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.
Winniefred14 Apr 2017 08:55We have now decided on reasonably good laminate flooring (with discounts, about 15€ per square meter plus underlay and all the necessary accessories up to the transition strips, we are already at 28€!). When it wears out in 15 years, we will most likely have the underlying strip parquet restored professionally by a company.