area which was in situ when we bought the house. I dont like the colour but am loathed to remove it as it’s great quality. Also have a supply of Golden Select click laminate with built in underlay from Costco ready for a flooring project elsewhere in the house. They have a range of colours and great reviews, German made. Also comes with a 35 year warranty and very competitively priced.

www.costco.co.uk/Home-Improvement/Flooring-Tiles/Laminate-Flooring/c/cos_8.13.3

Hello and thanks very much for your help @Staywithmemyblood @SollaSollew @Spanglybangles @Internetio!

I would like wood effect flooring that looks really nice, is durable/ sturdy, not expensive and hassle free. I thought laminate was the safest option but now, thanks to @Internetio I am wondering if vinyl is better? Could I have your opinions on this please?
On top of the laminate packs, what should I order? I currently have carpeted floors.
Also, how long does it take to finish doing a room approximately?

@Internetio could you please share a link with the vinyl you used just to have an idea please? does it come in planks like laminate or rolls?

@SollaSollew thanks for the link! why don't they show the price?

Sorry for all these questions, but as I said I have no experience whatsoever with house works/ DIY and want to understand the whole process before doing anything.

@Spanglybangles I love the range! This one looks really nice!
www.costco.co.uk/Home-Improvement/Flooring-Tiles/Golden-Select-Nottingham-Oak-Laminate-Flooring-with-Foam-Underlay-116-m-Per-Pack/p/Nottingham

Are you going to fit them yourself? Also, are all the laminates on the website German made?

Is Cotsco a good website to buy from?

Also, do the suppliers like Cotsco for e.g. have fitters that work for them? As I am not a DIY expert I really don't want to go through the hassle of looking for a good trustworthy fitter when I don't know what to look for in the first place!

As Costco is a wholesaler selling all manner of products, you would have to source a fitter, unless you have a friend or relative who can fit (reviews illustrate that many people are fitting it themselves easily, so you might even want to tackle yourself).

We are planning to have it fitted by a joiner but can’t get anyone at the moment as they are all so busy. Might ask my dad to do it if can’t get anyone soon.

Yes I believe they are all German made, as all the same brand. If you can visit a Costco store, they price is lower than the online price, i think about £4 per pack cheaper if I remember correctly. I love that no separate underlay is required. We have also purchased beading for the edges just in case it’s needed to hide any gap at the skirting board area.

Have a look here
www.tapi.co.uk/vinyl/wood-effect

I can’t remember what I bought but it wasn’t expensive and came off a roll- cut to the size I needed roughly, I put it down myself with some spray glue and a Stanley knife and sealed the edges with silicon one weekend in a mood after watching everyone traipse in with wet feet, wet dog, soggy rucksacks etc etc; by which point the laminate had lost the will to live

Hi @HouseReno21. The reason they don't give prices is because they are the manufacturer and don't supply directly to individual customers. You need to go to either an online retailer and order it and get an installer to come and fit it for you or go to a flooring shop that will supply and fit.

HTH

I had Quick step in my previous house and just bought Quick step for my new house. Paid a joiner to fit it in my previous house, my friend and her partner will help me fit it in my new house.

@Spanglybangles thanks so much for your help! Hope you'll soon find someone who will be able to fit it for you. As I have never done any DIY before, I will certainly need someone to do.
Do we need to have a membership to buy online from Cotsco? I have never been into one and we don't have a local one.

@Internetio well done you. I would love to be able to do just what you did but I have never done any DIY so... Does it really look like wood and isn't cheap looking?

@SollaSollew thanks a lot for the info! I really have soo much to learn.

@CuteOrangeElephant that's great! Could you please advise from where you bought it?

@HouseReno21 flooringsupplies.co.uk for the old house, new house outside of the UK.

Thanks @CuteOrangeElephant I hope your house will turn out great!

You don’t need a store membership to shop online, but do need to sign up for the online subscription which is £15 a year. Anyone can sign up for this by the way, no specific employer criteria. Alternatively, if you know someone who is already a member, they can order for you via their account (I do this for my parents sometimes). Hope this helps.

www.costco.co.uk/how-we-differ

We got this from wickes for our bathroom and DH laid it himself. Waterproof, easy to lay on top of ply or underlay and cheap - just over 6sqm came in at under £100

www.wickes.co.uk/featured/novocore-vinyl-flooring

Thanks so much everyone for your help! I already learnt so much :)

Another mention for Quickstep Impressive. I have it throughout my whole house as I wanted the same flooring in every room for a cohesive look - so it had to be waterproof for the kitchen and bathrooms. I did look at vinyl (LVT) but I felt it didn't look/feel as much like "real" wood as the laminate did for in the lounge and bedrooms.

The quickstep has been down a couple of years now, and apart from a mark where someone dropped a claw hammer from a height (I don't think anything would survive that unmarked!), I've had no issues. It's not especially cheap (about £24 a square metre - although there are discounts for buying in bulk) but I don't think it looks as fake/plasticky as some typical laminates and I like not having to worry too much about spills.

@IamnotwhouthinkIam Thanks! Very interesting. I will certainly keep that in mind while looking :) I would looove to have the same flooring throughout the whole house too.

If you go somewhere like Carpet Right for LVT (luxury vinyl) they can do the whole thing - show you samples, measure up and sort fitters. Not the cheapest option but probably least hassle.