Hello,
we purchased a 20-year-old house that still has the original laminate flooring installed in the upper floor.
At first, we planned to install laminate there again, but now we are leaning more towards hardwood flooring. A carpenter friend advised us: better to choose inexpensive hardwood than expensive laminate flooring.
We are not yet 100% decided. Our requirements are:
- There is no underfloor heating, and due to previous troublesome experiences, we definitely will not install it.
- The laminate was installed as a floating floor.
- We have two small children who will remain quite young for the next 10 years, so the floor will certainly be subjected to some wear and tear.
Initially, our thought was to install relatively inexpensive laminate, around 15 euros per square meter (about 1.40 USD per square foot), and consider hardwood in 10 years.
We no longer find this very sensible. Hardwood clearly looks better visually and is probably more comfortable to walk on. Also, while solid or engineered hardwood can be sanded and refinished after several years, this is not possible with laminate, which means removing and replacing the entire floor again.
At first, we assumed hardwood flooring would not be available for less than 80 euros per square meter (about 7.40 USD per square foot). However, we found offers for engineered hardwood at around 45 euros per square meter (about 4.15 USD per square foot) in a local store. Some online shops even offer it cheaper.
We are not looking for the cheapest option at any cost. For now, our budget for initial repairs is limited, so it’s a matter of weighing the options. If we were to spend 15-20 euros per square meter on laminate, it makes more sense to invest 40-50 euros per square meter in hardwood, which will provide better living quality, appearance, value, and durability.
However, if engineered hardwood at 40-50 euros per square meter is poor quality, this calculation doesn’t hold; but we currently cannot budget 100 euros per square meter for hardwood.
We are not fixed on a particular type of wood; both plank flooring and strip flooring appeal to us aesthetically. The product does not need to be premium eco-friendly, but we do not want a floor with strong formaldehyde emissions, especially in the children’s rooms. Also, the floor should have a wear layer thick enough to allow at least one sanding and refinishing.
we purchased a 20-year-old house that still has the original laminate flooring installed in the upper floor.
At first, we planned to install laminate there again, but now we are leaning more towards hardwood flooring. A carpenter friend advised us: better to choose inexpensive hardwood than expensive laminate flooring.
We are not yet 100% decided. Our requirements are:
- There is no underfloor heating, and due to previous troublesome experiences, we definitely will not install it.
- The laminate was installed as a floating floor.
- We have two small children who will remain quite young for the next 10 years, so the floor will certainly be subjected to some wear and tear.
Initially, our thought was to install relatively inexpensive laminate, around 15 euros per square meter (about 1.40 USD per square foot), and consider hardwood in 10 years.
We no longer find this very sensible. Hardwood clearly looks better visually and is probably more comfortable to walk on. Also, while solid or engineered hardwood can be sanded and refinished after several years, this is not possible with laminate, which means removing and replacing the entire floor again.
At first, we assumed hardwood flooring would not be available for less than 80 euros per square meter (about 7.40 USD per square foot). However, we found offers for engineered hardwood at around 45 euros per square meter (about 4.15 USD per square foot) in a local store. Some online shops even offer it cheaper.
We are not looking for the cheapest option at any cost. For now, our budget for initial repairs is limited, so it’s a matter of weighing the options. If we were to spend 15-20 euros per square meter on laminate, it makes more sense to invest 40-50 euros per square meter in hardwood, which will provide better living quality, appearance, value, and durability.
However, if engineered hardwood at 40-50 euros per square meter is poor quality, this calculation doesn’t hold; but we currently cannot budget 100 euros per square meter for hardwood.
We are not fixed on a particular type of wood; both plank flooring and strip flooring appeal to us aesthetically. The product does not need to be premium eco-friendly, but we do not want a floor with strong formaldehyde emissions, especially in the children’s rooms. Also, the floor should have a wear layer thick enough to allow at least one sanding and refinishing.
Mizit schrieb:
Before anyone wonders why Lucyy is replying: technology can be amazing. I just logged into the forum again via Tapa Talk and it turns out I registered here or somewhere else back in 2011 (???) as miss Westenraa. And now that username is being used for housebuilding?
Anyway, just so nobody is confused...
You need to log in to the forum via TT as well, then you can post under your HBF nickname.
Best regards in brief
Nordlys schrieb:
Why does parquet flooring get scratched with two small children around? It gets scratched by high heels, not by Lego bricks. Budget roughly $800 gross for refinishing.Hmm, we’ve heard from several sources that children can indeed damage such (sensitive?) parquet flooring. I can insist on removing shoes, but how often might children still walk around with shoes on indoors? I don’t consider my kids particularly rough, but here, cars, toy boxes (made of wood among other materials), toy cash registers, and so on are sometimes dropped forcefully onto the floor, and we even have a small scratch in our stone tiles, the cause of which no one can really explain.
ypg schrieb:
Just Google bamboo flooring: Bamboo is not wood, but a grass, which makes it even harder than oak.
However, the price is lower than engineered hardwood flooring.
Best regardsThanks, good tip! Bamboo will probably feel warmer than laminate even without underfloor heating, right?
Yes, the technology. Learned something new again At first, I thought, what’s going on; I hope I’m not about to post under the names Trump or Petry or something, but then I remembered my former passion for the Stoic novels...
B
Bieber081527 Feb 2017 16:22Lucy Westenraa schrieb:
We are complete beginners when it comes to DIY and therefore quite naive.Rumor has it that thousands of amateurs install laminate flooring themselves, but very few sand their floors. Possible reasons: It’s not easy to sand a consistent, defined layer evenly. If you keep the machine in one spot for a bit too long, you’ll end up with a dent. Corners and edges are always challenging. I’m also sure you won’t get all the dust out with just one round of vacuuming. Anyway, I wouldn’t stress too much about the sanding.In my opinion, parquet flooring is still a beautiful floor, even with small imperfections. So, what’s the big deal?
Could you consider carpet or sheet flooring?
C
Caspar202027 Feb 2017 16:48Lucy Westenraa schrieb:
You can rent it from the building supply store, for a fee of course, and then sand an upper floor within 2 hours, vacuum once, mop once, and that’s it? No? Laughs
Normally, three sanding passes are needed. Between the second and third pass, the holes and joints are filled with wood filler.
After that, it needs to be either varnished or oiled.
If varnishing:
prime first, then apply one coat of varnish. After that, sand again with 120 grit or finer, and then apply another coat of varnish.
There’s no way to do it in just 2 hours quickly like that.
For our 95sqm (1020 sq ft) parquet floor, we have planned a week.
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