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One would NEVER just glue real hardwood floors straight to a slab.
You would put down a subfloor first as I described earlier. I'd run from ANYONE that glued down real hardwoods directly to the slab
I looked it up. We both are right. Here where I am in a dry climate we all been putting engineered wood (not solid hardwood) directly on concrete if and only if it is older then a few months. Newer concrete is too wet.
Otherwise in most all other parts of the country it is customary to glue and screw pressure treated 4X8 plywood sheets to the slab. Then a 6 mil poly sheet, then the flooring gets nailed not glued to the plywood.
The only "hardwoods" you can glue directly to a slab is the engineered wood. There is nothing wrong with engineered wood, I would not categorize it the same as laminate. As a poster said above, engineered wood can actually be superior to a solid hardwood. Engineered wood does not twist, warp or move like solid wood does if it gets moisture around it. Engineered wood comes in different thicknesses too - the traditional Bruce pre-finished is the same size as solid wood. Laminate is a very thin product which helps create that "cheap" feel to it.
I was a real estate agent for 6 years, up until this December. I was also a residential design marketing consultant (fancy name for someone who comes in your house for a nominal fee and tells you why it isn't selling and what to do to fix it). Laminates are a HUGE deal-breaker. Buyers are very savvy and know which is which.
Now, I did go into a home that had pre-finished, engineered floating wood, and I was very surprised it wasn't actual hardwood. They did it themselves, and it looked really, really good. Did not look like laminate in the least.
Now, I did go into a home that had pre-finished, engineered floating wood, and I was very surprised it wasn't actual hardwood. They did it themselves, and it looked really, really good. Did not look like laminate in the least.
That's because it isn't a laminate. Engineered hardwood flooring has a top layer of real wood so it looks like real wood.
Yes, I understand that it is not laminate. Some people may fear "engineered" woods have the same look as laminate, and I was trying to clarify that they do not.
I have engineered hardwood flooring in my home in Florida - very humid hot climate. The typical procedure here is gluedown directly on slab (at least talking to several installers). I have had no problems, the flooring is beautiful, and it also stands up well to my doggies. No scratches from their nails at all.
I am a realtor here, and in general, laminate flooring does not add value to the home. Most customers who I show homes to notice the distinctive sound of laminate flooring and don't care for it. They also wonder about the hardiness of it, but from the sounds of some on here, they think it holds up well.
About laminate flooring, if it's not to someone's taste, that's fine and understandable. As for being desirable or undesirable in the resale of a home, that just depends on the buyer. It doesn't matter if 50 potential buyers don't like it, if it's desirable for 50 others. It's like a swimming pool- this is desirable for some people and would lead them to remain interested in a home for sale that has a pool. The pool would put others off because they don't want the maintenance and would rather have the yard space free.
Most of the people I know who have bought homes in the past 5 years, which is a lot of people, like laminate flooring...several have actually had it installed in their homes, or had homes built and installed it. It's the option they found affordable, practical, desirable, and all that. This is not to say that some of these people would not have preferred real hardwoods in quality and looks, but a lot of people don't want the maintenance or initial cost.
Yadda yadda and all that, I'd say people either like laminate or they don't, but I wouldn't generalize it as being undesirable in general. I plan to install it in the home we're building. We're not concerned about resale value, this is going to be our home right on. But where we are, I am 100% sure it would not hurt the value of our home for resale. If we installed laminate flooring into a waterfont mansion- maybe THAT would be clearly undesirable.
I don't see why people knock laminate. It's a good option for some. I don't care how my high heels sound as I walk across it. I'm normally wearing athletic shoes, chasing a very energetic 3 year old. Just my opinions.
We are in the process of installing Dupont Crema Terracotta Laminate in an approx. 1000 square foot 1940 home that we purchased for weekend use.
My husband and a friend installed the laminate in the living and dining room last weekend and in my opinion, it looks beautiful. It has the look of real ceramic tile.
We have two chihuahuas and so far I haven't noticed any scratch marks from their nails - but then again - we are at this house only during the weekends.
My husband and my decorating taste is simple and easy care - so laminate versus the real deal is not an issue for us -
We love our weekend home!
Thanks, CaTe
Last edited by CaTe0508; 01-25-2008 at 01:35 PM..
Reason: clarity.
I am not in real estate in any shape, form, or fashion. But just from a buyer's perspective, wouldn't it just completely depend on the house? If I was looking at a $200,000+ house (around here that is middle range), I would expect either hardwoods, tile, carpet or a combination. It wouldn't work to put laminates in a house at that price range or above. If I had a $125,000 house, I would think it would be quite stupid to put in hardwoods. You would never get the thousands extra it would cost back out of it like you would in a more expensive house.
I don't remember if the OP mentioned what range the house was in.
We installed some laminate flooring in our home just to try it.Wanted something different than carpet and wasn't sure about more tile.Well after having it for almost one year.It still looks good,haven't noticed any wearing or defects.But I don't like it.We get lots of positive comments about the floor.Easy to clean.So I'm already planning on taking it up and going with tile.The whole house will be tile.Carpet is not a option here in my opinion.I don't know if this helps or not.I'm going to put it down in my work shop.
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