Hardwood vs Laminate

[Mike Boyd]

I have to agree, go for the quality. I see a lot of problems with laminate floors, and like everything else, there is quite a difference in various qualities of laminates. Buckling is generally caused by improper installation(not enough space for expansion, unleveled sub-floor, etc.); but I see de-lamination much more often. Curling and splitting at the seams. Spills, pet accidents, or just mopping the floor with too much water. Anybody with kids, pets, etc. just can't be there 24-7 to wipe up the spills immediately, and you can only damp mop them.
Much better to invest in a floor system that is going to last, rather than replacing the laminate a couple times at least in the same time span.

Real hardwood will buckle, also. However, I also prefer the real thing. How many of you remember many years ago ago that, when doing the cost approach for an FHA loan there was an INCREASE in value for wall to wall carpet....even if it was over hardwood? And, carpet had to have an FHA rating and approval. Hardwood was the standard no matter what the quality of the home.

 

[Greg Parker]

I have seen a few different grades of the laminate flooring.

Some of appears to be a wood product; sort of an engineered wood if you will, while others seem to be little more than cardboard with a giant sticker with a picture of wood.

As an owner of an older home, with real wood floors (100 year old pine), Where I have had to do replacement work, we always go with real wood, typically oak. We did get some random width "reclaimed" wood for one of the bedrooms from a local dealer, which sounded great at the time but tuned out to be an extremely expensive install.

About the only place I really like some of the laminate floorings I see is in an area Ms. Swain did not even discuss, which is the kitchen -- using laminate that looks like a tile floor.

 

[Jim Hill]

Laminate or Hardwood?

Part of the answer to this problem has a great deal to do with the home itself.

Think of it this way would you put laminate kitchen counter tops in a home over $400,00 dollars?

Would you build a $500,000 dollar home with a one car garage and one bath?

The answer is no because it is not what people buying in that price range would expect for spending that kind of money.

When not appraising homes my other business for 35 years has been building and remodeling homes and today everyone wants granite counter tops because that is what they see on HGTV along with a Viking Range.

For me it's alwasy been kind of a morbid feeling to look at granite on counter tops when it's real large use for years has been for head stones.

Laminate flooring has it's place and if installed right should last for years but all of these style of floors are made with an MDO type material or something similar and coming in contact with any kind of liquild will cause damage.

I have seen people who installed Pergo in bathrooms and the first time the toilet went over the top was the end of the floor.

If you have a home that is say 75 to 150 years old I think laminate flooring would look out of place.

It all depends on your market and the price range of homes and what people expect.

Can most apprasers tell you the difference between white oak and red oak and have a glue over the cost differences or why one is better then the other?

How about hickory, ash, walnut and so on.

Most appraisers only know it's laminate flooring because of the sound when walking on it but with a different underlayment most might have a problem telling you just what it is and what the cost differences are or even why one is better then another one.

If you think I am wrong just ask some of your friends who are appraisers just what the material is made up with and listen to the answers and then ask them what the differences are between bamboo and oak?

Ask 10 appraisers to look at the same wood flooring and determine how much value it adds would be interesting test.

Real harwood flooring is also great but has it's place.

Are their problems with real hardwood flooring? Sure don't you remember walking on it at night the noise it used to make? Some of the newer wood floors are pre finished but you can still buy unfinished flooring and sand and finish it yourself like it has been done for years.

Termites love certain types of wood flooring. Any idea which types?

All of the different types of flooring have their place and use.

One other thing to think about is return on investment. Carpets last 7 to 10 years if your real lucky and ceramic tile and wood would last years longer unless you style taste change.

I can tell you there is a big difference having a room with either ceramic tile or wood flooring instead of carpet in your heating and cooling bills.

I live in Florida and having ceramic and wood floors has made a big difference in the cooling costs.

Many things to think about before picking a type of flooring for a home.

Jim Hill

 

[John LaBelle]

Depends on the quality of the laminate.
I've seen some really nice laminate, and some cheap stuff.

FYI, bamboo isn't wood. It's in the grass family.

 

[David Beasley]

I have a friend who is contimplating replacing her wood laminate floors with hardwood ---- maybe even bamboo. I realize hardwood is very expensive, but hardwood floors are prevalent in her neighborhood of 1930's and 1940's bungalow homes. Her realtor friend advised her not to make this investment unless she plans to stay in the home for a long time. I think that's reasonable advice, but would like the input from other appraisers. I have wood laminate floors and don't like them. Whenever the dogs run it sounds like they're tap dancing. One of the dogs is old and pees on the floor a lot. Easy clean up, yes, but now I'm noticing the laminate is no longer laying perfectly flat (a little buckling).

What is the professional appraisers' opinions on this issue?

I agree with the very *thin* sound of most laminates. I also agree with the other posters that the buckling you are experiencing sounds like the classic boo-boo of not leaving enough of an expansion gap at the room's edges - under the shoe molding, out of sight. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and had to rework the laminate myself after it buckled...

My personal preference, and the preference of my market leans toward real hardwood. Not spongy when you walk across it, doesn't clatter (tap dancing noise) and with basic upkeep will more than likely outlast most laminates. My mom's house has 45 year old HW in it that has been refinished only twice (once originally, once about 20 years ago) and it is just now looking like it needs a fresh sanding and coating - and that's all it needs to look brand new. Not sure the latest laminate craze has been around long enough to bear out their life expectancy claims as yet.

As for bamboo and such, they do look nice. I did a home in Davis Love III's Anderson Creek Club golf course over near Spring Lake NC last month that had the bamboo in it. Looked GREAT - if you like almost "white" yellowish flooring - but felt as thin and cheap under foot as the base cheapo Pergo everyone in the construction industry seems to covet of late. While I couldn't quantify a decrease in value over it (a few other similar homes were bringing the same values on this street), it seemed out of place in a $500k+ home on a $100k fairway lot in a resort-style country club. Certainly where the bulk of the *rest* of the homes in there have genuine hardwood, ceramic or terracotta clay tile, etc.

 

[moh malekpour]

Hardwood is a top quality and expensive frlooring. If the rest of the house like kitchen, bathrooms, windows, walls, roof are build with top quality materials, the hardwood floor is a good investment but if the house is built with average materials, the hardwood floor is a little over improvement and may not recapture its cost and it may even look funny.

 

[Mountain Man]

#2 red oak cost me 12 to 18 cents more per SF than a good, top quality carpet. I put REAL hardwood throughout all of my own houses, and a top quality carpet in the bedrooms. But I don't buy it from the Depot or Blows... I select the wood myself, and have my own guys install it.

 

[murray stroupe]

Re; Related

I installed laminated wood (yes the top surface is wood) in my kitchen five years ago and absolutely love it. Because my floors are concrete and because I have arthritis I had a heavy duty special pad installed under the laminated wood. Before I could only stand for about five minutes on my vinyl tile floor and I would have to go sit down. Now I can be standing on the kitchen floor for several hours without any problems.

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Jo Ann;
Had a related comment, except it was more so on arthritis, healthy living;
so put it in Gym topic today.