Laminate / Engineered Wood / Tiles / Carpet

cronos

I'm about to do floors for my new house.

I was looking at the following QuickStep Largo Gray Vintage Oak, but the guy in the shop told me that he didn't think QuickStep were worth the price. 30 euros.

http://www.flooringsupplies.co.uk/laminate/6931/quickstep_largo_grey_vintage_oak_lpu1286_laminate_flooring

His shop had some of the following, mostly around the 17 euro mark.

http://selectfloors.ie/product/vision-d3330-desert-tree/
http://onestopfloors.ie/Cheapest-and-best-selection-of-Laminates-and-laminate-flooring-in-Ireland.html
https://www.parkettkaiser.de/epages/62324980.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62324980/Products/%22EGG_MGF_494+641%22/SubProducts/%22EGG_MGF_494+641-0001%22
http://www.mega-floor.com/en_BS/dekor/86297
http://www.woodfloorwarehouse.ie/11mm-amiens-oak-dark-click.html
http://www.woodfloorwarehouse.ie/megafloor-oak-parquet.html

I'd like to match the Quick Step Largo Greay Vintage Oak as close as possible. Anyone got any recomendations for matches.

I'd also be interested in carpet recommendations and tile recommendations. For tiles I'd be thinking large white and square, with a black line around the edges then a white line to the wall.

drunkmonkey

€30 for what, per box?

cronos

drunkmonkey wrote: »

€30 for what, per box?

Per square meter.

cronos

Here's the list I have so far. If anyone has any experience of quality and price I'd be interested to hear.

Krono Vision Mountain Oak D3343
Krono Vision Desert Tree D3330
Canidia Prestige Charcoal Grey Oak 4V Laminate 12mm (8030)
Egger Vintage Acacia H2643
Egger Northland Oak Cognac H2727
EGGER CLASSIC 8MM MOOR ACACIA H2790 LAMINATE FLOORING
Megafloor by Egger Laminate M3 Classic 11 mm Oak Amiens dark MF4469
Balterio Wellington Oak 594
Balterio Matisse Oak 080
Swiss Krono KRONOTEX MAMMUT PLUS — LAMINATE MACRO OAK GREY D 4792
Swiss Krono KRONOTEX MAMMUT PLUS — LAMINATE HIGHLAND OAK TITAN D 4796
Swiss Krono KRONOTEX EXQUISIT — LAMINATE STIRLING OAK D 2804
Krono 8576 Loft Oak, Planked (LP)
Krono 5541 Bedrock Oak, Planked (HC)
Krono Original Super Natural Classic 5541 Bedrock Oak 8mm Laminate
11mm Amiens Oak Dark
12mm Grand Selection Umber Grey Oak

drunkmonkey

Have you looked at engineered floors if your willing to go €30, at least you'd have real wood under your foot that's going to last a lifetime. There's no comparison in looks or feel with laminate. Laminate is just photocopied wood effect paper, if you can afford engineered forget about laminate.

Tiles and carpet is really up to yourself. Tiles in the bathroom and carpets in the hall, landing and maybe a bedroom(depending who's in it).

I'm not a fan of tiles as there a pain to change if they go out of fashion so I'd pick ones that you think will age as slowly as possible but they are needed.

Carpet isn't going to be permanent either and you'll be changing it in 8yrs give or take a few years either side so just get what you like.

Are you doing a whole house, there's massive cost differences between each floor type. Put the good floors where they'll be seen.

Put a length of 8mm laminate in one hand and a length of any engineered in the other hand and it'll be any easy decision what kinda floors you should be looking at.

xl500

I actually Think there is a lot more to choosing a floor than just if it looks nicer

I would be first asking Do you have Children if so you will need something that is Low Maintaince

Do you have pets again as above

Do you Have Teenage Daughters bringing Friends in with Needle Like heels etc etc

SO engineered Floor is Beautiful But will require care

Good Quality Laminate while not as "Beautiful" as real wood is way more practical in a Family Home

I put Pergo Laminate in My Living Room years ago and that has taken some Beating parties etc I have not regretted that Decision once

drunkmonkey

I wouldn't agree we've a good engineered in the kitchen and plenty of high heels and spills with 0 issues. It's more than looks.

We've a real wood floor (not engineered) in the bedroom that was wrecked from previous owners high heels but I just rented a sander and re-varnished it and it looks as good as when it was new if not better.

It's all down to cost though, you could be taking €200 a room for laminate versus €3000 for engineered or double that for real wood.

xl500

Oh Not Disagreeing with you of course engineered and real wood are beautiful and look fab but they do require more care


i really think you first need to decide what use the house is going to get

Busy Family House for me Good Quality Laminate taking everything into consideration is the most practicable and easy to live with

If you are Happy to have to maintain Real Wood or Engineered then thats fine as well just be aware of the issues with both

Laminate not as "real" Looking but VERY Practicle

Real Wood or Engineered Beautiful but Costly and needs More Care

I have seen some engineered Floors ruined By Pebbles etc

So make your decision based on expectations of use of floor

drunkmonkey

I use laminate at work and we usually throw it out every 3 years as it's destroyed from people's wet shoes, it eventually just warps and peels from the traffic. I see no advantage to use it at home beside budget. This extra care isn't much with all floors if there's a spillage just clean it up don't let it soak in.

Sorry just hate the stuff, Makes me cringe watching room to improve and seeing people spend a fortune on a house then put down a laminate floor. Saying that I just finished an attic conversion and done 3 of the rooms in a laminate, landing in carpet and you'll love this, the bathroom in engineered(wasn't the intention but was too much bounce in floor to lay tiles as we intended and laminate wouldn't have been able for the water).
Don't get me started on lights switches and radiators : )

bittihuduga

cronos wrote: »

Here's the list I have so far. If anyone has any experience of quality and price I'd be interested to hear.

Krono Vision Mountain Oak D3343
Krono Vision Desert Tree D3330
Canidia Prestige Charcoal Grey Oak 4V Laminate 12mm (8030)
Egger Vintage Acacia H2643
Egger Northland Oak Cognac H2727
EGGER CLASSIC 8MM MOOR ACACIA H2790 LAMINATE FLOORING
Megafloor by Egger Laminate M3 Classic 11 mm Oak Amiens dark MF4469
Balterio Wellington Oak 594
Balterio Matisse Oak 080
Swiss Krono KRONOTEX MAMMUT PLUS — LAMINATE MACRO OAK GREY D 4792
Swiss Krono KRONOTEX MAMMUT PLUS — LAMINATE HIGHLAND OAK TITAN D 4796
Swiss Krono KRONOTEX EXQUISIT — LAMINATE STIRLING OAK D 2804
Krono 8576 Loft Oak, Planked (LP)
Krono 5541 Bedrock Oak, Planked (HC)
Krono Original Super Natural Classic 5541 Bedrock Oak 8mm Laminate
11mm Amiens Oak Dark
12mm Grand Selection Umber Grey Oak

we are in the process of looking at laminate too.
balterio is a good brand. i think 8mm has 25 years warranty and 12mm has 35 years.
Krono is good too. but i have seen so many versions of krono - so not sure if they are all equal quality.

drunkmonkey

8mm is rubbish, 12mm at a minimum.
Worth a look in Homebase, watch the prices though the engineered is way over priced to make the laminate seem like good value.
I paid just over €20 a square meter for an engineered that was €60 in Homebase.
They've a nice 12mm laminate for €18 per box at the moment which is good value it's habita brand, it's well made.

cronos

drunkmonkey wrote: »

8mm is rubbish, 12mm at a minimum.
Worth a look in Homebase, watch the prices though the engineered is way over priced to make the laminate seem like good value.
I paid just over €20 a square meter for an engineered that was €60 in Homebase.
They've a nice 12mm laminate for €18 per box at the moment which is good value it's habita brand, it's well made.

What was the name of the engineered wood you got and where did you get it?

drunkmonkey

God only knows, 6 of them are all from different places, there all different wasn't trying to do everywhere the same and 2 of the floors were there before
This is the one used last week doesn't look like the picture on the website http://www.canadia.ie/index.php/products/product/alpine-country-oak-brushed-matt-lacquered-1414

Wouldn't mind what somebody else went with just find something you like.
Also ask have they anything there trying to move on left over from a job or they can't get any more of as you can get some serious bargains if you know the size of each room and they've just enough to do you.
Don't get a raw floor what ever you do make sure it's laquered.

Cost is a major thing, it takes longer to lay as your cutting wood as opposed to cardboard, needs to be glued and room for expansion left. You'd want to make sure who ever is doing it knows what there doing.

BoardsMember

Interesting thread. I went browsing for floors the other day and was very surprised at the quality of laminates available. I went in with the thought that I wouldn't look sideways at a laminate, and came out seriously thinking about it. I had always got laminate in a bracket just above lino. Most comments above suggest laminate should only be considered when budget would not allow real wood or engineered wood, which surprises me based on what I saw yesterday for about the €22 per sq yard.

wandererz

I was surprised by the quality of laminate now compared to several years ago and would have gone with it except for my wife's insistence that she would have none of that.

Ended up going for Engineered wood and also considering that i would be putting in underfloor heating. Solid would not have been an option.

Got a good many quotes and was astounded at some of them.
Eventually decided to purchase from Project Tile Design in Damastown, Dublin.
Fitted myself and saved several grand in doing so.

Similar issues as with solid in terms of marks, scoring etc. by heals and other items. But nothing too bad so far even with builders etc in and out.

BoardsMember

Several grand? How much were you putting down? What sort of per sq metre cost were you ebing quoted for putting it down?