Will laminate wood always look cheap?
shelleyuk
9 years ago
We have had a disastrous weekend with a water leak and flood damage. The kitchen floor is currently vinyl on top of concrete. The water has gone underneath the vinyl which will have to be lifted to dry out the floor and will have to be cut in the process since it goes under the cabinets. The carpet in the dining room has also been soaked through.
The leak was the fault of the supplier of a new fridge freezer and they will pay to replace the flooring. I am concerned about matching in the carpet in the dining room since the room flows through to the living room and the difference will be noticeable. I would have chosen wooden floors but the supplier only stocks carpet, vinyl and laminate wood. Laminate wood could be an option since I could then have the same in the kitchen and dining room.
Kitchen units are white and dining room has mahogany furniture. Any thoughts on whether laminate is a bad choice? I don't want it to look cheap. This is the type of thing they stock.
The leak was the fault of the supplier of a new fridge freezer and they will pay to replace the flooring. I am concerned about matching in the carpet in the dining room since the room flows through to the living room and the difference will be noticeable. I would have chosen wooden floors but the supplier only stocks carpet, vinyl and laminate wood. Laminate wood could be an option since I could then have the same in the kitchen and dining room.
Kitchen units are white and dining room has mahogany furniture. Any thoughts on whether laminate is a bad choice? I don't want it to look cheap. This is the type of thing they stock.
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shelleyuk
9 years agoshelleyuk
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Making 'cheap' kitchen more upmarket
Comments (6)I would say the tap and handles if you're having them. Some of the handles with the cheaper kitchen suppliers can be a little dull so would shop around, they needn't cost a lot more either. If in budget I'd spend on a worktop but if not look at good quality laminates. There are a number of styles of kitchen in your ideabook so perhaps post the final one and people can make other suggestions...See Morelaminate or luxury vinyl
Comments (5)I would go for LVT (karndean or amtico to name a few). Very hard wearing, can withstand high amounts of traffic, water resistant if laid correctly and doesn't look cheap. It's also warm to the teach and definitely the option I'd Consider if you don't have underfloor heating....See MoreProtecting your wooden floor properly
Comments (0)Now that you’ve finally installed the wooden floor of your dreams, you’ll want to look after it for as long as possible so that looks great for years. There’s more involved in protecting your wooden floor than just taking your shoes off before you walk over it (although that helps!), so here is your full guide to protecting your wooden floor properly and making sure you guard this beautiful investment in your home. Every day floor care Dirt and debris are quickly noticeable on a wooden floor, even more so than a carpet where the dirt gets engrained in the fibres, so it’s important to sweep or hoover every few days to lift the surface dirt. Make sure you’re using the right setting on your hoover so that the bristles aren’t too low to scratch or scrape your floor when you vacuum. Use a soft mop to wash the floors once a week with a diluted cleaning solution which won’t cause any discolouration or damage to your floors. Always check the manufacturer’s recommendations for diluting ratios, or make your own natural floor cleaner from everyday household ingredients. Try to remove shoes before you walk across your wooden floors and especially high heeled shoes which can leave marks and indentations in the floor. If you have small children playing in the room with your new floor, a rug or a playmat might be good idea to protect your floor, and their knees. Heavy furniture should have felt pads attached to the feet so that you don’t accidentally scrape or scratch the floor when moving the furniture or cleaning. These are really cheap to pick up and take seconds to apply. Different floor types have different maintenance and care practices to keep them in great condition, so make sure you’re following the right advice for your floor type. In addition to the general care points above, here are the essential tips for maintaining the type of wooden floor you might have at home: Maintaining your laminate floor: Never use a buffer or polishing machine on a laminate floor – this will ruin it entirely Never leave liquids on your floor as they can stain, especially if your floor is a light colour Dry your floors after you’ve washed them to ensure they retain their lustre and don’t show any ugly water marks For all the information you’ll ever need to look after your laminate floor, check out this handy guide on our website. Maintaining a solid wood floor: Never leave liquids on the surface of your solid wood floor, as this can cause the boards to swell and buckle. Sunlight can bleach your floors causing them to discolour and look shabby. Tilt the blinds in your room to avoid these shafts of light causing noticeable colour differences, and if you plan to put a rug down on your floor, try and move it around regularly so that the colour differences are more evenly spread across the floor. Solid wood floors naturally require for care and maintenance than laminate flooring – they will need to be sanded, oiled or lacquered consistently over their lifetime to retain the same gleam they had when they were first installed. However they also can last for generations when looked after properly, so a little bit of extra attention on your part is definitely worth it. For everything you need to know about the long term upkeep of a solid wooden floor, see our comprehensive guide on the website....See MoreTo carpet or to laminate and can I also ask you about headboards?!
Comments (19)Thank you so much for all your comments, really kind of you. Read Interiors will take your advice and get a wall mounted headboard, will start calling upholsterers tomorrow to get prices. Daisy, yes I do have a vax from the last house and the newer models are much better than the previous ones in terms of drying times. Vicki thanks for the name of the stretch valance as I couldn't find them on Google apart from on House of Fraser but they have limited colours and were pretty pricey at £100 or so! Angm, funnily enough I had this conversation with the carpet man as when I lifted the 50 year old carpet I noticed there was paper down and he explained that was why. He said it was also a good idea to tape any joins in underlay as well as the carpet but said a lot of fitters don't do this. Forzaitalia and Sam appreciate the insights and very interesting given your experiences Corbridge Interior design interesting point re rug and sizing I am still torn!!!! But I am probably moving towards carpets. I think the pics make the floor look better than it is! Noise wouldn't be a problem as we are in a bungalow, which is why I am concerned about the kids walking into their rooms on carpet having forgotten to take their shoes off! If it was upstairs I would definitely go with carpet! Aargh decisions, decisions!...See More
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