Normally home depot products especially their cheaper products are just that, cheap. Now since its going into a rental id say go for that 500 deal. Although do some more research. That sounds too good to be true. They either may have hidden fees ot a limit on sq ft.

The plastic wear layer of laminate is probably better if you anticipate more dog accidents. A wider plank would probably be better in this case. If the urine gets into a seam, then the smell/moisture will infiltrate the laminate substrate and you will probably have to replace a plank. You can get click and lock engineered hardwood. It installs just like click and lock laminate. Kahrs has been mentioned a lot on this board as a good brand. The engineered flooring that imitates solid hardwood the best uses a sliced or sawn face layer instead of peeled. I prefer the very thick sawn face layer products, but they are generally high priced compared to solid hardwood. Look for a satin sheen if you can find it, because it hides surface scratches better than semi-gloss. We have a medium dog and kids and scuffs and scratches are not a big deal with our hardwood floor. They are hardly noticeable because the red oak had lots of grain, is natural in color/finish, and has a satin sheen. Even where the dog jumps onto the bed and her claws have dug slightly into the wood, it just adds to the character of the #1 common wood. Laminate tries to imitate clear or select grade hardwood and gives a uniform and repeating surface picture. It is generally durable, but it does dent and the surface layer can chip on the edges/ends if not installed properly and/or in commercial applications.

To get an accurate reading on moisture you'll need to perform a calcium chloride test like this. If you are dry you can go either way on your installation. Gluing it down is more solid / better sounding installation method. You can even go with a moisture block adhesive to give you more peace of mind. To not have the hollow sound for a click lock install, make sure you go with a premium high density underlayment - not the cheap bubble-wrap looking stuff. We only sell high quality Healthier Choice Sound Solution and OmniChoice underlayment. Both have the highest sound ratings in the market. A non-moisture block adhesive and a quality underlayment will cost you roughly about the same money. Alan Ward

If your budget is Home Depot Vinyl = $2.99/sf then you are shopping the wrong type of flooring. Carpet has a better return. Now we need to be CLEAR about somethings. Vinyl is *technically a higher grade product than laminate...but the GOOD vinyl should come in around $4.50 - $7.50/sf. That's some GREAT stuff. Remember: a HIGH END laminate ($2.99 - $4.99/sf) is HIGHER QUALITY than LOW GRADE vinyl. Yes. Just like in cars, you can get a HIGH END Hyundai (Genesis) for $80K. That has EVERYTHING in it. Or you can can 'start' with a mid-grade Mercedes (cloth seats...nothing exciting expect the star on the nose) for $80K. Same idea. Let's look at Home Depot. It is low end stuff. It is more in line with the $40K Mercedes 'entry level' college graduate vehicle. It does NOT compare to the $80K Hyundai Genesis. Not even close. Same thing with Laminate. A European made Laminate ($4/sf) will OUT PERFORM $1.99/sf HD vinyl. I can guarantee it. If you are looking at HD vinyl, the LOW GRADE engineered hardwood is going to be the same price as the high end laminate. I would take the high end laminate over $2.99/sf engineered hardwood. The laminate will have a longer life. So here's my question: What is your flooring budget? Does that include installation/labour costs?