Thanks all for the inputs just about to pull the plug on the 12mm laminate mentioned earlier, just need to sort underlay, upstairs study I'll probably go with some decent acoustic stuff, but downstairs is UFH so I don't think the foil backed stuff is ideal?
Engineered v Laminate floor
- Thread starter JRJ
- Start date
Loads of laminate and LVT click flooring in our house - no complaints at all, but only use laminate in very dry areas which do not see outdoor footwear or any water. LVT a lot more expensive but totally impervious to water, in hindsight i would always do a kitchen/bathroom/boot room/dog room/outer halls near doorways in LVT rather than laminate as some of ours is bulging a bit from moisture.
Associate
The foil layer will make didly squat of difference. UFH works by direct heating then convection once it leaves the floor. The heat will pass directly through the foil layer. Its more about the TOG value of the underlay as a whole. With UFH you will want a low TOG value underlay (which generally isnt foil backed) to let as much heat through as possible.
We had a look at vinyl and laminate, roughly a year ago when we re-did our ground floor. Although engineering wise the vinyl was better (better resistance/less wear and tear), it was roughly double in price to a comparable laminate look. In terms of look, it does not look cheap at all, and so far no marks or anything.
So based on price vs. resistance I would go with laminate, especially since most people remodel/redecorate every 10 years.
So based on price vs. resistance I would go with laminate, especially since most people remodel/redecorate every 10 years.
Soldato
Were you up early enough to see Ballistix post his kitchen in the living room photos? Mods removed it as he announced he was never posting again at the same time (leaving thread).
Oh man, gutted to have missed that. I'd been waiting for a thread bump on that for months!
Thanks @SimonR I'll take another look this evening before ordering, I was just going off spec sheets which listed it as UFH compatible.
Soldato
Having had and paid a fortune for engineered oak in my old place I’m 50/50 on whether I would have it again, it was great and I didn’t mind the odd mark albeit it rarely did - we had a hard wearing lacquer finish that helped. However have gone with LVT in new build place and as living in a rental with laminate it would take a miracle to convince me to have that - it looks ok but it’s cold, slippery as ice and the noise the cat makes on it in the early hours is insane