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Hard Wood vs. Laminate ROI

10 years ago

We have a den that is 645 SqFT. We use the room allot and have 3 doges 4 cats who think it is their room. it has a door to the out side they use all the time. I'm wondering if I should redo the floor from carpet to hard wood or Laminate.
Which would give me a better ROI?
Which would be more durrable?
Which is more important?

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Comments (5)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 years ago
Dogs and hardwood are not a great pairing, their nails scratch and in no time it looks horrible. We installed the vinyl plank flooring in our lower level because that is where the dogs play, we watch T.V. and also where the dog door to the dog run is and also one of the accesses to the pool. That floor has taken it all and still looks like new 7 yrs later. The nice thing is it is easy to install and virtually waterproof everything cleans up with a damp mop. It comes in lots of colors and really looks quite nice.
shelleybrooker
10 years ago
Carpets and pets are a bad mix. Hardwood is significantly more durable than laminate. It will scratch over time. Have you considered porcelain tile that looks like wood? Very durable and easy to clean
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You can get very good fake laminate now but personally I don't think it ever looks or feel as good as real wood. With engineered wood there's lots of upsides, the main ones being they can go over underfloor heating and have very little movement or warping with changes in temperature (unlike solid wood planks). The range and choices can be very confusing however. When I was picking ours for upstairs I had a very helpful local flooring specialist explain it to me so I'll try and detail it for you too should you choose to go down this route! The wear layer is the thickness of real wood on the top of the substrate of laminated cheaper wood. Cheaper options have 2-3mm wear layers, whilst others (usually more expensive) have 4-7mm. The advantage of thicker layers is of course the number of times you can have the floors sanded and re-finished. Realistically a thicker 6mm layer should last at least a 100 years and numerous sandings (it would be very easy to accidentally go through a 2mm top layer accidentally if sanding). Finish options tend to be lacquer/varnish or oil. Lacquer/varnish sits on the surface of the wood, it is harder wearing than oil but will scratch and in order to re-finish you have to sand everything back. Oil absorbs into the wood and is usually applied in several coats to build up protection. If you scratch it, or a busy area gets worn you can lightly sand it and just re-apply oil to that individual area. You can also buy unfinished engineered boards meaning you can stain and oil/varnish it yourself however you like but of course means much more work. Both lacquer and oil come in the usual range of gloss, semi gloss, satin and matt. Matt is popular now as it looks the most natural and changes the look of the wood the least. Colours - you can get a myriad of colours from two main finishes - stained or smoked. Stain is only absorbed in the top layers of wood so if you scratch it deeply the natural wood colour will show through. Same goes if you sand and re-finish it. Smoking is a slow process but basically the smoke gets all the way into the wood. This means even if you sand or scratch it the colour shouldn't change. You can get 'semi smoked' which just means its been left to smoke for less time resulting in a lighter finish. You can get 'brushed' finishes which is where the boards are literally brushed with stiff bristles that remove the softer wood grains resulting in a more textured feel. Similarly 'hand scraped' gives a soft undulation to the surface as if 'scraped' by hand tools as very old floorboards were. Bevelled or micro-beveled edges are what you'd expect and result in a 'v' between boards when they meet. They will still butt up neatly but does help give the boards more definition and in my opinion makes them look much more authentic (one of the big tell tail signs of laminate is the lack of v grooves). Only downside is that dirt can gather in these so the micro-bevel option can be the best of both worlds. Wood species is entirely a personal choice but do speak to supplies to check what you have in mind is suitable for the location in question. Different types of wood vary greatly in hardness, colour, environmental credentials and of course price! Finally (at last!) you get different grades or qualities of wood. 'Prime' or 'select' is often used to describe the best grades with the least filled knot holes or large variations within the wood. You then go down to 'natural' which will have some featuring but not much with 'rustic' having the most character and knot holes. None of these are necessarily bad choices. A prime standard would look silly in a very old tudor property whilst a 'rustic' finish in a sleek modern build could equally look strange. Anyway. Sorry for the mammoth post, I just know I was getting quite frustrated trying to not only understand all the options but also get a feeling for what was right for me. Hopefully this help you avoid the same problems!
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Hi Gabby - yes I noticed that as well re the notifications!! Ridiculous! Maybe there is something in settings that stops that otherwise I will just have to unfollow everyone, urgh. Whats the name of the one you liked from the samples? There was some nice Karndean BUT they were well out of our price range so it always depends on your budget of course. We wanted a warm but neutral floor and this one looks both warm and cool sometimes. Originally I wanted a rich warm floor to balance out the grey but the orange tones clashed with the units and made them look too blue/retro so we decided to go with this one instead.
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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!
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Generalisation now… 100% wool Tends to be used most with structured loops, sometimes referred to as "naturals". It's very rare you will find 100% wool used when making twist pile carpets. Example of a typical 100% wool loop - click here. 80/20 (80% wool; 20% a.n. other) This blend tends to be most common in the functional twist carpet. One thing to consider is what is the 20%? To keep the price down, manufacturers will use polypropylene which we explained about the pros and cons of polypropylene in our previous comments. If you can afford it, we would recommend looking for either 20% polyamide (aka nylon), 20% polyester or a mix of polyamide and polyester to go with the 80% wool… you dig? These blends, with 80% wool, will out perform an 80% wool, 20% polypropylene -> FACT. Here's an example of an 80% wool, 20% polypropylene twist pile carpet - click here. Here's an example of an 80% wool, 10% polyamide, 10% polyester twist pile carpet - click here. You'll note a difference in their prices for comparable products. We'll get on to clarifying another reason for this price difference in a minute. 50% wool, 50% a.n. other This blend is all about making wool more affordable. Very rarely used in twist pile carpet these days, so it's more likely you will find this blend of mix in the structured wool loop market. Examples of a typical 50% wool loop carpet - click here, and click here. It's not really about what's the best wool blend, it's more about the look you most prefer as this dictates the wool blend in the carpet. Most important, actually, is the quality of the yarn used. New Zealand is recognised as the best. Wears incredibly well and allows strikingly clean colours eliminating berber (flecky) hues. New Zealand wool is the most expensive of wool yarns for these reasons. Here's an example of an 80% New Zealand wool twist carpet - click here and here's an example of a 100% New Zealand wool loop pile carpet - click here. Difficult to show you over the internet but if you were to see these side by side against comparable products NOT using New Zealand wool you would be able to see how much "crisper" the colours are in the products that use New Zealand. As for the moths' munching habits, it's likely they will prefer a higher wool content product but it has been known for the blighters to munch through 50% blends too. If you are in a region where moths are reported to eating wool then avoid any doubt and opt for a carpet that carries a manufacturers moth proof warranty. There are many about. You can simply type "moth proof" in our search bar on our Flooring Megastore site and watch the results pop up. BOOM! There you go, minipie
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Marcel Garderen
10 years ago
We have three large dogs and installed 5/8" thick pre finished bamboo and it has held up flawlessly. Our dogs spend 95% of their time in that room chasing after each other. We replaced carpet that looked awful. Carpet is always going to get stained; wood will look great for years to come.
The suggestion above to go with tile is the best choice but also the most costly.
Good luck.
PRO
Babakaiff Photography
10 years ago
Hardwood is best. It will hold up far longer than any other floor with the right coatings. These guys will have all your answers: http://www.okanaganhardwoodfloors.com/
PRO
By Design Custom Home Concierge
10 years ago
Lisa - I can't tell you how many times I have this very same discussion with my custom home clients. This discussion especially comes up when we talk about flooring for the kitchen - folks really WANT wood floors in their kitchen but are afraid they have to use tile because wood won't hold up in a kitchen environment. At that point I tell them "DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE WOOD"! Today's engineered wood floors are very different from the solid wood floors of the past. But that's a whole different discussion that we can have on another post.

Here are some things you may want to consider in response to the questions you asked.

"Which would give me a better ROI?" - In making flooring choices the level of expense goes (for the most part) from carpet to tile to wood. Lots of people like wood, especially for areas they are going to live in a lot because it looks and feels very warm. Today's engineered wood floors have virtually replaced solid wood flooring because of it's durability and easy maintenance. The finish they can put on an engineered wood floor far surpass what can be done with solid hardwood. Also the engineered floors perform better against moisture. One company I work with is Skyline Floorscapes. They have an amazing variety of choices and their pricing is the best I have found and their quality is great. They will send you as many free samples as you would like so you can see what the product looks like in your home before you buy it. They can ship anywhere. The consultant I work with there is Kurt Kucera - he is VERY knowledgeable and will point you in the right direction for your project and your budget. It does not matter where you live, Kurt can help you. www.SkylineFloorscapes.com

"Which is more durable?" - Tile is the most durable but it also tends to be cold so if you live in the room a lot you may end up putting rugs down to warm up the room and then you are back to a form of "carpet" over the tile floor. Skyline Floorscapes also has a vinyl product that looks AMAZINGLY like wood flooring that might be a good choice. It is a commercial grade product so it has the durability you are looking for with the dogs. Ask Kurt to send you some samples of that product as well. You will be AMAZED how much it looks like wood.

"Which is more important?" - Truly, they are both important. You need to be happy in your home and since this is a room you spend a lot of time in, don't make a decision based on a potential future sale of your home. That said, keep in in mind but make sure you choose something that you will love.

I don't mean to sound like a commercial for Skyline Floorscapes but when I find a source that has great product, selection and price I like to share it. That's what Houzz Pros do! Feel free to check out my Pro Page and follow me if you'd like. I also have a Facebook page where I post a weekly "I WANT THAT" Wednesday find or feature of the week.

Good luck with your project - let us know what you end up choosing!

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