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The expensive glue is probably Bostik's Best. It gets recommended a lot for glue over concrete situations because it also functions as a moisture barrier.
I guess it all boils down to what you want. Do you want a 'picture' of a hardwood floor (i.e. laminate), or the real thing?
Just like "Genuine artificial leather' jackets, or 'leatherette', or naugahyde (shouldn't PETA be out trying to save the naugs?)
Put in 5,000 feet of Bruce D4 select-and-better oak flooring in my last house (well, it was in New England), with 4 coats of oil-based poly (3 gloss, as has no flatteners, which softens the finish), followed by a matte finish).
Ton of work, but looked gorgeous, and wore like iron, and wasn't fake. (Remember the wood-grained station wagons from the 70's?)
Personal thought: pictures of things should be reserved for hanging on the wall.
JMHO
Is either laminate or hardwood good in kitchen/bathroom where it will be exposed to water, or should you always avoid laminate/hardwood in these areas?
Is either laminate or hardwood good in kitchen/bathroom where it will be exposed to water, or should you always avoid laminate/hardwood in these areas?
There are laminates that you can install in those wet areas. They will cost a little more but are well worth the money considering replacement costs if a cheaper floor fails because of moisture.
Check with a flooring dealer or go online and you can figure out which floors have been sealed for water penetration. Then you can arm yourself with that information so you can look around for the best price.
Certain laminates are bulletproof. They can handle water, you can literally start a fire on top of them and they just wipe up clean. Some dealers will take lighter fluid, douse the surface of a few boards and throw a match on top as a demonstration. Can't do that with any natural wood.
As someone mentioned earlier, a beveled edge also helps make a laminate look more like a traditional wood floor.
Go and look at them both but I would never buy a laminate floor. I've never seen one that didn't look like "fake" wood. They seem too glossy and have that loud plastic sound when you walk on them. If you do some research on hardwood floor durability, you'll find that some woods / brands are better than others. I put in cork floors and they are incredibly durable but maybe they're not the look you're going for.
Go and look at them both but I would never buy a laminate floor. I've never seen one that didn't look like "fake" wood. They seem too glossy and have that loud plastic sound when you walk on them. If you do some research on hardwood floor durability, you'll find that some woods / brands are better than others. I put in cork floors and they are incredibly durable but maybe they're not the look you're going for.
It comes down to what you wnt. there are quality laminates out there that look more like the real thing, and wear well.
there are also cheap ones that look fake and don't wear as well. Same thing with wood floors on the prefinished stuff.
for those who say people give them complements thinking its real wood..... alhtough I'm sure it looks nice.... I guess I don't have much faith in "people" identifying what is nice and genuine, and I'm not one to care. to me its really what I think that matters. if I thought it looked very close and really nice, I'd go with it, but if not..... I don't care how many people tell me it looks genuine.
for me, Laminate will eventually go in my basement when I finish it. I have hardwood everywhere else except kitchens and baths. 3 1/4 inch select white oak, finished and stained on site. It cost a bunch, but in the grand scheme of things, the cost difference of cutting down on where I put the genuine article wasn't worth it. if I just stuck to not having it in bedrooms, (except the master) I would have "saved" 3400 or about 30%, sounds great, but then I have to buy carpet for the bedrooms, so my savings would have been about half, or 15%. I'm happier keeping the hardwood, and buying "cheaper" area rugs in the primary
I have had two different types of laminate, engineered hardwood, and real hardwoods in houses over the years.
I HATED the laminate - hated the way it felt and sounded, hated the way it swelled up and messed up if you spilled anything on it. And I had high end laminate. If there is such a thing.
I love real hardwoods but they are expensive to install and they will scratch (which you can repair).
I prefer engineered hardwoods and I am about to put them throughout my new house.
I don't like laminate, looks too perfect , last house had the original hardwood floors , the floor must have had 4-5 different shades of brown..beautiful
I have had two different types of laminate, engineered hardwood, and real hardwoods in houses over the years.
I HATED the laminate - hated the way it felt and sounded, hated the way it swelled up and messed up if you spilled anything on it. And I had high end laminate. If there is such a thing.
I love real hardwoods but they are expensive to install and they will scratch (which you can repair).
I prefer engineered hardwoods and I am about to put them throughout my new house.
It is funny you mention the sound. This is my major complaint about the laminate that is in our living area (came with the house). It seems like there is nothing under the planks at all. I find myself walking slower and doing more of a tip-toe walk when on them. Who knows though, mine could have been installed incorrectly. We do plan on ripping them up and installing real hardwood one day.
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