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.
Nordlys schrieb:
Didn’t you mention 28 earlier? Or did I misread?I found parquet flooring offered online in this price range, yes. The question is whether the quality is any good or if it’s just so poor that it doesn’t make sense. I also don’t know if someone installs materials that others have bought cheaply. Maybe MyHammer?
D
daniels8728 Mar 2017 08:37As I mentioned in my previous post, we installed parquet flooring for €27 per m² (approximately $27.50 per sq ft). I haven’t noticed any issues. Of course, the planks on the ground floor (in the €70 price range, about $70 per sq ft) look different, mainly due to the plank width.
I would just avoid lacquered or UV-oiled finishes, as they are nearly impossible to repair.
There are plenty of tradespeople available to install the flooring, for example through MyHammer, but be sure to check references carefully.
I would just avoid lacquered or UV-oiled finishes, as they are nearly impossible to repair.
There are plenty of tradespeople available to install the flooring, for example through MyHammer, but be sure to check references carefully.
Winniefred28 Mar 2017 20:22We also have two children (1.5 and almost 4 years old) and moved into a newly renovated apartment last year that supposedly has "high-quality" prefinished hardwood flooring. We don’t know how expensive it was, but after just one year, it already looks quite worn. There are dents, scratches, and so on everywhere (this will probably be fun with the landlord when we move out soon... but we treated it normally!). The kids really put it through a lot, which you can’t prevent. They drop their wooden toys on it, sometimes a plate falls off the table, and things like that.
In our house, we plan to sand and reseal the existing strip parquet ourselves and install more affordable click vinyl flooring in the other rooms (I’m thinking around 20-25€/m2 (about 1.90-2.30 USD/sq ft)). This is mainly because of the children, as any expensive flooring would probably show damage within a few years anyway.
Personally, we believe it’s better to install cheaper materials while the kids are small and more destructive, then replace them with something “proper” once the children have grown and become more careful. And who knows, maybe the cheap parquet or laminate will hold up better than expected?
In our house, we plan to sand and reseal the existing strip parquet ourselves and install more affordable click vinyl flooring in the other rooms (I’m thinking around 20-25€/m2 (about 1.90-2.30 USD/sq ft)). This is mainly because of the children, as any expensive flooring would probably show damage within a few years anyway.
Personally, we believe it’s better to install cheaper materials while the kids are small and more destructive, then replace them with something “proper” once the children have grown and become more careful. And who knows, maybe the cheap parquet or laminate will hold up better than expected?
Hello Mizit
First of all: full-surface gluing is simple. Just spread it evenly on the floor with a notched trowel. But once the parquet is glued down, it’s difficult to remove. So replacing it is not an option. And parquet with two kids? It will look worn out very quickly. Then forget about sanding. If there are deep chips everywhere, sanding won’t help at all. Parquet is delicate and doesn’t scratch just within tenths of a millimeter. And I’m not a fan of “cheap” options. You need to consider both the wear layer AND the flooring structure. Cheap pressboard as the base and some low-grade wood as the wear layer won’t work.
Why not install laminate flooring as a floating floor first and then, when the kids are older, remove it and put in parquet? Laminate tolerates much more than parquet.
Steven
First of all: full-surface gluing is simple. Just spread it evenly on the floor with a notched trowel. But once the parquet is glued down, it’s difficult to remove. So replacing it is not an option. And parquet with two kids? It will look worn out very quickly. Then forget about sanding. If there are deep chips everywhere, sanding won’t help at all. Parquet is delicate and doesn’t scratch just within tenths of a millimeter. And I’m not a fan of “cheap” options. You need to consider both the wear layer AND the flooring structure. Cheap pressboard as the base and some low-grade wood as the wear layer won’t work.
Why not install laminate flooring as a floating floor first and then, when the kids are older, remove it and put in parquet? Laminate tolerates much more than parquet.
Steven
Because at some point we thought: traces left by toddlers will be visible on both laminate and hardwood flooring. While with laminate you can't really do much except eventually replace it, a good hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished.
What type of hardwood flooring construction would you recommend?
What type of hardwood flooring construction would you recommend?
Hello Mizit
Install it as a floating floor. Lay this paper material (sound insulation) on the floor and then click-lock laminate flooring (not sure if that’s the correct term) on top. You can probably lay it very close to the wall so the laminate doesn’t shift. And when it’s worn out after a few years and the kids are older, just remove it and install hardwood flooring. You can then glue that down over the entire surface. Sanding takes a lot of effort, often doesn’t give the results you hope for (it only removes small scratches), and probably costs about as much as the entire laminate floor.
Steven
Install it as a floating floor. Lay this paper material (sound insulation) on the floor and then click-lock laminate flooring (not sure if that’s the correct term) on top. You can probably lay it very close to the wall so the laminate doesn’t shift. And when it’s worn out after a few years and the kids are older, just remove it and install hardwood flooring. You can then glue that down over the entire surface. Sanding takes a lot of effort, often doesn’t give the results you hope for (it only removes small scratches), and probably costs about as much as the entire laminate floor.
Steven
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