Browse Forums Flooring & Floor Covering 1 Jul 07, 2011 3:54 pm Hi everyone My hubby and I are in the process of buying a duplex. It is 15 years old and the original carpet is really showing its age, and the tiling in the kitchen/meals isn't really our style. Plus we both have allergies, so we've decided that we'll get the tile and carpet replaced with something like wood (I'm not a big fan of tiles in general). This will be for the whole living area and kitchen downstairs, as well as the bedrooms upstairs. We could be living in it ourselves for 10 or more years, but eventual re-sale value matters. (Who knows? We may have to move on in only a couple of years.) Environmental impact is important to me, both in the process of the product being grown and made, but also in terms of emissions in the home after installation. So whatever product we go with, I want to see that it is some kind of certification from a reputable body. At the moment, we have a good quote for some strand woven bamboo (on sale!) which has a Good Environmental Choice Australia stamp of approval. It is made in China, but this award gives me confidence about using it over other Chinese made options out there... We also have a quote for a German made laminate product, which has a local German award for low emissions - and is made in German/Austrian factories, where I feel fairly certain that local work practices are going to be a bit better than a non-certified Chinese factory.... Laminates are, no big surprise, cheaper than bamboo. We're getting very mixed feedback about both approaches. Most people say that bamboo is absolutely the better product, and worth the extra cost involved - and that buyers recognise laminates and don't value it as highly. Others say that a good quality laminate will last for a very long time and so you've not skimping by paying less (and I think these laminates are good ones). We're not made of money at the moment, but we could stretch for the bamboo if we felt that it was the way to go....we don't want to cut corners now, and pay the price later when a bad floor has to be pulled out and replaced. But others tell us that bamboo is a risk, too... So, thoughts from anyone out there? Re: Bamboo or laminate, that is the question... 2Jul 10, 2011 1:19 pm We also decided not to have carpet in the house as we are allergic too. The house has porcelain tiles everywhere except in the bedrooms and the home office. The difference in prices between real timber and laminate made us go with the latter. For peace of mind we chose the commercial grade. The planks are 12mm thick and come with 15y warranty. They have toughened surface and are scratch resistant. We've had these for almost a year now and so far so good. I've dropped a few heavy tools on these floors by accident and the planks have well resisted. Hope this helps “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end” http://www.buildinganewhome.com.au Re: Bamboo or laminate, that is the question... 3Jul 10, 2011 1:51 pm I recently looked at bamboo, laminates, or vinyl planks.for me I love the look of wood, but not the price so bamboo was the best option for us.I found different flooring companies push different products, one place pushed the laminates,but said bamboo now not as good, then another company really recommended the bamboo flooring and not so keen on the laminates.very confusing!! for me another decider was the time and cost having to install another product under the vinyl planks.I decided to go with bamboo in the end, has been ordered so no backing out now. Re: Bamboo or laminate, that is the question... 4Jul 14, 2011 11:32 am kasia ............... So, thoughts from anyone out there? Well, personally for us the choice is quite easy: carpet VS laminate = laminate (because it's more durable, has longer lifespan, and requires less maintenance) laminate VS bamboo = bamboo (because it's more durable, has much longer lifespan, more natural) bamboo VS hardwood = bamboo (because it's as durable, but significantly cheaper, probably same lifespan, much more sustainable option) My parents installed expensive German made laminate 11 years ago (with 25years warranty). However after only a few years it looked a bit tired, and now, after 11 years they think they will need to replace it within the next few years. Unfortunately they can't claim the warranty because the company they bought it from does not exist any more. But still, if choosing between carpet and laminate only, I would go with laminate any time. In my opinion bamboo floors are far superior than laminate. The laminate floors are very cheap overseas. In Europe quality German made laminate cost as little as 10-20$ per sqm. Lower quality, but still German or Belgium made laminate cost as little as 6-8$ per sqm. In Australia we pay huge mark-up on this product. At the same time bamboo floors are approximately same price worldwide. You just have to be careful, as there are different grades of bamboo on the market. Re: Bamboo or laminate, that is the question... 5Jul 14, 2011 9:37 pm What is under the carpet downstairs? Building with Fairmont Homes NSW at Glenmore Ridge Lot 1007 Our Builder http://www.fairmonthomesnsw.com.au Our Blog http://drewandrenee.blogspot.com/ Re: Bamboo or laminate, that is the question... 7Jul 18, 2011 1:45 pm Bamboo is a very sustainable product if you are looking at environmental impact. Unlike other products, bamboo doesn't take decades to reach full maturity but only 5-7 years and can be harvested again and again from the same stalk. Its also a very strong and durable product. If taken care of properly it will last a life time. Laminate on the other hand I'm not so sure but I've heard from sources that they generally only last around 5 years. However that being said, when purchasing bamboo flooring make sure that its from a reputable manufacturer (which by the sound of things is), some manufacturers harvest their bamboo prematurely and it creates a weak product. If you'd like to read an article about the environmental benefits of bamboo flooring, PM and I'll send the link to you. Good luck! Re: Bamboo or laminate, that is the question... 8Jul 20, 2011 10:02 pm Thanks everyone. I think we're going to have to make our minds up tomorrow, finally. We now have two different bamboo products in the running, and the laminate I mentioned. So hard to decide! So many other things to spend money on! Re: Bamboo or laminate, that is the question... 9Jul 30, 2011 8:50 pm Hi, we are also considering laminate flooring however a salesman from a huge hardware store advised you CANNOT get any water, which scares me with messy kids. He based this on the fact the flooring is thin paper pressed together with a photo and film layer on top, and said definately no steam mops. So is it as delicate to liquids as he has made out and how do you go about sanitising it? ______________________________________________________________________ Our Build Thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=52185 Re: Bamboo or laminate, that is the question... 10Jul 31, 2011 6:22 pm We were told the same thing, just don't use a soggy mop - squeeze it out pretty well, and open the doors & windows to help the floor dry quick afterward. But I always did that with my old floor boards anyway. I found an off-cut of our bamboo in my garden about a year after ours was installed (it was under a bush) and yeah it was warped, but I think any other wood would have been too. Our layer said if you spill something don't sit there and look at it. Clean puddles up straight away and there shouldn't be any problems. I have never used a steam mop. We don't eat off the floor so I don't expect it to be sanitary, just clean. Does it need to be sanitised? Re: Bamboo or laminate, that is the question... 11Aug 04, 2011 7:48 pm No, it doesnt really need to be sanitised, just like the ultra clean feel. Thanks for the advise ______________________________________________________________________ Our Build Thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=52185 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 Just about completed a renovation project and hit a small issue that we didn’t see We have laminate floors now where we had tiles before (turned out it was actually 2… 0 4935 |