Floored by Flooring! (engineered, laminate, color, installed)

[Drouzin]

Help, we're going in circles! He wants wood; she wants laminate. Both floors chosen are the same price. The wood is engineered and will be installed as a floating floor. The laminate is a decent quality and is installed quickly and easily. He is worried about water ruining the laminate and she is worried about scratches.

Any thoughts?

[Ohiogirl81]

I'm with you. Wood.

Scratches will add character to the wood, but water will not add character to laminate!

[martinez4]

Scratches can been buffed out.....water damage is forever!!!!

[Tesaje]

Neither product is good with water. Laminates will swell and warp if sitting in water. Despite the advertising, laminates do scratch and there is nothing you can do to fix it except replace the piece. Not easy. If wood scratches, you can fix it. If water is a concern, the best thing to do would be to lay the wood flooring, then go over the whole floor with a good quality and compatible polyurethane varnish with a couple of coats. That will seal all those interstices and help the floor last longer.

Laminates do not look or feel like wood. They are a thin picture of wood under plastic on top of the substrate.

I've been considering strand woven bamboo. I got a sample and it took a nail pressing down hard to scratch it and I doubt I scratched more than the varnish. I put it in a bucket of water for 24 hours and could discern a very slight color difference. After it dried, I couldn't tell it had been soaking at all.

[cdelena]

I have found that laminate is amazing how well it holds up, cleans, and resists scratches, but it simply lacks the look and feel of wood. If I replaced my laminate I certainly would get wood but if you have children the laminate might be a good choice.

[JayCT]

Wood, there is nothing like the real thing. I do not necessarily agree that laminate is more scratch resistant than reall wood. My sister had laminate in her front hall and it didn't last 3 years. It looked terrible. JMHO Jay

[KristyLiz]

Wood. Even if it's engineered, my vote is for wood!

[scarletfire]

What about bamboo? We just got some and it was less expensive than oak because the supplier had an overstock and it looks beautiful!!!

[Racelady88]

I have been 3 weeks on brand new laminate. It looks awful already, is very noisy, and I hate it. Thank goodness this is a rental. I would have been very upset if I had paid for this floor.

This will also help me when looking at houses. It better have carpet!

[Drouzin]

Thanks ya'll! It helps to have others' opinions. It looks like he is going to win this one. Poor guy, he's won so few of them here lately; he'll be happy.