I'm on a fairly tight budget. Hardwood or laminate?

[GrumpyGreg]

I've had hardwood and know the benefits yet I've never had Pergo or any other laminate.

Any help would be appreciated.

[stanwyck]

1. We have hardwoods, but

two families we know have the Pergo and it looks great. Plus, it wears well. One family has hardwood and then put Pergo in the adjoining room. You can't tell. So. If I was building a new house, I'd really consider the Pergo.

[GrumpyGreg]

2. Thanks----sounds like the comparison I need.

[kiraboo]

3. I know two people with Pergo.

Both have it in a high traffic area... one in the kitchen, and one in a hallway/study area. Both have complained of scratches. One found her kitchen floor had damage within two months of being installed. I have had no personal experience with anything but hardwood, so this information should be taken w/a grain of salt.

[sendero]

6. But to be realistic..

... any floor will scratch. Even hardwood - which is generally finished out with polyurethane - which is tough but certainly no tougher than the plastic surface of quality laminate flooring.

[kiraboo]

7. I agree with you. The difference with hardwood is that it's

hardwood all the way through. It scratches, and you can sand the scratch out and refinish it. With Pergo you are out of luck even if the scratch if superficial. My house is 130 years old and has the original hardwood floors... all in darn fine condition. I sincerely doubt whether Pergo or something similar would last like that. However, most of us don't live in the same house for 130 years!

[sendero]

9. Well..

... I'm certainly not comparing hardwood to Pergo. Hardwood is much more beautiful, I way prefer natural materials. And while hardwoods of old can be refinished many times, the newer stuff is a lot thinner, I wouldn't plan on getting more than a couple refinishes out of them, and I'd keep in mind that a refinish costs a lot in comparison to the original cost of the floor.

I for one would not get particularly upset about a scratch on a floor, unless of course it was really noticable. My guess is that these scratches aren't, but I could be wrong.

[Monk06]

11. "polyurethane - which is tough but certainly no tougher than the plastic "

Polyurethane is plastic but all socalled 'traditonal'
hardwood floors are not finished tradionally with oil
varnish.

The industry uses-two part polyester coatings containing
toloene and zylene. These are aromatic solvents that are
highly toxic on application and months after application
release toxic vapors.

They are like fiberglass resins. They do not dry naturally
but need high vapor pressure solvent to 'cure' them.

Unfortunately the solvents that are used to dry these compounds.
can enter the body through the lungs and skin.

To give you an idea of the toxicity level Cloverdale Paints
produces a toxicity scale for it's own products.

Kerosene is Clova 11, Gasoline and Laquer Thinner is Clova 17
Toloene is Clova 47 !!!!!!!!

So by all means use Pergo tiles and water based contact cement
for your 'hardwood' floor. The alternative will kill you and
your family and isn't even traditional.

[NewJeffCT]

4. try bamboo

I assume you mean floors?

bamboo is harder than oak hardwood, more environmentally friendly and about the same price.

[Robb]

12. Yes, but a tough install

I've seen a lot of bamboo floors gone wrong after a year or so. Make sure you've got someone who's familiar with it.

[vixengrl]

5. I've got pergo--it's nice.

It was an affordable alternative and my concern was that it would show wear--it doesn't, and it's low-maintenance. (I had it installed almost four years ago, so I guess time will tell. So far so good.) The contractor would be your issue--if they do a quality job, you should have a quality floor. One thing to keep in mind with a laminate is finish--think of what you want your "look" to be, because going with a too-dark finish or a real light, blonde finish, can get old. I went with a cherry, and it's a good compromise since my furniture is mostly mahogany or cherry finish, too.

[AlCzervik]

8. i used to sell pergo for homedepot, it depends on what room

you're putting it in.

[CanuckAmok]

10. why have you eliminated M&Ms?

M&Ms are colourful, economical, and most importantly, they melt in your mouth, not under your feet.

[vademocrat]

13. Check prices - 5 yrs ago I found that the $$ difference

wasn't that great - so I went with hardwood. If you're installing yourself though, you'll probably want pergo. It's much easier to install. Installing the hardwood is a tough job (and I just watched the pros do it!).

My brother and his wife (with 3 very active small kids) have pergo throughout the main floor of their house - they love it and say it's easy care.

[jobycom]

14. Good laminate is better than cheap hardwood. Linoleum can be an impressive

option. Linoleum can be done in many colors, forms and patterns, it's an all natural flooring (made of flax seeds) that will wear extremely well. One company, Marmoleum, does some cool stuff. It's not cheap, though. Then there is stained concrete. I've done that on an addition I built, and it gets lots of compliments.

But if the choice is hardwood or laminate, and the funds are limited, a good laminate (there are different qualities) is better than a cheap hardwood, which will often have a veneer over a lesser wood. The veneer will eventually scratch through. A good laminate won't scratch easily, will wear longer, and will often look as good. Of course, if funds aren't an issue, a good hardwood floor is better, but still more expensive and harder to maintain.

[txwhitedove]

15. Good idea. Linoleum is in a rebirth right now, with options

for new colors and modern looks or the old styles.

[politicat]

16. How long do you plan to live in your house? How long should the

house last? Most houses have a 40 year life-span; in other words, after 40 years, the wiring, plumbing and other essentials will need to be replaced, and the interior framing may be getting iffy.

I have a 90 year old house. Some of the floors are laminate over hardwood, some are hardwood. They're about the same level of care, to be honest. They get a swipe down with the dust mop every day and a mop-mop with Murphy's oil once a week and a layer of acrylic 2x a year. The big difference is with the scratches -- the hardwood scratches easier, but is easier to repair while the laminate doesn't scar easily, but is a pain in the butt to repair.

If I lived in a house I was going to flip in 5 or fewer years, I'd go with laminate. It installs easily, it looks fine, and it will wear well. If I were going to stake my claim and never leave the house, pass it on to my children and etc... I'd go hardwood.

And if you do decide to go hardwood, talk to a flooring expert. There are a lot of them that never really settle down in dry climates (anything from a rain-forest).