Floor Question

[RALIKA]

what is a good floor that will last a long time and hold up well to kids and dogs that isn't carpet and isn't too expensive and easy to clean?

 

[pennymercantile]

Surprisingly enough I would suggest....concrete.

I have seen a friend take out her burber carpet and expose her concrete floors which she had stained and it looks nice and wears well.

Cheap too...

Gayle

 

[kjs1976]

My DH, who installed flooring for 10 years and now sells it at Lowe's, will tell you that real wood is best (especially for re-sale value) but that laminate floors hold up to just about all wear and tear....kids, dogs, dropped things.

The only brand he doesn't like or recommend is Pergo.

 

[denise5374]

I just started looking a wood laminate floors. What brand would your DH recommend??

 

[LgTmDisFan]

I love the new concrete floor they hold up to anything add alink so you could see some.

http://www.aceconcrete.com/gallery.html#

 

[storzo]

I have Pergo in my house and I absolutely love it. Installed quick, easy to clean and holds up to my son, dog, two cats and cockatoo.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

I just started looking a wood laminate floors. What brand would your DH recommend??

I would also like to know the answer to that. We are looking to redo the floors in our house. DH wants laminate and I want tile. So I am trying to learn more about the laminate products to see if I will be happy or not.

 

[trulygoofy]

We have some laminate in our laundry room and it is easy to clean, but it can pucker if it gets too wet. I really like bamboo. It is easy to install and water resistant. We got some at Lumber Liquidators (we had to drive two hours to get to one, but the $ made it worth it). They also have good deals on all sorts of flooring and the quality is great. http://www.lumberliquidators.com/home.jsp

 

[bnhasak]

This is going to sound crazy, but if my accident prone kids fall head first onto the concrete floor is a lot of blood going to be spilled? I just wandered basically if concrete is any harder or more dangerous for kids and elderly for that matter.

Looks great though.

 

[diseyore]

My opinion, would be tile, but kids can get hurt on them. (use scatter rugs) I personally don't like laminate because over time the seams show and they look fake. I love real wood floors. They don't have that hollow sound either. If you want laminate flooring look for the newer thicker versions. Those are more resistant to showing the seams.

Be very careful of Lumber Liquidators. I had MAJOR problems with them. If you do an internet search for Lumber Liquidators complaints you will see they have lots of complaints and suites. Not a company you want to do buisiness with. Fastfloors.com and I-floors are much more reputable companies. If they are not in your state, you don't have to pay sales tax either. Saved me over $600.00 when I orderd my flooring.

 

[AristocatFan]

We installed Pergo in out kitchen/dining area last year and I love it! Easy to install(I did most myself), easy to clean, and durable for our 3 kids, dog and cat.

 

[campingcorgi]

Laminate is durable but it is so noisy with dog nails and kids. We have plank vinyl in this house and I like it a lot. I looks like wood and is much quieter than laminate. Has been very durable and cleans up easily.

Yeah, probably not as good for resale as wood but I won't have to refinish it, either.

 

[Plantlady]

We have brick floors. It's original to the house, which is 40 years old, and only one chip on the corner. Not too bad.

 

[trulygoofy]

I would do business with Lumber Liquidators without reservation, but we pick up flooring in stock;however, I can not speak about ordering online though. The quality and price were excellent. I can recommend the store in Memphis.
As to concrete floors, kid can get hurt. I don't think it is any worse than tile, but our kids have hurt themselves worse on our hardwood floors.

 

[bnorm27]

We put laminate flooring in our kitchen about 2 years ago and we LOVE IT! We used a brand called Wilsonart (www.wilsonart.com). The flooring contractor stopped by with a piece of the florring and a hammer. He told us he was going to give us his sales pitch. He placed the floor board on the floor and pounded it about ten times with the hammer. Then he took the claw end of the hammer and attempted to scratch the floor. Not a mark on it. If I had the money on hand back then, I would have done the whole house. The product is beautiful, has a great warranty. We have the Estate Plus line installed.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

I would recommend Vinyl flooring. I love laminate flooring but it's not kid proof like vinyl is. It will chip if something hard is dropped on it and it will warp if water sits on it for any length of time. Vinyl is pretty indetructable. Plus, it won't brake your bank.

 

[steen995]

bump - I'm curious too.

 

[diseyore]

I saw the hammer trick too, but my flooring got a large scratch when a small rock was under the leg of the couch and I move it When I was checking out the flooring you need something really sharp to check it out like a knife. Sounds harsh, but there is big differences in flooring. Wilsonart is supose to be one of the best. You can order samples on-line with many of the stores. Take that sample and abuse it, put it is water really check it out first.

 

[chris1gill]

I'm going to say Strand Woven Bamboo from fastfloors.com - that stuff is so sturdy we even put it in our winter condo.... it's holding up GREAT! It's about 3.69 per square foot...

Oh & it held up to the hammer test and a knife LOL

 

[snowgooseltd]

The #1 laminate flooring, in the United States, is "Quick-Step". Go to www.quickstep.com and check them out. We have it in our bathroom, in this house in New England, with five kids. The floor is always wet and we have had no problems. We purchased a home in Florida, four years ago, and put it throughout the entire house. We've had no problems with heat and humidity affecting it. The web site will give you a store locater but I know it's also carried at Home Depot. Be careful about their installation prices. They underquote. You are better off with a small store who will sell, install and follow up if you have any questions or problems. You can never go wrong with a store that has good customer service, unlike the big chains.