Flooring Question - Hardwoord, Bamboo, Laminate, Carpet???

[andresont]

Don't listen to salesman or installer they are not thinking with your perspective of water protection. From their's point of view, few drops here and there not a big deal.
They don't have a fogiest idea how much water we spill on our floors and it has corrosive salt in it right?
At any rate hardwood will be damaged even if there is a hint of moisture.
It will warp just because of humidity forget the spills.. and you will spill for sure.
So get your scretching tool out and the bucket with water from your tank, soak the samples for 12 hrs. Dry it up and in 3 to 6 days you will have a clear picture right away wich product to go with.
3 years ago, IKEA laminate with glue in between the seams, worked for me and i use to spill a lot on it. It was very hard to scretch even with screwdriver.

[Skimmerking]

I have real oak hardwood floors in my house and I love it. I have them in the Kitchen diningroom, and livingroom and hallways and the front entrance and back entrance I have Slate that i did I went with the saloon grade because it looks old. And if you go with a darker wood the scratches will show up faster then on a lighter piece of floor. i will take some pictures to show you.

[Skimmerking]

here is my flooring that i put in along with slate tiles.. I went with the saloon grade i like it







My wife says you could have cleaned the shoes away its all about presentation...

[andsoitgoes]

ugh - see, this is what I'm talking about :P

andresont - I totally get what you're saying, and that's why I was going to grab some samples to really test them. I was seriously considering the glue, even with the snap lock pieces..

asmodeus - how much do you spill on the floors, and do you guys have kids? I'm really concerned about that side of things.

See - even without salesman, I'm getting 2 completely different sides to the story! :P

[andresont]

I am confused, how is that you see a difference in our stories?

Is this because I am saying that hardwood will warp when moisture is present?
I remember two people who had to replace the hardwood for this reason. One was on top of Coral Ocean shop in Vancouver on Boundary and KingsWay, she replaced her floors twice in one year! Just call Colin at (604) 733-1888 ( 3622 Kingsway - Coral Ocean) and ask him. He will tell you that woman on top of his store did replace the floors twice. (I don’t think it was moisture from his store though, but this is a different subject)
The other one is on top of my old apartment on Patterson ave. when they had a supply line broken in the bathroom. In both cases hardwood warped.
That is why I am recommending to test samples by submerging in salt water for 12 hrs , regardless of what you choice is laminate or hardwood.
In any case, as people here are indicating that whatever case may be (laminate or hardwood) it is a matter of personal preference. The point is to test it that’s all there is to it.
You may want to test few assembled samples just to see that it will stay aligned, so perhaps a small vat/bath would be even better for this purpose

[andsoitgoes]

well yours vs asmodeus

The experience you've had with hardwood seems the exact opposite he's had!

He doesn't seem to have any warping, and others are always telling me "no, laminate will warp the second water looks at it!!"

That's the confusion/difference I speak of!

Originally Posted by andresont

I am confused, how is that you see a difference in our stories?

Is this because I am saying that hardwood will warp when moisture is present?
I remember two people who had to replace the hardwood for this reason. One was on top of Coral Ocean shop in Vancouver on Boundary and KingsWay, she replaced her floors twice in one year! Just call Colin at (604) 733-1888 ( 3622 Kingsway - Coral Ocean) and ask him. He will tell you that woman on top of his store did replace the floors twice. (I don’t think it was moisture from his store though, but this is a different subject)
The other one is on top of my old apartment on Patterson ave. when they had a supply line broken in the bathroom. In both cases hardwood warped.
That is why I am recommending to test samples by submerging in salt water for 12 hrs , regardless of what you choice is laminate or hardwood.
In any case, as people here are indicating that whatever case may be (laminate or hardwood) it is a matter of personal preference. The point is to test it that’s all there is to it.
You may want to test few assembled samples just to see that it will stay aligned, so perhaps a small vat/bath would be even better for this purpose

[michika]

I would say go for hardwood. I have oak hardwood from the 50s, the small 1" slats through all of the first two floors of my house, and from what I've put it through it holds up really well.

They hold up quite well if you clean up a saltwater related spill immediately they do warp if the water isn't cleaned up/dried quickly. The warping I see is only the edges of the boards where the sealant has worn off. If you do go for hardwood invest in a fan you can direct at your floor in case of spills.

I have two dogs, and they haven't managed to damage our floor yet. I just make sure that their nails get cliped regularly and that I file them down a bit after to prevent sharp edges.

As for kids I can't comment, but I'm pretty rough with my floors; moving furniture around, dropping stuff, etc. If your worried about child-related damage consider putting down a nice rug with underlay in their primary play area to prevent damage/stains.

If you opt for underfloor heating, you won't regret it. My parents have it in their bathroom, and its a nice refreshing change from cold hardwood in the winter. They went with the above mentioned heating mats under 1ftx1ft tiles. I haven't heard any complaints, and according to my mother it hasn't caused any damaged to their heating costs.

[andresont]

All asmodeus said was that he loves hardwood, and I do too. He never said anything about water on the floor did he?
All i am saing that you need to test thats all.

[Skimmerking]

Ok here is my story . First off when you buy a house the is priced at $300,000 and they say top notch Laminate floors/ Come on people If you are spending that much money you better be giving me Hardwood.

YES I HAVE Kids 10yrs old Girl and 6 yr old BOy that love to race car around and the floors do hold up and yes with kids lots of stuff gets spilled and i mean spilled. I have it in the kitchen and thurout the house. I love it wipe it up and your done. swifter, and wipe down...

Laminate is great for a fast fix, if you are selling a house and want that nice look great go for it. Laminate if you get a scratch you can't take it out its done.

They say that certain types of laminates are back with a 25-30 year guarantte. ya what is going to happen on yr 15 when that company is not there. and its does scratch and it does warp. and most of the time depending on your floors you will need a sub floor to make sure that the floors are even across. Lots of people are doing laminate and are putting in a sub floor reasons that house is older and the floors are uneven.

Now Hard wood there is lots to choose from. its natural, easy to clean, if you do get a scratch you can get it bluffed out or refinished , if you have a piece that is cracked , and yes if can happen I called the place that did it. They came over and cut if out and placed a new piece in there. you can't even notice it. and you can buy colors to match the floor to color in any light scatches. And with a older home you dont need a sub floor the hard wood acts as one. have done lots of hardwood floors. SO dont let them tell you that you need them.......

Price laminate is going from 1.00 -5.99 PER Sq ft. Hardwood can go from 3-22dollars per ft depending on that wood and color. with Hardwood you can sand that floor and refinish them 3 times and it takes a long time to wear out hardwood. Look at some of the older houses that have Natural wood in them and they are over 100 yrs old.

HTH

P.S if you do go with hard wood don't get a dark color it shows dirt, scratches alot easier.... We do have a dog and its really easy to clean up after him .......

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by andresont

All asmodeus said was that he loves hardwood, and I do too. He never said anything about water on the floor did he?
All i am saing that you need to test thats all.

how about giving a guy a chance to type out.