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We are looking to install laminate flooring (1850 square feet) and wanted to hear some feedback from people that have laminate flooring and or installed laminate. 650 square feet will be going on concrete slab and 1200 square feet upstairs on plywood.
We found some Kraus Laminate for 10mm or 12mm AC3, AC4 or AC5 rating for $1.99 square feet at a wholesale flooring store or Hampton Bays Hand Scraped Walnut Plateau 8mm AC3 rating for .99 cents at home depot. Which route would you go and why?
this is 12mm with included 3mm padding... the subfloor is floating plywood over a concrete slab. I did additional padding for warmth and stability. the floor is a click type floating floor from LL... made in the USA so shouldn't be an issue with the whole China formaldehyde stuff... its solid and doesn't sound hollow when you walk on it like some of the thinner laminates... btw padding is expensive!!!
laminate is great because it is durable, scratch resistant and easy to replace... great if you have pets... just make sure that you don't use a floating floor in wet areas like kitchens or dining rooms. if you spill water and it gets underneath, it will bow/lift. look to glue in these areas... since you are going over concrete downstairs, your only options are bamboo/engineered or laminate... if you live in a cold area and are concerned with the floor feeling cold, look into in-floor radiant heat... they are really affordable and keeps your toes nice and toasty...
We were shopping for new kitchen cabinets and while at the store we saw some Kronoswiss 8mm AC4 laminate flooring made in switzerland for $1.19 a square foot. This might be the one we will go with. What kind of padding should i use?
I have laminate in the kitchen (among other areas) and would recommend against it, although Kam indicated glue was a better option (I have click).
If you spill water on the laminate you have to clean it up right away. If you know it's there. Therein lies the issue, though. Once it gets wet, the seams will swell and it doesn't look pretty. Every night after I load the dishwasher, I have to make sure to wipe up around the dishwasher as I invariably splash a little water form rinsing the plates on the floor near the dishwasher, etc...
I have a water delivery service with a cooler in the kitchen, and have to be careful changing 5gal bottles as there is sometimes a little spillage.
Eventually it will be replaced with tile for sure.
We were shopping for new kitchen cabinets and while at the store we saw some Kronoswiss 8mm AC4 laminate flooring made in switzerland for $1.19 a square foot. This might be the one we will go with. What kind of padding should i use?
if its for downstairs where you are going over concrete, you have to have a moisture barrier either built into the padding or a separate sheet... either way, I would get the thickest padding you can afford for comfort, sound and protection from the temp of the slab...
upstairs on the plywood you can just go on top of the plywood without padding, but if you want some comfort under your feet, you can do a cheap foam...
Eventually it will be replaced with tile for sure.
there is a reason tiles are used in bathrooms and other wet areas... I know that uniform wood throughout the house looks great and seamless, but for functional durability it never made sense to me... all brand new home builds I have seen lately run the wood into the kitchen... granted its hardwood but if a hose/pipe ever lets loose on the floor replacement... at least with tile it will contain the water...
I like that they now have wood looking tile... if I ever redo our kitchen floor, I would definitely look to do this option...
If you are putting laminate down over concrete, it will likely be cold. Wood is not an insulator. For best results, I suggest you put down a subfloor first. You have many options.
In one of my basement bathrooms, I used the dricore panels:
For the rest of that basement, I used a double subfloor system. First i put down this Delta subfloor product. Creates a water proof membrane and adds an air cushion:
On top of that, I added the underlay you need under laminate (I purposely purchased a laminate without it attached to the backside, as I opted for this stuff with a insulating R value of 3.1:
there is a reason tiles are used in bathrooms and other wet areas... I know that uniform wood throughout the house looks great and seamless, but for functional durability it never made sense to me... all brand new home builds I have seen lately run the wood into the kitchen... granted its hardwood but if a hose/pipe ever lets loose 
on the floor replacement... at least with tile it will contain the water... 
