Engineered v Laminate floor

JRJ · 9 Jan 2022 at 12:57

I've got two small rooms to floor, a study and a play room totalling about 20sqm, I was adamant that I would be fitting engineered oak until the wife saw the cost approximately £800 for both rooms. And is now pushing for laminate at easily half the cost, my experiences with laminate albeit cheap stuff is that it chips and marks easily and both rooms need some sort of hard wearing flooring. Its about 12 years since I personally bought some, has stuff moved on since then? are there better brands to look at?

ChrisD. · 9 Jan 2022 at 13:08

Just get decent laminate? I had Quickstep Largo in my last house for about 5 years and I think there was only one dent in it where I'd dropped something heavy. Otherwise unmarked unless you got down on your hands and knees and inspected it.

dlockers · 9 Jan 2022 at 13:18

Funny story. My friend lives in a fancy house and had what we all assumed to be engineered floor because of how damn resilient it has been with kids, sliding sofas, dogs and generally zero maintenance or care.

He had a leak under the floor and was prepared to go through insurance due to the cost of fixing the engineered floor. I went round and we both discovered that it was literally LVT on a nice plywood subfloor. The LVT gave some grief on trying to lift it but we did lift it clearly, and since fixing the leak and replacing the floor, it has been refitted perfectly.

So unsure if you meant LVT or specifically laminate, but my vote goes for LVT.

SimonR · 9 Jan 2022 at 14:13

LVT / LVP definitely gets my vote

itsallaboutyou · 9 Jan 2022 at 16:19

Next door have just had a butt load of underfloor heating put in their extension.

They had what I assumed was posh oak flooring - it’s Karndean Vinyl tiles - looks identical.

Deffo don’t discount vinyl tiles!

CaptainRAVE · 9 Jan 2022 at 16:25

Having owned wood floor, engineered wood and laminate floor I’d go for laminate every time. Fraction of the cost, looks real and yet not a single mark on it. Look at a wood floor in the wrong way and it marks. Works perfectly with our underfloor heating.

MatsyLR · 9 Jan 2022 at 17:04

Laminated floor hands down. Cheap and durable as long as you don't go for the dirt cheap bargain bin stuff.

200sols · 9 Jan 2022 at 17:17

Engineered is just looks better, laminate is just fake and you can tell as soon as you see it.

CaptainRAVE · 9 Jan 2022 at 17:21

200sols said:
Engineered is just looks better, laminate is just fake and you can tell as soon as you see it.

As soon as you see all the dents and scratches you know it’s real.

JRJ · 9 Jan 2022 at 17:34

CaptainRAVE said:
As soon as you see all the dents and scratches you know it’s real.

Thanks for the input all, haven't considered LVT/LVP but I'll take a look, does this get glued down?

Issue I've got is its the old part of the house which is stone, when renovating we've had a timber frame built inside this part of the house and the frame sits on a 6" block and the insulation/UFH/screed then sits flush to this block, but on two perimeter walls I have a 2-3" run of block with the expansion gap of the floor so ideally want to avoid anything glued or tiled.

dlockers · 9 Jan 2022 at 17:36

200sols said:
Engineered is just looks better, laminate is just fake and you can tell as soon as you see it.

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). :cry:

Semple · 9 Jan 2022 at 18:23

CaptainRAVE said:
Having owned wood floor, engineered wood and laminate floor I’d go for laminate every time. Fraction of the cost, looks real and yet not a single mark on it. Look at a wood floor in the wrong way and it marks. Works perfectly with our underfloor heating.

Ignoring the aesthetics. Engineered wood isn't as cold. You can walk across it barefoot in the winter. Try doing that with laminate and it's like walking across ice.

jellybeard999 · 9 Jan 2022 at 18:24

JRJ said:
Thanks for the input all, haven't considered LVT/LVP but I'll take a look, does this get glued down?

Issue I've got is its the old part of the house which is stone, when renovating we've had a timber frame built inside this part of the house and the frame sits on a 6" block and the insulation/UFH/screed then sits flush to this block, but on two perimeter walls I have a 2-3" run of block with the expansion gap of the floor so ideally want to avoid anything glued or tiled.

I've glue down LVT and would recommend it if it suits your needs. We have suspended timber floors overboarded with PLY and a concrete/screed extension, with LVT glued down throughout.

I've no experience with it, but you can get "click together" LVT; basically the same idea as laminate, but with an LVT layer on top.

I'm in no way advocating this product or supplier, this was just the first I found on google, but eg https://flooring.uk.com/naturelle-crafted-oak-spc-rigid-core-click-vinyl-flooring

I'm sure there are various brands and styles, so perhaps something to look into

Participant · 9 Jan 2022 at 18:47

I can never get along with knowing I'm walking across plastic and kidding myself that it's a nice floor.

JRJ · 9 Jan 2022 at 18:53

jellybeard999 said:
I've glue down LVT and would recommend it if it suits your needs. We have suspended timber floors overboarded with PLY and a concrete/screed extension, with LVT glued down throughout.

I've no experience with it, but you can get "click together" LVT; basically the same idea as laminate, but with an LVT layer on top.

I'm in no way advocating this product or supplier, this was just the first I found on google, but eg https://flooring.uk.com/naturelle-crafted-oak-spc-rigid-core-click-vinyl-flooring

I'm sure there are various brands and styles, so perhaps something to look into

Amazing thanks, I've ordered some samples to see. Sounds like the ideal compromise.

JBuk · 9 Jan 2022 at 19:15

I have some moduleo lay red click Lvt in my kitchen , it can be laid on uneven floors ( within their specs) it’s durable and I’m very happy with mine

Lonewolf · 9 Jan 2022 at 19:38

Another vote for LVT had it in my previous property and it was far better than the laminate that was down beforehand

Minstadave · 9 Jan 2022 at 19:43

We've got LVT (Karndean, not cheap stuff) and it's bloody awful. Marks easily including some through the to the backing material from things being dropped or moved over it, lifted in places (admittedly down to the bad fitter). Wouldn't go for it again.

theone8181 · 9 Jan 2022 at 20:00

I think you can get different grades if vinyl depending on how busy an area it is. I'm considering it over laminate when I do the dining room. Not going carpet because of kids.

itsallaboutyou · 9 Jan 2022 at 20:19

dLockers said:
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).

To be fair - it looked a lot nicer than the renders.

Could’ve made it for a fraction of the price though.