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New Flooring Questions
We want to change the floor in our 12
year old house. This home is in South Louisiana next to a lake. I have
looked at ceramic and laminate. I am afraid however that ceramic will
crack as my vinyl tile did this in the kitchen. Also isn't ceramic a
little on the cold side?
I want to put in a floor that will last and is easy to care for. I have
looked at Armstrong laminate and Pergo. I find Pergo very expensive. Swift
lock from Armstrong is what we have looked at. We are thinking of putting
it in ourselves. Charges for installation range from $2.50-$3.00 a square
foot. We need to cover about 1200 square feet. We would save a
considerable amount of money but don't have much experience in this. We
may find relatives who may give us a hand in placement, however. I would
appreciate your advice.
Cheryl
I
have never installed any laminate flooring, I have only seen them done
on TV shows. They look straightforward. Some products come with a video
that explains the installation process.
The snap-lock product may be especially easy to install. I have not
heard of any good or bad reviews of these products.
I personally don't care for synthetic finishes, especially flooring.
Flooring takes a beating. I would sooner use ceramic tile or natural
stone like marble. These have minimal maintenance. Tile should never
crack if installed correctly over a floor that is structurally sound.
Maybe your floor is too flexible. A wood-framed floor can be stiffened
by sistering the floor joists.
I revised and updated a flooring
discussion I wrote a while ago...
This type of decision isn’t easy. It depends on personal preferences,
available finances, how long you plan on living in the house, the
house’s value, the quality of the rest of the house, etc.
Flooring is a big issue, and I encourage you to research it carefully
and get lots of estimates and opinions.
Bruce W. Maki, Editor.
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