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Stef2000 - floor question

11 years ago

I am going to answer your question here since Rhome's thread is huge and I just by chance saw your question.

I too am on a slab and in a cold climate so my goal in my flooring was to get off the cement and not glue anything to it. I also have two 60 lb mutts who always travel at a high rate of speed, meet and greet and skid around corners....floor killers.

I ruled out engineered wood because some could never be refinished and some could only be refinished once.

For my kitchen attached the the entry, I chose Marmoleum Click. After a month the floor killers have already scratched it, it is not extremely noticeable and such is life around here!

For the 1200 sq ft living areas except one small carpeted sunroom, I chose laminate. I looked at tons of brands and decided I wanted single plank for the most realistic look and I wanted something dark (just because I had decades of amber oak floors). I found the look of laminates varied greatly and I searched based on color, pattern of the wood and texture.

I chose Quick Step Rustique Toasted Hickory. I was prepared in all brands to go to their top of their line to get the thickest and "best" but this was my favorite and was reasonably priced, middle line of Quick Step. Only one month in and I am very satisfied with it. No scratches yet from my floor killers.

Being on a slab you have to protect from moisture with a moisture barrier. Under my marmoluem I put 6 mil plastic per the manufactures instructions...a huge pain to work with. Under the Quick Step, I put their own bottom line 2&1 underlayment (combi floor) which provides complete moisture protection and basic sound protection. I wasn't worried too much about the sound because there is no living space below on a slab so I didn't bother with their premium underlayments. Very, very easy to work with and lay. If I had chosen something like Pergo XP with underlayment attached, I would have had to add the 6 mil plastic underneath that.

Another pic below, the blue stuff is the underlayment waiting to be trimmed.

Works well with my lifestyle and the way we "use" a house and I am really satisfied with it.

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Comments (2)

steph2000
11 years ago
Thanks so much, hags00, for the information and another great pic of your floor. It is so lovely. It seems to be a medium brown, too, which is just what I am looking for. If only I can get confident about using a laminate in the kitchen, I'd really consider just going with exactly your pick!

You have the same conditions we have. Cold climate, cement slab, etc - we don't have a dog currently, losing a much beloved one before renovation mode struck. However, we want to get another in the future, and so that's on our list of criteria, too. Your dogs sound like bundles of playful energy - which is just what we miss and want to bring back into the home someday.

Do you know if any brands of laminate - including the one you chose - come with the option of adding trim? We pulled out our floor trim and I am considering options that include baseboard. I'd love to skip having to paint them white and keep them up...

It really comes down to the dilemma of the kitchen... I'll do some more research about that issue. I really am invested in the same floors throughout the public space. My partner is more and more sold on vinyl plank because of that, but he rules 99% of them out because of a strange, plasticy sheen they show in light. To my chagrin and his glee, that tends to leave only lighter colored floors (which he prefers and I don't). I told to him yesterday that I am considered about water, but I also don't want to spend money and hate the floor from day one...

I'm off to research Quick Step!
hags00
Original Author
11 years ago
Sorry about the Stef/Steph. My god-daughter spells it with an f!

I am not aware of any brands that also sell baseboard but most sell shoe molding. I was replacing all moldings too so I just added them after the flooring and was careful with my wall gaps so I don't need any shoe molding. The photo shows where the laminate meets my Marmoleum and I don't have the transition piece down yet but it is about the only place in the house I have some base molding down!

I would have used this in my kitchen. But I was using it for so much sq footage that I just wanted to switch it up a little and have something different and I was going with medium wood cabinet too so I was afraid of the woods fighting a bit.

I ordered 5-6 extra boxes (100+ sq ft) and have them up in the attic. Somewhere, somehow, sometime with a house on a slab, I am going to have a water leak (laundry room is dead center in the house, kitchen, bathrooms). And water flows out instead of down into a basement. So I am prepared for a repair since when it happens, they probably won't make my exact color floor anymore.
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