Floor Coverings - Ahh Yeah!

[FightingFish]

Thanks for the replies. The cabinets in the kitchen are oak, there was a real country theme going on. We stripped the wallpaper, painted the kneeboard white, and the walls elephant grey. We are going for more of a classic kinda look. Anyways, the majority of the house is hardwood. Is pergo more durable then hardwood? Less maintenance?

[badwhale]

Thanks for the replies. The cabinets in the kitchen are oak, there was a real country theme going on. We stripped the wallpaper, painted the kneeboard white, and the walls elephant grey. We are going for more of a classic kinda look. Anyways, the majority of the house is hardwood. Is pergo more durable then hardwood? Less maintenance?

AFAIK, Pergo is significantly less expensive, easier to install and is waterproof. On the other hand, it's not real wood.

A couple places in our house, we're putting down what is called engineered hardwood, which is layered hardwood plywood, and the top piece (in our case) is like 1/8 or 3/16" thick hardwod. It's real wood, sorta.

I'd be wary of hardwood in the kitchen just for durability with water spills etc.

Will

[buzz]

AFAIK, Pergo is significantly less expensive, easier to install and is waterproof. On the other hand, it's not real wood.

A couple places in our house, we're putting down what is called engineered hardwood, which is layered hardwood plywood, and the top piece (in our case) is like 1/8 or 3/16" thick hardwod. It's real wood, sorta.

I'd be wary of hardwood in the kitchen just for durability with water spills etc.

Will

I've heard that laminates (like Pergo) have a "fake tappy" sound and feel to them.

IIRC, Engineered wood can only be sanded/refinished once or twice.

We have tile right now and soon the wifey will have worn me down enough to take that out and go with stained concrete.

Shag carpeting might be cool... just sayin

[heftysmokes]

Lately we have been doing a lot of looking / research into flooring and have found you can find nice hardwood and/or Engineered hardwood for the price of good laminate. If you go the laminate route make sure you go with something at least 12mm (that's including the attached pad). That thickness really helps with deadening that horrible "fake tappy" sound Buzz alluded to. Drop a set of car keys on cheap lam and it makes a sound like an explosion.
As far as water damage, laminate is just as susceptible, if not more, than hardwood. If water gets into the seams of cheap lam, it swells the sublaminate. Then you get a warped and swollen seam that you can't sand away. The better laminates have waxed joints to help prevent this.

Of course, your best bet is to ask the professionals. I'm not a doctor, I just play one on tv