ᐅ Laminate Flooring – Why Is It So Unpopular Among Sellers?
Created on: 27 Jan 2017 15:18
A
AndreasPlü
We are building a single-family house with underfloor heating for hot water. The entire ground floor living area will be tiled, but we are still undecided about the flooring for the children’s rooms and the bedroom.
We initially considered installing floating laminate flooring ourselves – expected to cost around €15 (about $16) plus impact sound insulation per square meter (approximately 10.8 sq ft). If the flooring wears out in 20 years, we don’t mind replacing it.
We visited three flooring suppliers, and all recommended vinyl or engineered hardwood flooring, both to be fully glued down. We are generally against hardwood flooring because it is not ideal with underfloor heating and, above all, expensive. When the children (currently toddlers) damage it, it’s frustrating. Sanding engineered hardwood is often not an option, and replacing it when glued down is a real hassle. We are suspicious of vinyl due to pollutant concerns, which were confirmed by Ökotest in 2012. Laminate, on the other hand, appears to be free of harmful substances according to the same test.
Why do all salespeople advise against laminate? Is it because they earn more with other types of flooring? Also, is floating installation of engineered hardwood compatible with underfloor heating, or should it be avoided?
We initially considered installing floating laminate flooring ourselves – expected to cost around €15 (about $16) plus impact sound insulation per square meter (approximately 10.8 sq ft). If the flooring wears out in 20 years, we don’t mind replacing it.
We visited three flooring suppliers, and all recommended vinyl or engineered hardwood flooring, both to be fully glued down. We are generally against hardwood flooring because it is not ideal with underfloor heating and, above all, expensive. When the children (currently toddlers) damage it, it’s frustrating. Sanding engineered hardwood is often not an option, and replacing it when glued down is a real hassle. We are suspicious of vinyl due to pollutant concerns, which were confirmed by Ökotest in 2012. Laminate, on the other hand, appears to be free of harmful substances according to the same test.
Why do all salespeople advise against laminate? Is it because they earn more with other types of flooring? Also, is floating installation of engineered hardwood compatible with underfloor heating, or should it be avoided?
Dirk Grafe has already said it all: it is a disposable product, and you generally wouldn’t use it in a house where you plan to live for at least a couple of decades.
Of course, there are commercial-grade options that are very durable, but their price tends to be closer to that of engineered hardwood or vinyl flooring. So, laminate flooring remains more suitable for rental properties rather than owner-occupied homes.
Of course, there are commercial-grade options that are very durable, but their price tends to be closer to that of engineered hardwood or vinyl flooring. So, laminate flooring remains more suitable for rental properties rather than owner-occupied homes.
Elina schrieb:
But they’re all smooth and cold, no matter how expensive. I haven’t seen any with surface texture.Nope. I’m not a huge laminate fan either, but in the right price range, you can get them textured just like other synthetic floorings.
I also find it odd to compare laminate (printed resin-impregnated fiberboard) and vinyl (printed plastic) as if one is clearly better than the other. In my opinion, neither is a great flooring option—they both have very similar, rather low-quality properties.
Why would a specialist dealer hesitate to sell laminate? Because nobody who buys a floor covering for €10–15 per sqm (around $11–16 per sq ft) is willing to pay another €30–40 (around $32–43) for the installation service on top of that.
If you’re looking for inexpensive engineered hardwood flooring and are in NRW, try searching for ter Hürne and Bocholt. They have large amounts of “B-grade” stock for under €20 per sqm (around $21 per sq ft) (you just accept about 10% extra and sort out the really bad boards). There are always 3–4 offers online, and on site you can order the full ter Hürne product range as B-grade in any quantity you want (unbelievable, but true ).
Hello everyone,
of course, there is cheap laminate flooring that looks and feels cheap as well.
I also spent a long time deciding which type of flooring to choose for the bedroom, living room, and guest room. After a lot of searching and “feeling” the options, I decided on laminate. I had previously seen vinyl floors, which I didn’t like at all. I simply prefer the wood look. And I wasn’t comfortable with that "rubber" feeling.
Then I looked into hardwood flooring but didn’t really find anything I liked from the start… and yes, I didn’t want to spend 50 euros per square meter (about 4.65 USD per square foot). I know myself well enough – if something happens, I’d be really upset.
So, I saw the following flooring and kept coming back to it because I liked it. That’s the one I chose, with proper impact sound insulation that wasn’t cheap either. For me, it’s the optimum choice regarding maintenance, appearance, and value for money. And visitors have even asked if it’s hardwood. And yes, it has texture.
Everyone has their own taste… I wouldn’t speak badly of any type of flooring.
of course, there is cheap laminate flooring that looks and feels cheap as well.
I also spent a long time deciding which type of flooring to choose for the bedroom, living room, and guest room. After a lot of searching and “feeling” the options, I decided on laminate. I had previously seen vinyl floors, which I didn’t like at all. I simply prefer the wood look. And I wasn’t comfortable with that "rubber" feeling.
Then I looked into hardwood flooring but didn’t really find anything I liked from the start… and yes, I didn’t want to spend 50 euros per square meter (about 4.65 USD per square foot). I know myself well enough – if something happens, I’d be really upset.
So, I saw the following flooring and kept coming back to it because I liked it. That’s the one I chose, with proper impact sound insulation that wasn’t cheap either. For me, it’s the optimum choice regarding maintenance, appearance, and value for money. And visitors have even asked if it’s hardwood. And yes, it has texture.
Everyone has their own taste… I wouldn’t speak badly of any type of flooring.
One point has not been addressed yet: parquet flooring is not unsuitable for underfloor heating. You just need to make sure when purchasing—just like with carpet, vinyl, and laminate—that it is compatible with underfloor heating.
By the way, bamboo fiber flooring is somewhat cheaper compared to wooden parquet.
Best regards
By the way, bamboo fiber flooring is somewhat cheaper compared to wooden parquet.
Best regards
By structured, I mean truly deep grooves and notches, not just slightly roughened surfaces or minor unevenness. It takes more than that to prevent a pet from sliding even a meter further when braking while running at full speed. So far, I have only seen this in vinyl flooring that has millimeter-deep (millimeter-deep) joints along the "plank edges," as well as deep grooves, and the material itself is less smooth. Comparable to PVC flooring, but harder. You wouldn’t be able to slip on it even wearing socks, no matter how hard you try.
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