Wood/Laminate flooring questions

[The_Duckslayer]

Looking to put a wood/laminate floor in the computer room at home. There seem to be a ton of different types and brands out there. Some go down directly, some need a "pad", some are nailed, some are free floating and some are glued. (I am not interested in gluing!) WOW... I would like to hear from some of you that have put them in. Which type is best? What should I avoid? What are some "gotchas" that I should be aware of? There are a lot that are 3/4 inch and there are a lot that are 10MM, is one any better than the other? I only want to do this once so I want to get the good stuff and do it right the first time. No cheap stuff! What are the opinions out there? Thanks in advance for your input! Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[MIKE IN lINO III]

Duckslayer,

Page 4 has a thread going that might answer some of your questions.

Mike

[The_Duckslayer]

Ya know, I went back to page three looking... guess I should have gone one more. Looks like most are happy with it. I still wonder if any one is a lot better than the other. The 3/4 inch stuff does not seem like it would be a "spongey" as the 10MM stuff or does it not really matter? Thanks and have a good one././Jimbo

[Hossienda]

Duckslayer,

The only thing I have to throw in is to pay attention to the actual surface of the flooring. My wife and I picked out a flooring for our house that looks gorgeous, but has very tiny grooves in the floor instead of a flat surface. It is a major pain to clean, and even when freshly mopped it still looks dirty. Get one with a smooth finish.

-Hossienda

[Stratosman]

Well wood and laminate are two different things as I'm sure you know...laminate is much cheaper to purchase and generally easier to install than real wood. There is engineered wood that is typically 1/2" and generally more pricier than 3/4" depending on species...both are nail/staple down and generally easy to install depending on your home's layout. Some laminates come with a pad already applied on the back of the pieces and some you need to lay the pad/moisture barrier down seperatley. Wood needs rosin paper or 15# roofing felt, no biggie to do. Glueless is the way to go with a laminate, much faster and no glue residue potential.

3/4" hardwood will expand and contract with the seasons, joints that are tight in the summer months can grow to 1/32" of an inch in some cases. I think that species will play a role in this as well, just be aware of that. And engineered wood floor will move much less but will cost more up front...

I have installed glue laminate, lock laminate, 3/4" and engineered wood floors. Out of all of them the real woods are the best quality amd look the nicest, they can be re-finished down the road. Laminates have typically a long lifespan, most warranty thier products for 15 plus years. So it's a matter of budget and what you want....yeah, don't buy the cheap stuff.

[18 inch Crappie]

Snap lock is the way to go. No glue and you just need a thin pad under it. I did my whole upstairs. I got the stuff on sale at HomeDepot for $1.70 sq ft

[hookset]

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[The_Duckslayer]

OK, picked up the materials at Lowes last night to get the new laminate floor in. The pattern looks like "old school" flooring. We both like it a lot and I guess that is what is actually important! One last question, when you stand in the door and look straight into the room it is deeper than it is wide and you are looking out a south window on the far wall in front of you. Which way do I want to install the boards? Do I want the pattern horizontal or verticle when I am looking at it from the door?

Thanks and have a good one././Jimbo

[Stratosman]

personal preference, typically run in the direction of the longest part of the room...

[GotOne]

You want to install the lengths perpendicular to the incoming light source. If you install it widthwise to the incoming light, all the joints will telegraph or be very visible. Another big thing is to make sure the subfloor is flat to the recommended 1/8" in 6' (double check this measurement with the installation instructions). If not flat, the joints could open and/or could cause vertical movement damaging the tongue and groove system.