Choosing laminate for whole house, what thickness, and reducing noise

Wide or narrow plank?

I understand wide plank laminate may be quicker to fit however in terms of look, narrow looks more 'real'?
 
Seriously, if you are looking for a whole house in laminate and can't afford quickstep then I wouldn't do it. Cheap laminates don't last, and you will get wear through in the high traffic areas.
 
mrrusty said:
Seriously, if you are looking for a whole house in laminate and can't afford quickstep then I wouldn't do it. Cheap laminates don't last, and you will get wear through in the high traffic areas.
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If I could afford quickstep i wouldnt be fitting laminate at all, I'd be fitting engineered wood as it's priced similarly.

We're not doing wall to wall whole house now, we're doing hallway and dining room downstairs (keeping living room carpeted) and 3 bedrooms upstairs (keeping landing and stairs carpeted and bathroom tiles). Downstairs kitchen is already tiled but poor so we're thinking of a tile effect laminate or vinyl plank there.

Any views on plank width please? I feel narrow looks more realistic but is that correct? A couple of rooms we're installing in are around 4x4m.
 
Do it once do it with Quickstep. You will be glad in the end.
 
Koolpc said:
Do it once do it with Quickstep. You will be glad in the end.
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Why would I use Quickstep when its the same price as engineered wood? If I could afford quickstep Id use wood. Whole point about doing it in laminate is that its a more budget friendly option, hence looking for a price of £15-20 per sqm. Traffic loading won't be an issue, probably ever, its a normal semi detached house not an airport lounge. Its just got to look nice, so...what plank width is better?
 
danlightbulb said:
Why would I use Quickstep when its the same price as engineered wood? If I could afford quickstep Id use wood. Whole point about doing it in laminate is that its a more budget friendly option, hence looking for a price of £15-20 per sqm. Traffic loading won't be an issue, probably ever, its a normal semi detached house not an airport lounge. Its just got to look nice, so...what plank width is better?
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Quickstep will far out perform similarly priced Engineered wood.

£10-£15 Laminate will probably give you 5 years light use through areas like that.
 
Even if they're AC4 rated? The ones I'm looking at are for example Series Woods at around £15 to £20 per sqm. Quickstep is approaching £30 to £35 per sqm.
 
What difference are you expecting 4mm thicker flooring to cause? Trimming a door 8mm is no more hard work than trimming 12mm unless youre planing it off (i'd cut it with a track saw).
Sticking edge bead (ugh) on 4mm higher up is no more difficult.. Pulling skirting boards off and remounting them higher up, or trimming them is, again, equally difficult on 8 vs 12 mm

Actually, if youre taking a scrap of the flooring, putting it down next to the architrave and using a hand saw to trim 12mm off the bottom of the trave then it's probably going to be slightly easier because you don't have to flex the saw so much. That's definitely one of those jobs an oscillating multitool is nice for..

If you have visual alignment concerns you could install the flooring at an angle, then you likely never end up with some sliver running all the way down a room edge (unless your walls have a lot of angles).

Have you thought about LVT? Easy to lay, though a lot more care and attention needed to the subfloor prep. I'd keep carpet on the stairs though; laminate is asking for a slip/fall injury at some point in the future

"what plank width is better?"

That's a "beauty is in the eye of the beerholder" thing; depends on the room sizes and furnishings
 
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Alec_t said:
Each to his/her own, but I wouldn't recommend laminate for bedrooms.
1) Beds slide around, even when fitted with castor cups,
2) It's uncomfortably cold for bare feet.
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I got rid of my bedroom carpet 10 years ago in favour of laminate and I do not have either of those issues.

My double divan is on sliders and it still does not move unless deliberately pushed sideways.

I do not own a pair of slippers and have never found the laminate flooring too cold for my feet.
 
Though to be fair we don't know if that declares you to have warm laminate or cold feet!

Laminate/wood in bedrooms is psychologically colder too, but then again I've a plush cream carpet everywhere, and also have kids, so now mildly regret that choice. Still teaching them to puke on their bed if they wake up ill and can't get to the bathroom on time; way easier to throw the sheets and mattress protector in the washer than get the wet vac out..
..so I'd be the first to say there's a practical aspect to hard flooring
 
We've browsed some flooring stores this morning, and now we're considering saving some more money and going for engineered wood.
 
sussexwoman said:
I got rid of my bedroom carpet 10 years ago in favour of laminate and I do not have either of those issues.

My double divan is on sliders and it still does not move unless deliberately pushed sideways.

I do not own a pair of slippers and have never found the laminate flooring too cold for my feet.
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But you wear a scarf indoors :)
 
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