tartan22: You asked if water damages the laminate. In my experience it does not. However, the laminate is only paper-thin; it is the composition behind the laminate that can swell or deteriorate. We have it in our kitchen. In December we were away for a week and when we returned we found we had a very small drip-leak in the dishwasher supply hose connection under the sink. Because we have an under-sink forced-air outlet also under the sink, while we were home the hot air evaporated the water. But while gone I set the heat back, and the water ran out onto the floor. Now this was very little water we're talking about. But the floor is perfectly level, and the little bit spread itself out quite a ways. The result was swelling on the edges of pieces in most of the floor. This was not the cheapest laminate by any means. Other than this instance it has held up well. I certainly wouldn't advise people to not put it in. However, they should be aware of this potential problem. This summer we will rip it out and replace it with ceramic tile.

The worst part is right after I bought the place the county placed a moratorium on new construction with vinyl siding! This builder gives you a big house for the money but it comes at the expense of some things, vinyl siding and lot size being two of them. This is also the perfect example to prove my point because I still feel this is a nice house because it does have a decent amount of hardwood flooring and berber, also cultured stone facade and nice plumbing fixtures and cabinetry. Little things like that really went a long way in my case. The level of finish was better with other builders but I really needed the extra space. Vinyl siding is horrible though. I can't imagine it being popular in the pacific NW since vinyl gets mildewed and needs to be pressure cleaned at least once a year. Twice on the north side. Neighbors were getting quotes of like $300 and up to do it but I did it myself. On a windy day you can hear the siding shaking and it's very annoying. And weren't people in the vinyl siding factories getting really sick? I remember some documentary on HBO some number of years ago about this.

Despising the wealthy solely because they are wealthy and for no other reason is one of the last socially acceptable prejudices in the United States. Just because someone is vulgar doesn't mean they made their money by illegal, unethical or exploitative methods, and a drug dealer or human trafficker might have exquisite taste. As far as the Victorians go, the Victorian era was a lousy time to be poor or working class in many ways. Poverty was considered a character flaw: if you were impoverished, it was your fault. The lowest level clerk or servant might get no more "salary" than permission to sleep on the floor someplace. A bootboy might not even officially get meals--he might only be allowed to eat off the dirty dinner plates before they were washed. I am not bothered by the price tag, I am bothered by the attitude about it. But Americans seem to be both fascinated and repelled by "other". On another channel, you get your own media attention by being obnoxious white trash.

(1) Laminate WILL NOT stand up to big dogs. I have a breed that is huge - 29" at the shoulder 110 -130 lbs. Water bowl spills kill it. Potty accidents kill it. (2) wood-look laminate floors -- I will either walk away or make an offer low enough to cover ripping that junk out and replacing it with anything else. It is NOT wood. It is sawdust that is glued together. The a photograph of wood is glued to the saw dust. The plastic is poured over it. Absolute low rent garbage. $20,000 to put down hardwood flooring....... WOW! That is nuts for anything less than 1600++ sq ft of oak or maple that had to be stained and finished. FInd a Lumber Liquidators store. Get some unfinished pine - even down to the $1.39 a sq ft. Get some mastic. Get some stain. Get some real varnish - like McCloskey's Marine and do 4 coats. Get a circular saw. Put down the flooring. If you need to level, get some underlayment - adds about $1300 to the project. Pay your handyman $20 an hour. Work alongside him getting boards, putting down mastic, spreading stain and varnish, doing the light sand between coats with 150-200 grit and wiping with a tack cloth...... if it takes 2 weeks (huge am0unt of time) you pay him $1600. Total cost for the whole house - $5200 -7300 if you do it and $6800 -9100 if you have help. (and you won't be doing the bath or kitchen....so sq ft would be less)