LESLIE: Sean in New Mexico is on the line with a flooring question. What can we do for you?
SEAN: Yes. I’ve got a flooring project I’m working on and I’ve been looking at some of the laminate floorings and several different types on the internet. And I’m just kind of wondering, once people get these down, what are they most satisfied with?
TOM: Well, Sean, where are you putting the flooring in?
SEAN: In my living room.
TOM: OK. And what kind of floor do you have there now? Is it over concrete or what’s it over?
SEAN: No, it’s going to be over plywood floor.
TOM: OK. So a standard wood floor. Alright. So, either are excellent choices. Engineered wood is called engineered because it’s made up of layers of hardwood that are glued together, with the top layer sort of being the finished layer.
SEAN: Right.
TOM: The tongue and grooves on both flooring – both engineered and laminate – lock together or have some sort of a click system, typically.
SEAN: Right.
TOM: They’re both floating floors, which means you put them in but leave a gap around the outside edge, all the way around, and then cover that with trim.
SEAN: Correct, yeah.
TOM: They’re both very durable. You have to pay attention to the warranty on them, because that’s usually determined by a test called a Taber abrasion test, where they basically take – it’s kind of like a grinding wheel or a sanding disc and they spin it through the finish and they count how many revolutions it can take before it goes through the wear layer. So both of them are very durable.
I think it really comes down to what colors and patterns are available; whether or not you feel that sort of emotional connection to real wood or maybe you want something that’s a little more durable but looks like real wood.
SEAN: Right. Yeah, I’ve been looking at quite a few of the products on Pergo’s website. They have some pretty nice-looking stuff but even on their website, they have several different types of flooring.
LESLIE: Right. And I mean that really is going to run the spectrum for every manufacturer that you look at. You’re going to see a variety of price points and you’re going to see – as the price point goes up, you’re going to see a lot more options available as far as the type of wood, the finish that’s on it. Is it scraped? Is it a wider plank? Because you can get all of those options in a laminate floor.
A good website to check out is LumberLiquidators.com. They offer a ton …
SEAN: Yeah, I’ve been on theirs.
LESLIE: And they really do have a ton of choices at great prices. It’s very affordable. It’s a great do-it-yourself project.
SEAN: Right.
LESLIE: There’s one brand that they carry. I believe it’s called Bellawood and what’s cool about the Bellawood line is that they offer a 50-year warranty on the flooring, which is unheard of in this field. So, really, a lot of great options if you head over to LumberLiquidators.com.
SEAN: Right. Alright. I’ve looked a bit on their website some. I’ll do a little bit more research. What I liked about Pergo’s website is you could pick a product and click on it and it would show you a room that had been done in that particular floor. It gives you a better idea of what you might be purchasing, you know?
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And when you’re looking at the laminate, some of the options to also consider are some of the planks will actually have the underlayment attached to the back side of the plank.
SEAN: Right.
LESLIE: Other companies require a separate sort of roll-out foam underlayment. All sort of six of one, half a dozen of the other but really, up to you how you feel like installing.
SEAN: Right. A couple of my friends have done some floors and they’re recommending that – with the all-attached underlayment. That it’s quite a bit easier.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And you’re going over plywood, so you don’t have to worry about moisture.
SEAN: You bet. I appreciate you guys.
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