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We need to replace the flooring in 2 bedrooms upstairs. I prefer not to use carpet. What is the most durable and economical way? We thought laminate but have had that in the past and it didn't hold up that well. It was in high traffic areas though. (living, dining and kitchen areas)
If laminate hasn't held up in the past then you know the answer to your question. Go with a softer material like Hardwood, or engineered hardwood that you can refinish after you abuse it.
I like hardwood too. If you do laminate in the bedroom you could also put down a nice rug through the areas with more traffic.
That's true, I thought about that. It will probably be the best way to make it work. I do like hardwood the best but I'm afraid it will be out of our budget.
Good laminate should last quite well. Budget priced laminate or engineered wood is not a good investment.
If you can't afford hardwoods, and you don't want laminate, then you will get carpet, I imagine. Carpet is very nice in bedrooms.
I agree about the different grades of laminate. Ironically, we just did laminate flooring in my living room and dining room today. We were on a budget because this was an unexpected expense. They had very inexpensive stuff $0.69/sqft that had like a 5-year warranty, some midrange products with 10-15 year warranty, and the better stuff with 20-25 or lifetime warranty. I went with a 10mm laminate that has a lifetime warranty.
My wife wouldn't allow carpet because she hates it, and that is what was being replaced because we have a cat who apparently prefers carpet to the litterbox. We had no carpeting in any common areas in our old house, just a few bedrooms where the cat was not permitted.
Good laminate should last quite well. Budget priced laminate or engineered wood is not a good investment.
If you can't afford hardwoods, and you don't want laminate, then you will get carpet, I imagine. Carpet is very nice in bedrooms.
There are other good options!! And our bedroom would be the very last place I would want carpet, due to the dust and allergens that build up in carpet, and the number of hours I spend in our bedroom.
The home we purchased last year had a lot of wood-look porcelain tile. We thought it was genuine wood the first time we looked at the home! It is VERY durable (the person we bought from said her kids roller-skated on it). After we moved in, we were able to find the exact same tile, to have installed in an adjacent area. It was $12/sq ft, but we were only able to buy enough for 1 room, as this particular tile had been discontinued. We also wanted wood-look tile in our bedroom, and found something very similar at a tile store for $5/sq ft. We have been completely thrilled with both the $12 and the $5 porcelain tile.
One of my favorite cottage decor blogs used interlocking resilient vinyl plank flooring called Country Pine by Trafficmaster Allure - available at Home Depot for $1.89 per square foot. The reviews for it are generally very good - 4.6 out of 5. It doesn't get the same shine that hardwood floors can achieve, but it seems practically indestructible and attractive otherwise, and the homeowner used it in her kitchen, living, and dining rooms.
If you want to go cheaper, we've tried two other Trafficmaster vinyl tiles in our house, and they've both held up really well. We tried Trafficmaster Deluxe Red Wood Vinyl Tile in our laundry room. It goes for $.92 per square foot. We also tried Trafficmaster Ceramica Shasta Vinyl Tiles ($1.29 per sq. ft.) in our mudroom, which I was really excited about, because you can use grout with them. Then, my husband installed it while I was out - and forgot that there was grout. So, we have really cute beveled tiles installed diagonally without grout. It still cracks me up sometimes.
Glad to know that vinyl tiles are again available. Kentile used to make these, and I always thought they were a good product, and would work for budget minded redos.
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