| Author | Message | ||
| glocke
Intermediate Member Username: glocke Post Number: 145 Registered: 9-2002 |
I recently had a flood in my house, and insurance is paying for a new floor...Hardwood cost about the same as the PErgo that was in there before, and I am trying to decide which I want.. Anyone have any suggestions? Pros and cons of laminate vs hardwood? | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 817 Registered: 2-2006 |
I have Pergo in my house now and had real hard wood in my old house. I was talked into the Pergo by the installer. He said the Pergo keeps a new finish look forever where real wood will fade after time. This may be true(and looks to be so with my floor)but if I were to do it all over again I'd go with real wood. Pergo dents and scratches too easy. Real wood will scratch but they can be removed, not so on Pergo. Real wood is a lot harder to dent to. Just my 2 cents worth. | ||
| glocke
Intermediate Member Username: glocke Post Number: 146 Registered: 9-2002 |
I was told the same thing about pergo also..another thing to consider is that this will be going in over a concrete slab. | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 597 Registered: 2-2005 |
I've only seen Pergo so can't comment on durabilty but I prefer hardwood. Have you considered bamboo or cork? I'm looking at these for a future all purpose and exercise rooms. The bamboo is quite durable and a fast growing renewable resource. Keith | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 818 Registered: 2-2006 |
Parkay is another option, pretty durable but I still think real Hard-Wood floors just can't be beat. | ||
| jorge_s
Member Username: jorge_s Post Number: 99 Registered: 8-2002 |
This is also my own two cents worth. After flooding from Katrina I found weeds growing from underneath my laminate flooring. I decided to install ceramic tile so if I ever flood again hopefully I will just need to mop. | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 722 Registered: 11-2002 |
My kitchen was remodeled this summer, and I chose bamboo. This is the first time I've ever had a wood floor, and it's been in place for just about two months, so I can't really make any comparisons or comment on long term behavior, but so far I'm delighted. My choices were limited, since I needed a floating installation (over concrete slab). Aside from some of the "incidental" considerations - things like appearance, cost, maybe environmental concerns - I did spend some time looking into durability and maintenance. As for how hard it is to scratch or dent, much of that depends on the hardness of the wood itself, though the finish matters a little as well. This bamboo stuff turns out to be harder (by Rockwell tests) than the vast majority of true hardwoods. It also seems pretty clear that pre-finished flooring (whatever the wood) is going to be much more durable, and close to maintenance free, compared to applying a finish on-site. Being able to apply and cure the finish in carefully controlled factory conditions is a big plus (not to mention that you get to skip the sanding and volatile chemicals in your house...). Regarding bamboo specifically, there are a lot of manufacturers out there today, and quality varies quite a bit, probably even more than price, so I spent some time looking at actual samples before choosing one. Anyway, I like the stuff for a lot of reasons, not least of which is that I happen to think it looks great. I do have a real fondness for natural wood, and if I had an older traditional house it might have been a more difficult decision, but I'm pretty impressed with some of this engineered stuff. | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 861 Registered: 10-2003 |
I've got carmelized (brown-ish) bamboo in my log home and like it. The Pergo will undergo only a small number of sanding/refinishing cycles, whereas solid hardwood or bamboo can have gouges and such sanded out without exposing plys below. As it was presented to me, if you plan on selling/moving soon, then go with Pergo, but if you plan on staying a long time go with hardwood or bamboo. If you anticipate more flooding, then ceramic tile might be the answer. Bamboo is more dimensionally stable than hardwood, and will survive some moisture if it isn't allowed to stay wet for too terribly long (it has a high glue content and doesn't have anywhere to absorb much moisture). Hardwood will swell a lot once moisture penetrates the finish, and Pergo will simply fall apart. John | ||
| dela217
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 720 Registered: 6-2002 |
I am with Jorge on this one too. I am putting down a laminate floor (Pergo) in my home office right now. I am putting it down because this particular type has a lifetime warranty. There will be rolling office chairs in there and I need something seamless and tough. Otherwise I would have went with ceramic. But.... I had real wood maple floors installed throughout my entire home before Katrina. After the flood, I ended up changing it out and am going to put in the exact same floor. I could have just cleaned it as it did not show any damage. But I just wanted to remove all the possibilities of recurring mold. Definately go with the real wood. It is very attractive and can be refinished. Even what they call "engineered" wood is nice and also can be refinished 20 years down the line if it is showing wear. It is a real wood veneer over pressed wood or MDF. The engineered wood is quite sturdy and since it is multiple laminates, resists warpage do to weather conditions. Just like an Alembic neck. There is probably less dead spots with this type of floor too. Just kidding. Just for more Alembic content, I think I should mention this: I found a Padauk hardwood floor that is just drop dead gorgeous. There are as may choices in floors as there are in the custom quote generator on this site. But I am still going back with the maple I had. There was lots of flame and birds eye in the maple and reminded me of one of my basses that Alembic made for me. If you want the most figuring and flame go with the Anderson brand. That is what I have found anyway. Being that it is going over a concrete slab makes it that much easier for you to do. It is a simple matter of getting the type that interlocks and just glue it down to the slab. The only problem is that you have to make sure the slab is completely level for it to come out nice. I can give full instructions on how to do this if you want to contact me off line. Piece of cake, and saves big bucks from having someone do it for you. LOTS of hard work though. Having done it, I will have someone else do it for me. Michael | ||
| glocke
Intermediate Member Username: glocke Post Number: 147 Registered: 9-2002 |
well, at the most I plan on being in this house for another 5 years max....I like the idea of hardwood for the resale value (since I am on a slab i will have to be engineered hardwood)...I guess I'll just have to look at more samples... | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 862 Registered: 10-2003 |
One tip if you install yourself: use duct tape to hold it in place while you work. After you lay a dozen or so rows, it can be difficult to keep it from swimming in all different directions. A couple of strips of duct tape across all the rows will hold it all in place nicely until the glue sets. Bostich's Best is great glue... John | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1734 Registered: 7-2004 |
Greg: My drummer and his partner own a well established flooring company. I'll ask him tonight at rehearsal re: pergo v. hardwood and report back. My own opinion is to get the cocobolo with vermilion lams and LEDs at all the thresholds! LOL Bill, tgo | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
New Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 2 Registered: 10-2006 |
One thing to keep in mind with the laminate is that while the finish is, as noted, applied in a factory setting, it is applied to each piece - any liquid that hits it has the possiblity of seeping into the laminate. This is not a good thing. On natural hardwood, the finish is continuous on top of the seams, protecting the integrity of the seal. Plus, cheap laminate looks like cheap laminate, while expensive laminate looks like expensive laminate. Wood looks like wood. The last house we owned, Senior Management wanted the Nixon-era vinyl out of the kitchen, and over my protestations bought laminate for me to put down. When I pulled up the vinyl, I found 2" wide tongue-in-groove maple that had been put down in 1874. The laminate went back and was replaced by a floor sander. It had nail holes and water damage that wouldn't sand out, the end result of which was that it looked like a really old Tele neck, only without the twist. Took a ton of sweat and profanity, but it was definitely worth it. Man, I hated to sell that house! Go with the wood. | ||
| glocke
Intermediate Member Username: glocke Post Number: 148 Registered: 9-2002 |
Thanks for all of the advice guys! im getting some more esitmates for the engineered hardwood...it sure does look better than the laminate (which actually did not look that bad). | ||
| alembic76407
Senior Member Username: alembic76407 Post Number: 476 Registered: 5-2002 |
I went with ceramic tile in my whole house (except the bedrooms) I LOVE IT !!!! David T | ||
| pas
Member Username: pas Post Number: 86 Registered: 3-2003 |
Cocobolo floors or bust... | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1737 Registered: 7-2004 |
Greg: My drummer, the floor guy, said to stay away from Pergo - "it sucks". He said there is no reason to use Pergo as there are lesser priced hardwoods that are no more expensive than Pergo. My bass player chimed in that he hates the sound of walking on Pergo. Bill, tgo | ||
| bigideas
Member Username: bigideas Post Number: 96 Registered: 1-2004 |
what about bamboo? that stuff is little strips laminated into flooring boards, but man alive its hard. | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1350 Registered: 3-2004 |
I don't know about for flooring, but laminated bamboo is a fairly hot combo for wood baseball bats in the amateur leagues because of how hard it is. Supposedly it is a little harder than the hardest maples. | ||
| byoung
Advanced Member Username: byoung Post Number: 396 Registered: 12-2004 |
Forget Cocobolo, I want African Blackwood. http://www.parquetnoble.co.za/ Bradley | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 863 Registered: 10-2002 |
Greg. In the 'now' unlikely event that you go with the laminate, you need to make sure your floor is absolutely dead flat first. We had a slight warp in the underlying chipboard floors which translated to a big hump in the pergo. movement over this in the last 8 years has resulted in the tongue on a couple of boards splitting. means the laminate boards move independantly of each other now. Mrs j is trying to get me to break into my series savings to lay down hardwood floorboards. Some chance! Graeme. | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1351 Registered: 3-2004 |
I may be reflooring soon as well. The issue I think I would have with wood is the extra thickness. Wouldn't it throw everything else off, meaning redoing cabinets and a bunch of trim? | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 600 Registered: 2-2005 |
Bob, Ideally you would want to have your cabinets and base board on top of the flooring. Depending upon the thickness you might be able to get away with butting the flooring to existing cabinets and base boards and then using 1/4 round trim to hide the gaps. To transition a room with hardwood floor to a room without I would just use a threshold similar to what you do with tile. Keith | ||
| adriaan
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 1091 Registered: 6-2002 |
Graeme, Aren't you supposed to have felt or some other damping material under the pergo? Should take care of (1) minor unevennesses in the floor underneath it, and (2) contact noise. | ||
| slawie
Junior Username: slawie Post Number: 16 Registered: 8-2002 |
+1 Keith I have had cork tiles in my house for 23 years and the warmth of the floor is great. Not only that that there have been a number of glasses etc. dropped that survived the fall. One word of advice though if you get cork avoid the stillettos that will pit the surface, because cork is usually coated in a couple of coats of urethane. Slawie. | ||
| edwin
Intermediate Member Username: edwin Post Number: 183 Registered: 5-2002 |
I have hardwood in the first floor of my 1957 ranch house. Like every other house in the neighborhood, it was covered with wall to wall carpeting for most of its life, so a slight sanding and then the really toxic covering was all it took to get it up to snuff. In the basement I did a Pergo style floor in my studio room to cover up the asbestos tile that looked like it wouldn't take any real abuse. It's not great, but I didn't need it to be and at the time was cheaper than real wood, as that would have required turning the house into a superfund toxic waste cleanup site. Now, the asbestos is well covered up and I have a pretty decent surface. However, my vote is for real wood. I have seen some great bamboo recently. Edwin PS I like the LEDs in the threshold idea! | ||
| bassman10096
Senior Member Username: bassman10096 Post Number: 934 Registered: 7-2003 |
I just got finished tearing Pergo out of a bedroom in my house. It was in place for 6 years (hardly a lifetime considering it's quite expensive). The two problems that caused it to fail: (1) It buckled in any spot where the under flooring was less than 100% perfect flat. I've installed many floors and have never seen a material so finicky about its foundation. (2) You can't underestimate how important it is to keep any liquid off the floor. Any place where even a small amount looked like it spilled across a joint between planks, the material swelled and began delaminating. Pergo is a synthetic nightmare. And not cheap. For the small difference in cost, spend the money for real wood or tile. There are a lot of Pergo owners who wish they had... | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 864 Registered: 10-2003 |
You don't need (or want) felt if you're glueing it down. Modern construction adhesives designed for flooring cure to a very rubbery consistency. They don't lose adherence as the floor expands and/or contracts, and they make it quiet to walk on. I wish I'd slathered the stuff on when I built my subfloor (and used screws instead of nails), because I've got a few squeaks where I didn't. Glueing the bamboo down with Bostich's Best glue sure quieted things up a lot. I nailed it in some strategic spots to keep it in place while the glue cured between our sessions of floor-laying. Be aware that, at least with the Bostich's Best, floor glue is the snottiest, stickiest, gooeyest stuff I've ever seen, and it is like a magnet for things it's not supposed to get on. Plus, NOTHING removes it once it's cured. Don't ask me how I know this. As for the leveling, it is unbelieveable how a perfectly flat and level subfloor really isn't either. Minor imperfections in it manifest themselves as major imperfections once the flooring goes down. Don't ask me how I know this. I think we were able to get our bamboo (which is wonderful) for around $1.85/sq. ft. from a wholesaler in Highland, Illinois. They even delivered to our road (but not to our house - you've never seen a Honda Element so loaded with Bamboo!) for free, because it was almost on their normal truck route. If you shop around, use The Internets and make enough calls, you can find good stuff very reasonably priced. And yes, get samples from as many vendors as possible before you commit... John | ||
| keurosix
Intermediate Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 102 Registered: 10-2005 |
I have to second the gripes of the laminate floors. Go with real wood. I've seen too many buckled floors to mention, and walking on them feels like walking on a trampolene. If the house reacts with the weather (as all wood does) and the clearances are too tight at the edges, the floor can lift up and create a pocket below, which moves as you walk on it. I have oak floors in my house now, and had them in my last house too. I just love real wood. Kris | ||
| tbrannon
Advanced Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 203 Registered: 11-2004 |
I had Pergo in my first house. Never again- for all of the same reasons the guys have listed above. If I have the opportunity to install flooring again and wood is a viable option, I'll go with real wood. | ||
| jubeas3eyes
Junior Username: jubeas3eyes Post Number: 39 Registered: 1-2006 |
I work as a hardwood installer/finisher in my free time (ie whenever someone offers a job). I would go with real wood. I installed pergo once and will not install it again. It sounds like a good idea in theory, but really it's junk. Hardwood can be inexpensive and beautiful (if the person installing knows what they're doing)! Not to mention it's easy to refinish and have it looking new in no time! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 4475 Registered: 5-2002 |
Wow; I now know a lot more about floors than I did when I woke up this morning! | ||
| paulman
Intermediate Member Username: paulman Post Number: 130 Registered: 2-2005 |
"My bass player chimed in that he hates the sound of walking on Pergo. " Oh boy, I never thought of choosing wood flooring for it's tone! That's an interesting idea LOL Gives borth to the idea of Tonewood Flooring. | ||
| keurosix
Intermediate Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 115 Registered: 10-2005 |
Yep, I second that. The "Plic-plak" sound is just like walking on cheap plastic. Which of course, that's exactly what it is! | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Junior Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 13 Registered: 10-2006 |
How about a tonewood house? 20-some years ago, a friend of mine ( a guitarist) hired 2 buddies (cabinetmakers)to help him redo his place. They referred to it as "a love affair with wood." You should have seen it - pretty much the whole interior was maple, walnut, mahagony, rosewood, ebony - incredible! (I guess you can afford that kind of thing with a Number 1 single under your belt.) Peter |
