[banang]

Is there anyone out there with laminate flooring at home? A quick search on the web reveals that laminate flooring is quite popular overseas but not much info about the use in HK's extremely humid climate.

There're a quite few laminate flooring outlet in Wan Chai Lockhart road and the sales would say plently of good things about laminate floor.

Comment on laminate vs hardwood floor please

[KnowItAll]

We've got laminate flooring .. not sure why it should be bad in this climate.

[ontheroad]

Laminate is much cheaper, and easy to clean, but the drawbacks are that it's much more fragile re:dents and that sunlight discolors it if it's a dark color. I have it hear and I hate it, because it's so fragile. Everytime something heavy falls on the floor it makes a huge dent!

[gita]

laminated and engineered flooring is probably best suited for most of hong kong, hard wood if you keep the A.C. going on for hours and hours when the weather is crazy humid.

laminated is thinner and does not contain any hard or solid wood, that's why it dents much easier than the others. big plus is that it doesn't move much; much cheaper than the other two and plenty of colours and different sizes of planks to choose from.

engineered i think is best for hong kong. top layer is hard wood so the tread is nice and feels real. minimal movement of boards. also becoming popular in hong kong because of its suitability and price. different size planks too; some of the better quality finishes and wider planks can be similar prices to hard wood.

hard wood is beautiful. can be a pain to maintain and the good stuff is expensive here; may need to keep the A.C. going or dehumidifiers to keep away the humidity.

try B&Q and the shops on lockhart road wanchai for laminated flooring. barter with them!

[Lammarite]

We had it in our old flat and the only advice I would add to the above posts is to make sure it's well sealed around the edges to avoid ants or cockroaches nesting and/or ticks if you have dogs.

[Boris]

Some of these posts seem to have a little bit of "urban legend" legend about them so feel compelled to ad my 2 pence worth of learned advice from Boris The Builder . Sing --- " He can fix it ! "

a) There are many grades of laminate flooring. The cheaper it is, the worse it is, for HK local conditions.

b) The cheapest isn't actually a laminate in the way you would like it to be but a photocopy. In that the pattern is a printed membrane glued to either a woodchip base ( real cheap ) or an MDF base at a slightly higher price.

c) Higher spec floors have real wood veneer, glued over an MDF base OR a softwood base. The higher the quality, the thicker the laminate. HQ floors are a Stained softwood under a 1/4" to 3/8" HW veneer.

d) Notwithstanding the need to try to seal the floor, you should NEVER EVER seal the borders of the floor. This type of floor is designed to be installed as a floating unit with a 1 - 2cm gap on the edge to the wall. This to allow for expansion / contraction under temperature / humidity conditions. To hid the edges you use a skirting board product or a gap strip. A silicone flexible filler is acceptable in the gap between the skirting and the floor NOT the floor and the wall.

e) To avoid denting problems, use marble or carpet! Wood dents ----- period. Just cos' is hardwood doesn't mean it fails still to be wood. Use rugs placings or fabric runners to protect vulnerable areas.

f) Modern laminate is designed for clipping together, without the need for gluing. I have installed many of these floors in my previous life doing property development and always used the glued product ( even if it had clipping designed joints ). That way your hard work making a seamless floor wouldn't be undone later when the floor settled down.

g) NEVER EVER lay a floor on to a solid base. Use the underlay specifically recommended. Make sure the base is very clean ( no little chips or pebbles ) and dry.

Finally - If having installed by contractor or yourself. Make sure the floor panels are delivered a few days before the installation. Make sure the ambient temperature is at your prefered mean ( average ) setting. That allows the floor to be laid down in the expected middle of the temperatures / humidities experienced in your home and should stay perfect through its life. Its a small thing to leave out but probably the most important

Enjoy your floor !!

[Lammarite]

Boris, I need a wall painted and a gate built- when can you come over?!
Good advice above- and yes, the sealing I meant was floor-to-laminate not wall-to-laminate, thanks for clarifying that.

[ontheroad]

Boris, (wow!) is it better to have have a laminate sealed (is that what it's called when they put a layer of thick transparent stuff on it that looks like clear resin or something?) or unsealed, to prevent dents and scratches?

[Boris]

Lammerite - Thanks for the opportunity but it was another lifetime away !!! Made good money at it though.

Ontheroad - If the laminate is the thin type then just use an emulsion type floor treatment. Most are combined cleaner and polish. DO NOT use excessive water and if memory serves there is a trigger gun item on the market.
For laminate that is the REAL DEAL ( Wood Backed ) and the whole product is thick then feel free to use a hard acrylic treatment. I would use a contractor for this as the pre-treatments are not something recommended to DIY and they will have it done in a flash.

FYI - If doing the later then be aware of dust issues. Not just in the room being treated but in adjoining spaces as well as sealing windows. ENJOY.

[gita]

Boris: if i can seek your expertise please. i am contemplating what kind of floors to lay down in my flat at the moment, either engineered or hard wood. i prefer hard (oak, merbau or walnut) but have been told by my contractor that it's best to stick with engineered for easy maintenance. quality engineered is similar price to some hard wood that i am looking at.
can you please offer some guidance as to what you think is best. i know there are lots of factors to consider but any general guide would be great! fyi, i am not a heavy A.C. user preferring fan and dehumidifier. also is there a ant and roach problem if i want a gap between the floor and skirting; just looks neater and traditional.
thanks!!