Do you have laminate floors?

[catnapper]

We're looking to replace all our carpet downstairs with laminate. Now we're totally unsure what we actually want. I keep changing my wood color choices. I just know I don't want a medium oak. I fell in love with a coffee colored oak today but its totally dark at home (but looked so rustic and charming in the store )

A search online revealed a hundred places to buy laminate flooring but hardly any photos of room examples all finished. I know where we're buying the flooring, and hubby's my contractor (along with a bunch of furry foremen) but I can't decide on color! Do I want Cherry? Pine? Maple? Which shade? ACK!!!!

So PLEASE share photos of your rooms with laminate (I know a few of you have shared photos of the installation once you did it yourself) and let me know what you think of having laminate (good and bad please )

[Seravieve]

We have laminate in our kitchen. Neither one of us can remember the color.. but I think it was something like cherry oak.. Or rose oak.. It came from Sams club. It replaced white, plush carpet.

Its pretty nice for in a kitchen.. Rugs in places where you constantly stand while cooking is a must though. Although its not in the picture, we have a long runner rug in front of the sink and dishwasher. If I stand for 30 min cooking, my feet will usually hurt, but I am barefoot in the house... no slippers or anything.

Its been in our kitchen for almost 4 years, and with three dogs.. its in pretty good shape. I'll vacuum it and use a Swifter wetjet to clean it.

Here's our kitchen.. the pictures a little dark (the cabinets are Cherry Bordeaux).

[aTailOf2Kitties]

we have laminate in our living room and hallway. I can't remember the exact color, but it's a medium brown. I don't have any pictures of the whole floor online, but I have these with it in the background:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77...tties009-1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y77...tties002-1.jpg

I'm pretty sure I have some better pics at home somewhere. Lord knows, we take pics of everything, LOL

[Pam]

We do and I LOVE it! We had it put in maybe 3 years ago (Pergo, but I don't remember the name but I think it is supposed to be walnut). It is dark but my kitchen gets TONS of light. This is Bella modeling it and it was taken before the baseboards were put on.

One caution: It is VERY slippery! My dogs have learned how to put on their brakes when they are running to the sliding door. My granddog, Harlee, fell many times (big splat! - 90+ pound dog) until she too learned how to walk on it. Now her humans have Pergo and she has her "Pergo feet." It cleans so easily!!!!!! Wish I had done this years ago!

[Pam]

Oops forgot picture.

[happylabs]

If you are doing a kitchen, I highly recommend ceramic tile. When we renovated about 10 years ago we put down tile from the mudroom through the dining room and into the kitchen. I think the tile I have has some sort of glaze on it. Anyway, this flooring does not get dirty or dingy! I vacuum regularly because of all the fur critters but I probably only mop once a month and then it is just a quick mop. I can post a pic of it later when I get home. The grout is a brown which goes with the tile so there again it is just a perfect set up. Best thing I ever did to my home!

I would like Pergo in my bedroom some day though. That is my dream...

Go to their website and see the Great Dane video...too cute!

http://na.pergo.com/default.aspx

[Grace]

No, we have hardwood floors - had them installed 2.5 years ago. We love them, and they are so much healthier for my husband who has asthma.

The color is clearwater, red oak, in 3", 4", and 5" width planks. Remember, if you get a dark shade/color, every little bit of lint, dust will show up.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

One caution: It is VERY slippery! My dogs have learned how to put on their brakes when they are running to the sliding door. My granddog, Harlee, fell many times (big splat! - 90+ pound dog) until she too learned how to walk on it. Now her humans have Pergo and she has her "Pergo feet."

I had the same issues with my cat Montego. It took him about a month before he could run full-speed laps around the house without crashing into anything.

[kimlovescats]

Jerry installed ours himself ... they are the snap-in type. Unfortunately our exact ones have been discontinued but we got them at Home Depot. Soooo easy to clean with a swiffer wet jet and vacuuming is a breeze too. We don't even worry anymore about puppy piddles or cat hairballs ... just wipe and clean! We've had ours close to 2 years probably by now! You'll love them!



This picture makes them look more gold-toned than ours really are. Ours are a bit closer to a pine but not the really washed out color.

[catnapper]

Thanks so much for the replies already. I hadn't thought of dust on dark -- though I should have! Gosh, I'm a designer and can tell people a hundred times a day what to do. In fact, last night, I had a woman plop $14,000 on her livingroom. We did a complete redo of her livingroom from sofa to chairs to tables and lamps. All done in 4 hours..... but in my own home?

You should have seen me picking out which sofa to order! I spent weeks picking out the sofa and leather, and I STILL am not sure if I am absolutely in love with the leather color we ordered... too late since its in the warehouse, waiting for me to schedule a delivery date, which will have to wait for me to decide on a floor color!

It helps a LOT that a family friend works for a flooring store and he's working out a nice price for us. I'm SURE I'm dirving him nuts changing my mind every other day. We went to his office yesterday and I was settled on the coffee.... and now, looking at your photos, I need to go back and choose something lighter. Ah, he'll love to see me again so soon

[kimlovescats]

Thanks so much for the replies already. I hadn't thought of dust on dark -- though I should have! Gosh, I'm a designer and can tell people a hundred times a day what to do. In fact, last night, I had a woman plop $14,000 on her livingroom. We did a complete redo of her livingroom from sofa to chairs to tables and lamps. All done in 4 hours..... but in my own home?

You should have seen me picking out which sofa to order! I spent weeks picking out the sofa and leather, and I STILL am not sure if I am absolutely in love with the leather color we ordered... too late since its in the warehouse, waiting for me to schedule a delivery date, which will have to wait for me to decide on a floor color!

It helps a LOT that a family friend works for a flooring store and he's working out a nice price for us. I'm SURE I'm dirving him nuts changing my mind every other day. We went to his office yesterday and I was settled on the coffee.... and now, looking at your photos, I need to go back and choose something lighter. Ah, he'll love to see me again so soon

YES, that is why I went with a lighter floor because of dusty footprints and fur! It still shows when the light hits it but not nearly as bad as if we had chosen a dark floor! Can't have everything I suppose but the benefits outweigh this small issue .... it just makes me clean more!

[Edwina's Secretary]

. Remember, if you get a dark shade/color, every little bit of lint, dust will show up.

Amen. They look great but require very frequent dusting/cleaning!

[Grace]

Can you bring a few sample pieces home with you? You'll get a better feel for how it would look next to your things.

[M&M's Mommy]

We do & absolutely love it!

[Glacier]

We're putting in concrete flooring in the fall. It's the only thing we've found that will stand up to the abuse we put our floors through! I can hardly wait!! Getting concrete countertops too, with my glass mixed in to the concrete!