Western
Super Member
Thanks again Eddy, great info..
Wood floor suggestions?
- Thread starter Sigarms
- Start date
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herd
Gold Member
Hey Eddie, great post and great info. I plan to do several rooms in my house with some kind of hardwood when the money allows but right now, my most pressing project is to do my camper. Every source that I read says to go with the floater system and no glued or nailed down system.
My problem is, I can't seem to find an engineered or laminate flooring that is real wood and looks like real wood. Everything I've seen at Lowe's or HD just looks like a phony surface, almost like a lino type film. I am talking about the "lock and fold" stuff or similar products with what seems like a fibreboard backing and that is put down as a true floater system. None of this stuff that I've seen has a "real wood" close up appearance.
What particular brand or brands do you recommend. I am talking about oak or hickory only and if it works well in the travel trailer, then I have about 1000 sf to do in the house.
tks and btw, you sure seem like a highly knowledgable and competent contractor with a lot of specialities. That's exactly what I wanted to do at one time.
My problem is, I can't seem to find an engineered or laminate flooring that is real wood and looks like real wood. Everything I've seen at Lowe's or HD just looks like a phony surface, almost like a lino type film. I am talking about the "lock and fold" stuff or similar products with what seems like a fibreboard backing and that is put down as a true floater system. None of this stuff that I've seen has a "real wood" close up appearance.
What particular brand or brands do you recommend. I am talking about oak or hickory only and if it works well in the travel trailer, then I have about 1000 sf to do in the house.
tks and btw, you sure seem like a highly knowledgable and competent contractor with a lot of specialities. That's exactly what I wanted to do at one time.
MarkV
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Sig I am a hardwood flooring contractor but only do 3/4 unfinished nail down types of wood so I'll let others comment about engineered floors. As far a bamboo flooring, at least in my area, our distributor has stopped carrying it. There seems to be a lot of chipping and in moist humid areas there have been problems with it delaminating.
MarkV
MarkV
2manyrocks
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I could be mistaken. My thought is that 3/4 solid hardwood is still the premium floor. The alternatives try to achieve the same look for less $ in materials and installation costs.
I sort of understand the differences in quality in ceramic tiles, but I don't know enough about laminates to tell which ones are good and which ones are junk. One of our local flooring contractors told me that the cheap laminates last about a year, but he didn't explain how to tell which ones are the cheap ones. How do you tell the difference in quality between these things?
I sort of understand the differences in quality in ceramic tiles, but I don't know enough about laminates to tell which ones are good and which ones are junk. One of our local flooring contractors told me that the cheap laminates last about a year, but he didn't explain how to tell which ones are the cheap ones. How do you tell the difference in quality between these things?
OP
Sigarms
Super Member
Sad or happy to say (depending on how you look at it), you guys have given me much to think about. Thanks.
However, is there a difference between the stranded bamboo compared to the other types? My understanding is that the standed type is much more durable and "stronger". I only ask because of my wife
However, is there a difference between the stranded bamboo compared to the other types? My understanding is that the standed type is much more durable and "stronger". I only ask because of my wife
Erik_in_Hoyt
Platinum Member
we looked at the stranded - but couldn't find a reliable source. our floor is the "vertical bamboo" with the skinny strips glued together rather than the "horizontal bamboo" with the wide flat look. I do not know if it will be more dent resistant or not -- but the stuff we read up on the bamboo before buying was that it was supposed to be harder than most actual wood due to the high silica content of the grass - and then there's the porosity angle where it can soak up more of the resins during lamination...
dmccarty
Super Star Member
When we where looking into flooring we ruled out bamboo for some reason. I think I had heard it was very slippery.
Another option is cork. I think it was still slick but so is tile and wood floors but the stuff I saw was very hard. We wanted to use it in the bathrooms but just decided to have finished concrete through out the house.
Later,
Dan
Another option is cork. I think it was still slick but so is tile and wood floors but the stuff I saw was very hard. We wanted to use it in the bathrooms but just decided to have finished concrete through out the house.
Later,
Dan
scott_vt
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Good Evenin Joe,
If you remember awhile back I put down laminate flooring in my upstairs bedroom and upstairs hallway. I did it this past spring and it has worked out quite well for us...
In our downstairs we have either 3/4" hardwood, maple with walnut pegs, or tile. The tile being in the downstairs bath and the kitchen and hallway.
Getting back to the laminate, we used laminate for two reasons. If I was going to put down 3/4" hardwood I would have had to rip up all the particleboard/ carpetboard, whatever you want to call it...
We just felt that the laminate was the best way to go without turning tyhe whole thing into a major project. We went with a Pergo Oak, and it had the padding allready attached to it for the backing...
To date we are pleased with it, it has held up well, and of course my wife Kathleen has put down the obligatory area rugs over a good part of it allready !
Whatever you put down, make sure the wife is happy first.....
If you remember awhile back I put down laminate flooring in my upstairs bedroom and upstairs hallway. I did it this past spring and it has worked out quite well for us...
In our downstairs we have either 3/4" hardwood, maple with walnut pegs, or tile. The tile being in the downstairs bath and the kitchen and hallway.
Getting back to the laminate, we used laminate for two reasons. If I was going to put down 3/4" hardwood I would have had to rip up all the particleboard/ carpetboard, whatever you want to call it...
We just felt that the laminate was the best way to go without turning tyhe whole thing into a major project. We went with a Pergo Oak, and it had the padding allready attached to it for the backing...
To date we are pleased with it, it has held up well, and of course my wife Kathleen has put down the obligatory area rugs over a good part of it allready !
Whatever you put down, make sure the wife is happy first.....
