Browse Forums Flooring & Floor Covering 1 Oct 17, 2009 7:11 pm We're going to have wood or wood effect flooring throughout our living areas and hallway. I am a little unsure whether to go for timber or laminate flooring. I am concerned timber flooring will get marked/scratched too easily. Please share your thoughts or experiences.... Re: Timber vs laminate 2Oct 17, 2009 7:55 pm I have timber flooring and 2 dogs, so we have lots of scratches. My wife playing with the dogs by chasing them through the house did not help. To a certain extent the scratches add to the character of the floor. I think some of the resin coverings provide good scratch protection, but not really looked into this. In regards to laminate, in my opinion it looks fake and I dislike it intensely. But just my opinion Re: Timber vs laminate 3Nov 10, 2009 12:10 am Laminate is nicer but as free will said, it's very easy to scratch it. Especially if you have a dog or a cat. Re: Timber vs laminate 5Nov 10, 2009 4:04 pm Timber timber timber. Just my opinion. laminate is cheap so it looks cheap. So for the sake an an extra %20 of cost i would go for the one that looks real. Thats cos it is real. When you goto the showroom and see the samples that are laid on the floor, look at the ones that have the real timber next to the laminate ones. The laminate ones look like the woodgrain vinyl floorcovering we used to get in the 70's. The laminate looks like plastic. I maybe biased but real timber has that wow factor when a nice timber is chosen where as laminate usually elicits the "ugh cheap" response. I just hope my honesty has'nt got me in the poo again. Cheers Roger Re: Timber vs laminate 6Nov 10, 2009 6:01 pm shackonthehill Timber timber timber. Just my opinion. laminate is cheap so it looks cheap. So for the sake an an extra %20 of cost i would go for the one that looks real. Thats cos it is real. When you goto the showroom and see the samples that are laid on the floor, look at the ones that have the real timber next to the laminate ones. The laminate ones look like the woodgrain vinyl floorcovering we used to get in the 70's. The laminate looks like plastic. I maybe biased but real timber has that wow factor when a nice timber is chosen where as laminate usually elicits the "ugh cheap" response. I just hope my honesty has'nt got me in the poo again. Cheers Roger I beg to differ (or to offer my opinion actually). The choice first of all is down not what looks better but what you have to work with. If your budget is constrained by circumstance OR choice then you may choose a less expensive option. You still have a home right. I cringe when I read replies sometimes because it is easy to interpret people who choose laminate are doing the wrong thing. The size of the market says it is popular. In terms of look, you must go to some other showrooms as there are some very very good quality products like Quickstep, Armstrong to name two available. I agree on one point, buy a cheap product, get a cheap product. Buy a good laminate and it is a gem. Laminate is meant to LOOK like real wood, not FEEL like it. On that basis, the good ones hit the mark (the bad ones do ook bad I grant you that) It can be laid DIY relatively easily It needs no sanding back (who wants a house full of dust every 5-10 years) It can be replaced easily if you want to completely change the look of the house. If budget is tight and flooring is in your home loan then the real wood option will cost many more $ than the initial cost with interest. My point (and I've had both types) is the drivers are different for each person. For the reasons above Laminate could be taken as better than Timber yet for a whole different set of reasons, Tomber would be miles ahead. Just my opinion of course and respect to those who love what they have. Wombat PS our new build will be carpet in beds 1 to 4 and lounge, Laminate in Entry, Hall, Kitchen, Family and dine plus some nice runners. That decision is based on a self imposed budget Re: Timber vs laminate 7Nov 10, 2009 7:01 pm wombat I beg to differ (or to offer my opinion actually). The choice first of all is down not what looks better but what you have to work with. If your budget is constrained by circumstance OR choice then you may choose a less expensive option. You still have a home right. I cringe when I read replies sometimes because it is easy to interpret people who choose laminate are doing the wrong thing. The size of the market says it is popular. In terms of look, you must go to some other showrooms as there are some very very good quality products like Quickstep, Armstrong to name two available. I agree on one point, buy a cheap product, get a cheap product. Buy a good laminate and it is a gem. Laminate is meant to LOOK like real wood, not FEEL like it. On that basis, the good ones hit the mark (the bad ones do ook bad I grant you that) It can be laid DIY relatively easily It needs no sanding back (who wants a house full of dust every 5-10 years) It can be replaced easily if you want to completely change the look of the house. If budget is tight and flooring is in your home loan then the real wood option will cost many more $ than the initial cost with interest. My point (and I've had both types) is the drivers are different for each person. For the reasons above Laminate could be taken as better than Timber yet for a whole different set of reasons, Tomber would be miles ahead. Just my opinion of course and respect to those who love what they have. Wombat PS our new build will be carpet in beds 1 to 4 and lounge, Laminate in Entry, Hall, Kitchen, Family and dine plus some nice runners. That decision is based on a self imposed budget I think the biggest problem is people automatically assume timber is expensive and don't even look at what is available. Before i chose my timber floors i was looking at laminate and in the end my floors were cheaper or just the same price that half decent laminate is. Sure if you go for super expensive species it will cost a hell of a lot more but my timber at $35 2m looks incomparable to laminate....obviously that is my opinion. The sanding machines collect the dust so its not like when they are sanded it will cover your home. Also you can choose a water based gloss if the smell is an issue. If you buy toungue and groove timber it is also relatively easy to lay. I just think timber floors add value to a home but laminate never will. How many times do you think people get rid of real timber floors? I am not trying to talk anyone out of getting laminate. I just think even if the inital cost is a bit more, it adds a whole lot more value to your home and you are getting the real thing. Re: Timber vs laminate 8Nov 10, 2009 7:09 pm bev wombat I beg to differ (or to offer my opinion actually). The choice first of all is down not what looks better but what you have to work with. If your budget is constrained by circumstance OR choice then you may choose a less expensive option. You still have a home right. I cringe when I read replies sometimes because it is easy to interpret people who choose laminate are doing the wrong thing. The size of the market says it is popular. In terms of look, you must go to some other showrooms as there are some very very good quality products like Quickstep, Armstrong to name two available. I agree on one point, buy a cheap product, get a cheap product. Buy a good laminate and it is a gem. Laminate is meant to LOOK like real wood, not FEEL like it. On that basis, the good ones hit the mark (the bad ones do ook bad I grant you that) It can be laid DIY relatively easily It needs no sanding back (who wants a house full of dust every 5-10 years) It can be replaced easily if you want to completely change the look of the house. If budget is tight and flooring is in your home loan then the real wood option will cost many more $ than the initial cost with interest. My point (and I've had both types) is the drivers are different for each person. For the reasons above Laminate could be taken as better than Timber yet for a whole different set of reasons, Tomber would be miles ahead. Just my opinion of course and respect to those who love what they have. Wombat PS our new build will be carpet in beds 1 to 4 and lounge, Laminate in Entry, Hall, Kitchen, Family and dine plus some nice runners. That decision is based on a self imposed budget I think the biggest problem is people automatically assume timber is expensive and don't even look at what is available. Before i chose my timber floors i was looking at laminate and in the end my floors were cheaper or just the same price that half decent laminate is. Sure if you go for super expensive species it will cost a hell of a lot more but my timber at $35 2m looks incomparable to laminate....obviously that is my opinion. The sanding machines collect the dust so its not like when they are sanded it will cover your home. Also you can choose a water based gloss if the smell is an issue. If you buy toungue and groove timber it is also relatively easy to lay. I just think timber floors add value to a home but laminate never will. How many times do you think people get rid of real timber floors? I am not trying to talk anyone out of getting laminate. I just think even if the inital cost is a bit more, it adds a whole lot more value to your home and you are getting the real thing. All good points. It would be fair to say, irrespective of preference or our opinions, get out there, look at what is available, don't assume Timber is more expensive or laminate is bad. For mine, I am going to go back and look at the options again (thanks for your last comments) just in case I left a stone unturned!!! Re: Timber vs laminate 10Nov 10, 2009 7:24 pm 75etd Thanks for your comments everyone. Still undecided. I have not seen laminate nor wood floors for $35m2. That is cheap. Where did you get it from? I'm guessing installation was on top of that. Sorry i should clarify, that price was just the raw timber. Add the price of the glue on top. Then my dad and i put it in ourselves. I did however pay a professional to sand and polish them All up it cost about $2400 for a two bedroom unit. If you are in Adelaide i am happy to make recommendations. Pictures in the blog in my signature. Re: Timber vs laminate 11Feb 05, 2010 4:11 pm Timber flooring is easy to be scratched. But the scratches don't affect the look of timber flooring too much. For example, the inside of oak flooring is oak after it is scratched. What's more, timber flooring makes your home more vailable. Laminate flooring is strong wearing resistant. But there will a little sound when people step on the flooring as it is of a floating type. Engineering timber is certainly a less fuss option, times cheaper to supply and install and better withstands humidity. 1 15924 DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair At a bit of a loss on this one - we're thinking the original owners never removed the protective laminate covers from their kitchen cabinets after installation and in the… 0 6337 We are doing heaps of hybrid at the moment and the cost sits between $60-65/sqm including installation. Stairs are around $90-100 each 1 4312 |