Porcelain/Ceramic Tile Flooring v. Wood Laminate??

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by mm57553

So then the entire first floor should only take about 10 hours? Sheesh, what was I thinking? That's a breeze!

Sure it is, as long as all you do is write the check.

[JohnA151]

We ungraded the home we purchased by installing engineered wood floors in the living and dinning rooms
ceramic tiles were installed in the hallways ,kitchen, utility room and bathrooms .

the home was 3 years old the builder had installed carpet thou out except for a little bit of vinyl ?? at the front door and utility room entry .

the upgraded carpet was almost perfect in all of the bedrooms as the home was owned by one person who was frequently away on business and the home got little use .so we left that for a later investment .

hardwood floors are the latest trend .carpets are of course the easist and less expensive way for a builder to go if you buy a new home watch where they put the seams if in a well used area or in front of a door they will show in about 5 years .

I agree with the previous poster ceramic tiles are a challenge to change if and when they get to be outdated so we choose a neutral color and had them installed point to point .

i saw the home next door when it was up for sale the previous owner had put 5 inch sq off white tiles thou out the house bedrooms ,living space,kitchen , bathrooms hall everywhere nothing looked less appealing
it was a hard sale

[ScoPro]

Yes, those small tiles are so 1960s.

[LA_Guy]

Hi all,

Well, most here liked more expensive tile or engineered wood as opposed to cheaper looking laminate ?
Some laminate costs are over $3. Lower end were $1.50 - 2.50.
Is it true that laminate just looks bad compared to real wood ?

Interesting that people feel the resale is hurt by the laminate as opposed to having
carpet originally. But tiling/wood for the entire house is a big hit on the budget.

Thanks, LA Guy

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by LA_Guy

Hi all,

Well, most here liked more expensive tile or engineered wood as opposed to cheaper looking laminate ?
Some laminate costs are over $3. Lower end were $1.50 - 2.50.
Is it true that laminate just looks bad compared to real wood ?

Interesting that people feel the resale is hurt by the laminate as opposed to having
carpet originally. But tiling/wood for the entire house is a big hit on the budget.

Thanks, LA Guy

No kidding! We're still saving some $$ to have our son install wood floors in the master bedroom & office.

I've only been in one house that had laminate flooring, and it looked ok to me.

[10scoachrick]

Since we woke up this old thread, I'll mention the cork I put in the master 5 years ago and in the office 4 years ago. House sold to the second person to look at it...no mention of the cork floors as a negative. We enjoyed the cork so much, we're likely to replace two rooms of carpet at the new place...with cork again!

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by LA_Guy

Hi all,

Well, most here liked more expensive tile or engineered wood as opposed to cheaper looking laminate ?
Some laminate costs are over $3. Lower end were $1.50 - 2.50.
Is it true that laminate just looks bad compared to real wood ?

Interesting that people feel the resale is hurt by the laminate as opposed to having
carpet originally. But tiling/wood for the entire house is a big hit on the budget.

Thanks, LA Guy

Things like flooring are totally individual choices...IMHO, you go with what fits within your budget and desires - to heck what other people think. Some people don't like laminate, others don't care. Some people don't like tile, others don't care. I personally have tile and laminate in my house and they both look great. You go with what you like and what you can afford. Absolutely do not put yourself in the poorhouse due to floors. There are far more important things (i.e. structural) that you should splurge on vs. floors.

Higher end laminate floors look very much like wood and cost as much as engineered wood. Laminate continues to be a popular flooring choice for a reason. If you can't afford wood (and there's no shame in that), quality laminate can be a great alternative. Now if you happen to like wood, then go for it. Bottom line: I've upgraded my house to my own wants/desires. If others like it, good. If they don't, that's fine too.