Laminate flooring - 8mm or 12mm?

mrcheez

I was in Des Kelly this weekend and it seemed all their laminate floors were only 8mm although it was the "Quickstep" brand which is supposed to be good.

In Doordepot I found a 12mm which was around €100 more expensive.

Would 12mm provide more wear and tear than 8mm, or just sound more like a solid wood floor underfoot? Is 2mm underlay sufficient?

I intend to use the laminate floor in a hallway that would be subject to wet-shoes and bikes dripping mud (on wet days obviously!). I take it this sort of wetness shouldn't be a problem?

Lastly, one section of the laminate flooring would border with a carpet (which I will be rolling out after). If I go for 12mm, do I need to get a carpet underlay to bring it up to the same level, or is the height difference not an issue?

Thanks

dodzy

mrcheez wrote: »

I was in Des Kelly this weekend and it seemed all their laminate floors were only 8mm although it was the "Quickstep" brand which is supposed to be good.

In Doordepot I found a 12mm which was around €100 more expensive.

Would 12mm provide more wear and tear than 8mm, or just sound more like a solid wood floor underfoot? Is 2mm underlay sufficient?

I intend to use the laminate floor in a hallway that would be subject to wet-shoes and bikes dripping mud (on wet days obviously!). I take it this sort of wetness shouldn't be a problem?

Lastly, one section of the laminate flooring would border with a carpet (which I will be rolling out after). If I go for 12mm, do I need to get a carpet underlay to bring it up to the same level, or is the height difference not an issue?

Thanks

As far as I'm aware, the actual laminate surface is the same. The only bonus of the thicker plank would be sound absorbtion. 8mm will be fine. I'd go for a 3mm underlay also. The 2mm stuff is very thin.

kkelliher

mrcheez wrote: »

intend to use the laminate floor in a hallway that would be subject to wet-shoes and bikes dripping mud (on wet days obviously!). I take it this sort of wetness shouldn't be a problem

Water and timber do not go very well together. Dont expect to get very long out of any timber floor is it is going to get water on it in any regular fashion

jiggerypokery

I haven't fitted quikstep in a while but I think it's water resistant. (up to a point of course). But I would definitely recommend though as its very hard wearing.

sullzz

jiggerypokery wrote: »

I haven't fitted quikstep in a while but I think it's water resistant. (up to a point of course). But I would definitely recommend though as its very hard wearing.

+1 on the quickstep being hard wearing , I was surprised how good quality it is for the price , the 8mm would be fine , I wouldnt be worried about the water issue either.

mrcheez

What thickness would better transition smoothly to a carpet with underlay? i didn't get a chance to measure the thickness of the underlay the last time I was over at the house but it would be the most common... The carpet is standard thickness as well

Would it be a problem if the floor and carpet were different thicknesses?

dodzy

mrcheez wrote: »

What thickness would better transition smoothly to a carpet with underlay? i didn't get a chance to measure the thickness of the underlay the last time I was over at the house but it would be the most common... The carpet is standard thickness as well

Would it be a problem if the floor and carpet were different thicknesses?

The 8mm flooring plus underlay will run at just over 1cm. Newly fitted carpet plus underlay will come in at a little more but there are plenty of adhesive and tack strips available to marry them both, neatly. The floor supplier will stock plenty of options for you to consider. Don't be worried about it. You'll be fine.

mrcheez

Anywhere online I could get the 3mm? All shops I checked only seemed to stock 2mm.

slimjimmc

kkelliher wrote: »

Water and timber do not go very well together. Dont expect to get very long out of any timber floor is it is going to get water on it in any regular fashion

Laminate is not timber, it's a plastic made from wood dust/fibres bonded in melamine resin. The appearance of wood is given by a printed paper layer which is lacquered for durability.

A wet area such as a bathroom would be problematic for most grades (you can get moisture resistant bathroom grade laminate) but the small doses of surface wetness as described by the OP are unlikely to cause any problem whatsoever.

mrcheez

Can anyone recommend a place to get 3mm underlay? Carpet Right seem to have a pack for around €19, but not sure if it's the best quality.

rn

I will pm you a contact in Athlone. I got a foil backed, thicker underlay off him when laying laminate. Very happy with both the laminate and underlay performance in a sitting room. It was far cheaper than solid or semi solid walnut and way more hard wearing (no highheal dimples in the sunlight )

copacetic

mrcheez wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a place to get 3mm underlay? Carpet Right seem to have a pack for around €19, but not sure if it's the best quality.

Floor design in kylemore have 7mm and 5mm fibre board undelay and also 3 and 5mm acoustic underlay also.

Personally would go for the thickest underlay you can fit without messing up your levels, it makes a big difference to the feel of the floor.

whizbang

The carpet level will be artificially higher looking than the laminate, but its the compressed underfoot level you should be trying to match, if your being fussy about it.
Dont raise the laminate any more than normal.