Recommendations Prefinished Hardwood or Pergo Laminate


  #1  
Old 02-02-05, 04:57 PM
Carole Baker
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Recommendations Prefinished Hardwood or Pergo Laminate

I am about to install flooring in my entire first floor. I am thoroughly confused by the competeing information on the two types of flooring. I am finding that I can almost exclude cost as a differentiator when I choose the higher end Pergos. Can anyone tell me what their experience has been both with regard to installation, cost, wear and usage?
 
  #2  
Old 02-03-05, 09:54 AM
workingonmyhome
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Carole,

We ended up purchasing both - floating engineered hardwood and laminate - for budgetary reasons. The kids rooms received the laminate while we put the hardwood in the living areas and our master bedroom.

Laminate was easier to install of course as it is lighter, easier to cut and clicks into place. That is not to say the engineered hardwood was difficult for a pretty good DIYer. It just required more muscle and lots of glue.

The cost difference was about 2:1. Our laminate was about $2.50 per sq ft vs. about $5.25 for the 5/8" engineered floor. Pad is extra. I purchased both online with no problems. As a matter of fact the hardwood slipped off the pallets on the moving truck. Upon inspection we found 4 damaged boxes and the company shipped out replacement boxes in a week and gave us the original 4 which had many good pieces and gave me lots of extra to cover a few bad cuts.

I cannot comment yet on wear and usage as we have had our floors down between 2 and 6 months. The laminate is very hard. The wood feels much more stable. Wood is wood and a couple of nicks have popped up. I call it character and also purchased a touch-up kit.

In terms of final review, the wood is absolutely beautiful and I suspect adds to the value of the home (a secondary but important consideration). The laminate is purely functional and still much better than the carpet (read - dust collector) that we had when we moved into the home.

Hope this helps a bit.
 
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Old 02-06-05, 05:30 PM
T
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My choice is always solid hardwood. Read the ads in the newspapers for homes for sale. Hardwood is a bonus. You never read Pergo floors. A hardwood floor adds value to the home and can be refinished. The laminated floors tend to be considered disposable.
 
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Old 02-06-05, 06:29 PM
P
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I have not seen a laminate yet that I would choose over real wood. If you are installing in a basement where moisture is a problem I would consider it but otherwise my vote is for real wood.

I've got about 1'800 ft. of prefinished American cherry in my house, including the kitchen. American cherry is probably the softest and least durable wood used for flooring and it has held up well for over three years so far. The wood is soft so if you drop a plate it will dent the wood but the finish has stayed intact with no scratches or flaking. After three years in the high traffic areas of our house (with my muddy boots) the finish has showed no sign of wear.
 
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Old 02-06-05, 06:51 PM
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Thank you, Pilot Dane, for your honesty. I would never buy any laminated or other product over solid hardwood. Yes, solid cherry is softer than other hardwoods. It rates about 950 verus 1250 on the Janke scale of hardness when compared with natural red oak. Please know that American Cherry is photosensitive and subject to color change due to expoxure to lighting.
 
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Old 02-07-05, 03:34 AM
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Oh, I learned about my "magic" color changing wood the hard way...twice.

(#1) When I opened the boxes of wood I thought I had received the wrong wood. I ordered American Cherry with a natural (no stain) finish. Out of the box it was very light, almost like a Finnish Birch. Over the next couple weeks the color came out but I did not really notice it until I removed to construction paper. (#2) I had put contstruction paper down on the high traffic paths during construction. I was shocked when I removed the paper and saw my two tone floor. Within two weeks it all blended together nicely.
 
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Old 02-07-05, 04:32 AM
bvanscoy678
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not so fast....

Hey, what is all the laminate bashing for???

I have 1,000 sq feet of hardwood in my house, but I also have about 300 feet of laminate. I love them both. The laminate is much easier to keep clean and looking brand new. I still believe both adds value to homes.
 
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Old 02-07-05, 06:03 AM
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I would consider the laminate in a high traffic area like a kitchen or hallway. It is easy to maintain and you do not have to worry about scratches. But nothing beats hardwood for the value and look in general living areas. You will definitely have higher resale value with hardwood.

One other thing to consider with laminate is I noticed it can sound hollow. The thicker natural wood tends to absorb sound better while the thin laminate bounces it back. So if you may not want to have it in a large open space. You will hear echos.
 
 

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