floating floors anyone?

[givemeaspell]

has anyone installed floating floors, vinyl or laminate?  wondering what you think of them?

[davidc4430]

i had my carpets in the lounge dinning area replaced with floating flooring laminate in a nice pine woodgrain finish. that was 7 years ago and still looking very good.

i didnt lay them myself but was present during the whole job and its not difficult. i am planning on doing the 2 bedrooms soon myself as the carpets looking really bad.

i have a drop/mitre saw so cutting the boards will be easy and i bought a kit from stratco for installing. it has a metal bar for tapping the boards together and some wedges for setting a gap along the wall and a tapping block. cost about $25

i'm looking at some laminate from bunnings for $26 sq mtre. plus extras, underlay edge trim doorway trim should get the 2 rooms done for about $500-$600

[bushies.girl]

I dont have them but they seem ok for loungerooms, bedrooms etc, from what I ahve been told they are suitable kitchens, bathrooms etc

Personally I prefer natural timber flooring but laminate seems to be popular these days, far easier to install than individual floor boards

[givemeaspell]

thanks, yes there is a massive price difference btwn floating and genuine hardwood floors.  I've been quoted for all types but looking at the laminate, it is a big area though so will let professionals do it this time.  just wondering if they are warmer than tiles?

[davidc4430]

not bathrooms or laundrys, cant be wet wet,

i mop clean mine with just a damp mop with floor cleaner added.

the boards will warp along the join lines if soaked.

i would personally much rather real timber but its just way way out of my price range.

there are some youtube videos showing how to lay laminate.

i buy low cost floor rugs for high traffic areas like inside the front doorway, the kitchen where i make meals and in the lounge i have a large floor rug where the dogs bed is. easy to chuck them out when they get a bit grotty. get a few years out of them. makes the place look like new when i get new rugs.

[lyndal1838]

My mother had them and yes, they were warmer than tiles.

She was happy with them although I did not like them when my kids were young...they were still too cold for my liking when kids were playing on the floor.