Thoughts on El Cheapo laminate flooring

[wfopete]

I bought the cheapest laminate flooring on sale from Lowe’s (I think it was Prego @ .70 per Sq/ft) and installed it in my kitchen 2 weeks ago. I figured that would be a good test with traffic/slop being typical in that room. So far so good but I wondered if anyone out there have any stories on how this low end stuff holds up? Good or bad let me know.

 

[draglink]

We sell mid grade to high grade laminates in my shop. I have had customers buy the cheap stuff else where and have had my guys install on the side for cash. Seems that most problems with the cheap stuff occurs during installation. I would say if it went together well, it should hold up damn near as well as the better stuff.

 

[wfopete]

That's what I've heard also. I figured under $200 for a 12x12 floor it would be an interesting experiment to see how the flooring held up & if I would want to go with something else in the future.

 

[rsanter]

that stuff generally is very durable
I just dont like the look of it

bob

 

[semi75]

For a house it is ok provided you dont have moisture issues and you like the look. I wouldnt put it in a garage that would ever have anything wet on it. Sometimes if it moves the corners of the boards will show issues with chipping or light peeling. Thats is often a moisture issue or lack of expansion gap issue.

 

[larry_g]

We put some inexpensive snap-loc type in our home 2 years ago. I can say that we are not clean freaks and we get a fair share of dirt and gravel in the house due to the farm and gravel driveways. That said my father is in the house with us and uses a walking frame with skids on the bottom. Some times you can hear one of those skids pick up a rock and scrape it across the floor. Just like finger nails on a chalk board. After two years of this I am amazed at the good condition of the floor. It is self healing. I m impressed with it. One would not mistake it for a high end wood floor but it works and is still good after two years of abuse.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[99_xc600]

When I first bought my home about 10 years ago. We put Pergo down in the Kitchen the and the adjacent sunroom. This was the first generation of Pergo, which was the glue type.

Up to about 2 years ago, the floor was doing great. However due to a couple of events. We are ready to remove it and tile the floor.

1st event. The line to my ice maker developed a pin hole leak overnight and saturated the floor around the fridge. The floor then expanded and buckled in that area.

2nd event. During the summer, my inlaw was watching our daughter and had left the house. During the time she was gone, a series of thunderstorms rolled through and she did not close the windows. The floor became saturated and it was ruined.

Overall, the laminate type of floors are extremely durable, but they are no match to any type of liquid. Since this floor is the glue type, there is no real way to repair it. All of it needs to come out and be replaced.

 

[z28snksknr]

I put the cheap Lowe's stuff down in my laundry room. Half the boards had a slight bend to them so with one end locked in, the other end moved out. It required a bunch of patience I didn't have that day and some tapping with a block to get the seams to hold, but it chipped really easy and there are joints that have visible seams and a few with chipped out ends.

Other than that, I has held up well and cleans easy. I'll probably replace it with vinyl or tile in 2-3 years. For $150, I didn't expect much. I have 2 unopened boxes left over that I'll probaly throw out.

 

[Dragster Racer]

We had it at the old house, which it was great for. Dogs nails didn't scratch it at all. We have some upscale wood flooring at the new house, and their nails have done a number on it already.

 

[tcianci]

The surface durability of most brands seems to be about the same. It's all melamine with a deposited layer of aluminum oxide for the most part. The difference comes in the thickness and quality of the substrate. The cheaper brands are thinner and use snap lock designs that cause the substrate to be slightly displaced as they engage. This and the general stability of the substrate with respect to moisture eventually lead to "puckering" along the edges. The more expensive grades have a much thicker and more stable substrate, advanced interlocking methods and some even have a pre applied underlayment so you don't need to roll out the stuff on the floor before you install.

 

[Rick98Z]

I used mid-grade laminate flooring in my house for dining room, breakfast area, halway and halfbath. It has been in the house for nine years now and is holding up fine. It is the free-float system and we laid a roll of foam down underneath it. I have seen some newer kits now come with the foam backing already installed. I have installed nice kits and cheap kits for friends. The problem I find with the cheaper brands is they tend to chip on the edges alot easier when cutting and sometimes the tongue/groove pieces chip off in spots during install. For the cost of them though I think they are worth it! I am going to install some in my wifes photography studio in my garage once I finish elec and insulation out there.