Laminate, wood top or real wood flooring?

[jane5]

Hi guys, I know this has been asked before but I just can not make a decision

I have carpet in my living room and want to change to laminate or similar.

I went to B&Q and the guy said laminate wont dent or scratch but will chip, wood topping will dent and scratch but wont chip and I dont think I can justify the price of wooden flooring if it will get ruined or is it more durable?

Which is the best for noise, comfort and temperature and durability?
I do not have any animals but the lo's play with cars ect.... on the floor.

Please help me make a decision as I am driving dh mad and we need to buy it next week

[mama2three]

laminate can scratch , ive a few scrape marks on mine as well as chips out of it and faded areas. It has been down more than 8 years though and certainly wasnt one of the more expensive ones - all in all id say its been very resilient!
cant compare it to wood or wood top as Ive never had them , i like the look of real wood and i think its warmer but its also a lot more expensive and more difficult to lay.
Good luck choosing!

[mummyMia]

We put down real wood at the beginning of last year and although it looks lovely I don't think I will be using it again in the future. It dents 100x easier than laminate. Each and every time a child drops a toy it seems to leave a small dent. Ours is oak and there is quite a lot of colour variation in the pattern and this helps to disguise the little knocks so overall it still looks fairly good (if you don't look too closely that is). We have several large rugs and the floor has yellowed slightly in the areas that are not covered. So now you can see the marks where the rugs have been

The WORST thing about it is that it swells up and becomes black from even the slightest amount of water. Potty training ds was a complete nightmare and there are several places where the floor is permanently stained now!

In my opinion a good quality laminate (the ones that are marketed as being water resistant) is the most durable option of the three.

[rickysmiths]

Karndean every time We had it put down last year replacing cheap laminate and it is fab. Warm under foot, ours has a slight texture so it isn't slippery like laminate. Its about the cost of a good carpet and if its laid by a professional it had up to a 20yr guarantee.

http://www.karndean.co.uk/site/home....CFQFO4oddyOgXQ

[Cammie Doodle]

I love my Karndean flooring in the kitchen, it has survived floods, spills and lots of heavy traffic.

[Dragonfly]

I have solid OAk and its brillant oil it once a year, have two rugs down no discolouring, odd small dent here and there but adds to the character, have had a puupy running a jumping on it for 4+ months, plus potty training no black marks? lots of children obviously causing chaos on it, brillant.
Had a carpet before and carpet is obviously warmer then wooden floors, but i use toastie socks for children when the weather gets cooler.and have rugs etc.
Never had laminate, it has never intrested me but im sure those that have it will say whether it is good or not.

[LOOPYLISA]

Solid oak

[Bear23]

Solid oak

If i could afford i'd have solid oak, carpets are just a nightmare.... not just the children but the dogs too.... i have a carpet ceaner guy come in every four months its that bad, maybe i should save up

[jmoff]

yeah, solid oak! check online, its much cheaper than b & q!

[Dragonfly]

My solid OAK was so expensive, local firm.

[LOOPYLISA]

If i could afford i'd have solid oak, carpets are just a nightmare.... not just the children but the dogs too.... i have a carpet ceaner guy come in every four months its that bad, maybe i should save up

It wasnt cheap i must admit, worth it though x

[solly]

I have wood top laminate and love it. I have the odd small scratch but cant see them unless you know where they are. I do have a large rug down and every morning i put down the ELC recreational mats down and it covers most of the floor so makes it comfy for the kids to play on but also protects my floor. I haven't found it too cold either but we have put the best underlay that we could buy.

If i gave up childminding then i would love to have carpet again but for now its just not practical

[mummyMia]

I have solid OAk and its brillant oil it once a year, have two rugs down no discolouring, odd small dent here and there but adds to the character, have had a puupy running a jumping on it for 4+ months, plus potty training no black marks? lots of children obviously causing chaos on it, brillant.

Where did you get this flooring? Is it any particular brand? I wish my oak floor was that durable! Perhaps there are different grades of oak??? Mine doesn't stain if the spill is mopped up immediately but there have been a few times when I didn't notice an accident straight away and it had time to soak in and leave a nasty mark

[waterwaybabies]

we have cheap laminate in one busy room and high quality wood in the other.
the cheap stuff wears much better and does not mark as easily as the good stuff!

[Mamma4Ya]

Karndean every time We had it put down last year replacing cheap laminate and it is fab. Warm under foot, ours has a slight texture so it isn't slippery like laminate. Its about the cost of a good carpet and if its laid by a professional it had up to a 20yr guarantee.

http://www.karndean.co.uk/site/home....CFQFO4oddyOgXQ

This is what we are going to have, my friend had it down for several months before I realised what it was, easy to clean too

[Dragonfly]

Local flooring shop in suffolk(small place not a big firm). Took nearly a week for him to cut and lay the playroom, hall and lounge.and costed over 2 grand!. But has been worth it, gets a lot of wear and tear and I must say Im not the best for constant spraying and using the mop thing but i do hoover every day.(spray cleaner for wooden floors and oiled once a year)

[jane5]

Thanks for all your replies

I was looking at the link for the karndean and there is a local shop that stocks it so I think I will go and and have a look. This may be the best option for me