Laminate vs. Ceramic Tile


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Old 04-06-06, 06:17 AM
S
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Laminate vs. Ceramic Tile

Hello all,

just thought I would post, I am fairly new to posting on this site, but read a ton.

anyway, we currently have vinyl tile in our foyer, half bath, kitchen, and dining room. We are just starting to think about moving, but before we move, we want to make some home improvements.

So to the question.
What would have a better Retern On Investment, laminate wood flooring, or ceramic tile. I havent priced either, but I have heard they are almost the same.

the dining room will most likely get the laminate for sure.

personally I think both would be equally difficult to install, so that wouldnt be an issue. The basement is below these room, so the ceramic wouldnt be to cold.

other then that, just wanted to post, and get some general opinions.
thanks!!
Smed
 
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Old 04-06-06, 01:38 PM
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Fresh new floors will certainly help sell your home more quickly. Floating laminate and engineered wood floors are popular because of ease of installation for DIYers, and either could be floated right in over the vinyl. Ceramic tile would require removal of vinyl, installation of concrete underlayment board, and installing tiles, some of which would require cutting, and grouting. Ceramic tile would, of course, likely be more complicated for the inexperienced DIYers and likely more expensive.

Depending upon with whom you talk, ceramic tile can provide about 48% return on investment or more if you DIY. Some buyers may be turned off by ceramic tile because they think tile is 'cold and hard.' Laminate is frequently recommended as a fresh floor for quickly getting a house ready for market. If you DIY, you can possibly gain as much as 50% on your investment. Again, it depends on who is making the estimates, the market where you are located, what buyers expect to find in your neighborhood, the cost of flooring, and labor if you do not DIY.
 
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Old 04-06-06, 06:29 PM
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If I may be so bold, I think you can summarize twelvepole's post by saying that wood will probably be a little better choice than ceramic. Overall, I think this is correct. On the other hand some people, like myself, don't like wood floors and prefer ceramic. There's no perfect solution. Another option would be to leave the floors and offer a prospective buyer some credit so they could put in the flooring they wanted.
 
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Old 04-07-06, 10:31 AM
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i vote for laminate in the foyer & dining room, and tile in the kitchen & bath. but if you're doing it yourself, and you've never done either before, i vote for laminate everywhere. there's far less to go wrong with laminate than tile. also, i've done both, and i think laminate is easier & quicker.
 
 

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