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Flooring Design Dilemma living room

Wide planks in a split-level? Need advice

Naomi Golden Schultz

3 years ago

We are finally updating the upstairs of our raised ranch/split-level. This is a starter home and we have decided on laminate flooring. We are simply trying to create a neutral pallet and hard wood is not worth the expense in our home. Also after looking at laminate vs. vinyl, the laminate stood out as much more wood looking. So that's our choice. The problem is that the majority come in 7.5" planks. Is this much too wide for our 600 sq. foot upstairs (living room, kitchen, hallway)? I'm frustrated because only looking at smaller plank laminates, which are still wide (6.14" or if lucky an occasional 5") GREATLY reduces the options. So my question is would 7.5" beveled planks look ridiculous because we don't have a larger home? It has been years of debating this renovation and now I feel we are at yet another standstill.

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Comments (5)

SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
Laminates are photographs of 'something' (usually wood) siting on fibre board. The most common laminate plank size is 12" x 36" (1ft x 3ft). The PHOTOGRAPH would have the look of narrow planks. That means the size of the plank has NOTHING to do with the 'visual' of the floor.

If you are looking at wide plank laminate, it means you are looking at a laminate that has a photo of a single wood plank on the panel. That is a 1:1 ratio. One floor panel = 1 wood plank. That is where you are getting messed up.

if you want a narrower plank look, simply look for a traditional laminate plank (12" x 36") with a photo of narrow plank hardwood on it. The modern laminates are 8" x 48" in size...but they still show narrow planks as the photo. Below is an example of what I'm talking about:

https://www.wayfair.com/home-improvement/pdp/mohawk-flooring-copeland-8-x-47-x-8mm-laminate-flooring-mhk1103.html

Get away from the 1:1 ratio and work with narrow plank 'look' on a laminate panel. The size of the panel doesn't matter. The size of the PHOTO does.
Naomi Golden Schultz
Original Author
3 years ago
This is so helpful, thank you! I'm realizing that this is what our current laminate kitchen floor is - a photograph of two strips on one plank. Is this what 1-strip, 2-strip, 3-strip means? I'm finding that most planks, trying to be realistic, are beveled and have the appearance of one wide plank. Unless I'm not understanding correctly, it seems the 2 and 3-strip planks are relatively rare.
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SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
Keep shopping. Which brings up the next question: where are you shopping?
Naomi Golden Schultz
Original Author
3 years ago
I feel like I've looked everywhere. Home Depot, Lowes, local discount flooring stores around here, online retailers. I'm just not sure where else to look.
SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
A high-end laminate is not to be found at 'discount' flooring stores. If you are in a town or city with more than 50k people you should be able to walk into a flooring store (not discount) and find what you want...or they can find something for you. You will pay for it...but that's what you are looking at.

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