Well, finally my 1300 sq feet of Bruce Park Avenue Pradoo has been installed. It took most of three weeks to do the house due to moving furniture and the fact that we elected to do most of the carpet/strips/staple removal.

Let me first say that the flooring is absolutely gorgeous! We are more than thrilled. It gives a classy yet warm feeling to our rooms. I have never seen such a realistic looking floor.

Here are a few tips that I have based on my experience in picking out and getting laminate installed:

1) The best price is not always going online. Many brick and mortar stores are more than willing to work with you on price. Our local store matched the online pricing which saved us over a grand. Going with a local store benefits the local economy AND you have recourse in case of problems.

2.) Know your installer. We were so fortunate to have our installer. He has worked for us in the past and his work is well known to be the best around. He also dabbled in wood, so he could be "creative" when it came to problems that a rookie installer would mostly likely botch. I cannot stress enough that you see an installer's work before you chose him/her.

3.) Explore your options when it comes to transitions. If you are doing a single room, this isn't as crucial but our job was complex and large and so we had a custom woodworker make our transitions out of solid maple (for durability) and to custom fit them to our situation. Our transitions do not sit on top of our marble flooring in our foyer but butt flush up against the tile making for a better looking room.

4.) Buy good underlayment. Skimping here is not recommended.

5.) Do your homework on the Internet regarding care of the product. For example, those steam cleaners say that they will work on laminate. It doesn't take long to find out that they will ruin your floors.

Specifically, regarding this line of Bruce flooring, which is the same as the Armstrong Grand Illusions, there are many pros and yes, several cons to determine if this is the floor for you.

Here are the Pros:

1.) It is unbelievably realistic. My husband wanted real wood and he has been blown away by how it looks.

2.) The sheen is semi-gloss (I have seen shinier) and to me the perfect level of gloss. Enough to be realistic and not too much to mirror glass.

3.) The micro-bevel makes for a striking accent yet it doesn't trap dirt nor is it difficult to clean it.

4.) The heaviness and thickness of the product makes it feel and sound more like real wood than most laminates

5.) It is more impervious to moisture than most laminates due to its construction and coating on the bottom of the boards.

Ok, here are a few points that you should consider....

1.) ...if you have children. The shine on the floor will show their little foot prints. Same with pets. If that drives you crazy, stick with a matte laminate for sure.

2.)...if tiny scratches and dents will drive you crazy...although this is a tough product, it will scratch and dent..just not as easily as other laminates. With the shine, you might notice them mnore easily so get a matte laminate.

3.)...if you are doing it yourself. This is a heavy product. Each board weights over 5 lbs. We had over 800 boards installed. I would never have considered doing this floor myself due to the volume of flooring.

Overall, people need to be realistic about any flooring. Dragging an appliance across ANY floor might do damage. I mean, seriously, have some common sense. And, if you are fussy about keeping it pristine, don't get a glossy finish. If dust drives you nuts, don't get a dark colored floor. Shop carefully and choose wisely.

Here is the link to pictures of my flooring including the custom transitions.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37953101@N06/

I have already "sold" another job of my exact flooring. My best friend loves my floor so much she is getting the same product in a month or so.

I hope this all helps someone to make a wise and enjoyable decision.