advice from a regular kinda guy for regular guys
 

DO NOT

i repeat

DO NOT buy laminate click flooring. There is nothing "click" about it. 2 weeks now and I wish I paid the extra $100 for real hardwood dammit.


Put one row in, the 3 rows behind it "split" open and you have to hammer them back in. Hammer just a hahahaha hair too hard and you chip the laminate. Also, 1 in 8 planks has chips in the corners right out of the box.


Do yourself a favour, if you plan to get laminate flooring, either hire a pro with insurance or get real hardwood. Chalk line, apply, nail, next.

Seriously man? My mother was just talking about getting me to help her do some of this in her kitchen.

Fuck.. I hope it's not too late to stop her buying the shit.

yup....hardwood is the way to go!!!! all hardwood at my house :-)

If she purchased good quality laminate then it might be ok. i just got the click flooring. There is better quality imitation flooring that even has the recessed grooves emulating hardwood gaps so that even slightly open joints look normal.

However I suggest to NOT use any type in a kitchen. fibre board swells in damp environments, Kitchens get mopped often and water spilled on floors. You do not want to get a swell in the middle of the floor. Pain in the ass to rip up and replace just a few boards.

if she insists on using it, get the high quality stuff with the imitation gaps and leave at least a 3/4 inch gap around the entire floor for expanding. May need to get thicker baseboard moulding but it will at least be able to move enough that it won't buckle as floating floors tend to expand in humid or damp conditions.


get 2 extra boxes of the shit for mistakes, trust me, you'll fucking need it. get a couple installation kits that have the plastic edge spacers, hammering tool and side block. You'll eventually destroy the hammering tool half way through the job. ALWAYS put those plastic spacer opposite any spot you are hammering as well as the row beside it on both ends. THAT advice will save you much much hassle.

Also get a good quality saw blade that can cut fine enough for around odd spots such as door ways. A hack saw blade is good for that.


my advise though? tell her to get the real stuff for $1 more per sq foot and rent a nail gun and chalk line tool.