[FocusGuy7476]

sliding compound mitre saw works the best.

[Flofocus]

D-Dub,Aug 20 2007, 09: Wrote:I think a chop saw would be your better option, unless you are going to be doing some future wood working.
[right][snapback]247227[/snapback][/right]

chip the laminate to much.

[NOS2Go4Me]

We bought 12 more boxes last night for a grand total of 25 (all three bedrooms, plus closets, etc.).

We should be good to go now! Plus, we bought the installation kit as well. We forgot some more underlay, but we have enough to do two rooms to get started and it's readily available.

We're going to get a fine-tooth blade tonight at Crappy when we roll in for the cruise night... any suggestions Nate?

[Flofocus]

NOS2Go4Me,Aug 21 2007, 09:33 AM Wrote:We bought 12 more boxes last night for a grand total of 25 (all three bedrooms, plus closets, etc.).

We should be good to go now! Plus, we bought the installation kit as well. We forgot some more underlay, but we have enough to do two rooms to get started and it's readily available.

We're going to get a fine-tooth blade tonight at Crappy when we roll in for the cruise night... any suggestions Nate?
[right][snapback]247257[/snapback][/right]

I dont know the names, just tell him what your cutting and they should be able to give what you need...

[NOS2Go4Me]

Right on :)

[Flofocus]

If your cleaning up the edges with crown molding or whatever, then I wouldnt worry about it to much...

I didnt want chips because in my hallway, the edge had to be clean to meet up with the tiled floor...I could have bought a nice little 'T' peice to hide the edge, but then it wouldnt have looked 'clean' like it is now...now the tile & laminate floor is flush and it looks really good. If I had that T peive, there would have been a little 'bump' right in the middle of my hallway floor.

[meford4u]

That "T" piece is called a transition strip. And because it wasn't placed there and I have to assume you have jammed the wood up against the tile now, you'll find out how much of a mistake that was come next spring.

And Adam, try and buy a good saw blade. It will cost you in excess of $80. You need atleast a blade over 100 teeth. My suggestion would be to get a 120 tooth blade. And if you find that even with that blade you are fraying and splintering the wood, tape the area where you are sawing and that will prevent further splintering.

I personally would never put down laminate flooring. Just old school I guess. That and the fact it actually devalues a home. But don't ask me, ask a real estate agent. Most are anti laminate flooring.

Me..........I got real wood. Wanna see??? :lol:

[D-Dub]

Flofocus,Aug 21 2007, 09:02 AM Wrote:

D-Dub,Aug 20 2007, 09: Wrote:I think a chop saw would be your better option, unless you are going to be doing some future wood working.
[right][snapback]247227[/snapback][/right]

chip the laminate to much.
[right][snapback]247254[/snapback][/right]

Not if you buy the correct blade.

I work at a woodshop.....

[meford4u]

D-Dub,Aug 21 2007, 06: Wrote:

Flofocus,Aug 21 2007, 09:02 AM Wrote:

D-Dub,Aug 20 2007, 09: Wrote:I think a chop saw would be your better option, unless you are going to be doing some future wood working.
[right][snapback]247227[/snapback][/right]

chip the laminate to much.
[right][snapback]247254[/snapback][/right]

Not if you buy the correct blade.

I work at a woodshop.....
[right][snapback]247305[/snapback][/right]

This from Flo the wood pro................

With comments like......."if your cleaning up the edges with crown moulding or whatever"..........

It's friggin called quarter round. Crown Moulding is for the ceiling.

[NOS2Go4Me]

I bought a Mastercraft Maximum 80-tooth titanium-tipped carbide 10" blade. I figure that should be good enough. I'll also tape the edges of the cut as well to be safe.

If it was the living room / dining room, I wouldn't put another set down... hence the hardwood. However, the bedrooms that I've seen rarely use hardwood.

I figure we'll be good to go. :)

[Flofocus]

meford4u,Aug 21 2007, 06:31 PM Wrote:That "T" piece is called a transition strip.  And because it wasn't placed there and I have to assume you have jammed the wood up against the tile now, you'll find out how much of a mistake that was come next spring.

And Adam, try and buy a good saw blade.  It will cost you in excess of $80.  You need atleast a blade over 100 teeth.  My suggestion would be to get a 120 tooth blade.  And if you find that even with that blade you are fraying and splintering the wood, tape the area where you are sawing and that will prevent further splintering.

I personally would never put down laminate flooring.  Just old school I guess.  That and the fact it actually devalues a home.  But don't ask me, ask a real estate agent.  Most are anti laminate flooring.

Me..........I got real wood.  Wanna see??? :lol:
[right][snapback]247302[/snapback][/right]

Sorry Mr Im a pro painter :lol:

Im no wood guy, I wont lie, but I know how to do this stuff, I've done my fair share of flooring. My father runs a small home reno business on the side, and I'm the one that is usually helping him....hes the one Ive learned all this stuff from. Frig I dont even know the proper name for half my car tools and I use those at least once a week. :rolleyes:

And this transisiton peice....why am I going to have problems? (I love it when you say these kind of things without giving a reason why) We did the same at my fathers house where his met the tile and guess what? No problems , +5 years later. :o :o :rolleyes: :lol: . We used the transition peice for the kitchen flooring (as you can see in the pics) but didnt do it for the hallway because it would honestly look retarded having this bulky strip come out of the floor.

Funny, the 3 real estate agents told me different. :lol: Better than carpet ;) nevermind teh fact I had to TELL them it wasn't hardwood. :lol:

I wouldnt get hardwood because of my dogs....I'v seen what they've done to my parents flooring, and yikes....no thanks. :ph34r:

[meford4u]

Okay, here is what will happen come the spring. Because you have jammed the wood up against the tile, wood tends to expand and contract. Especially in the changing of seasons from Winter(dry) to Spring(wet). Because the wood tends to expand along the radius, more than like it is going to buckle your laminates lengthwise. There is a reason they tell you to keep the flooring atleast 3/8" away from any solid surface or a wall to allow for expansion. If you knew what you were doing, or actaully read the instructions, you would know this.

And I don't know what hillbilly of a real estate agent you talked to, but I have been in touch with many recently, as I am currently looking for an agent to sell my own house. Laminates are a no-no. The issue buyers have with them is they feel that homeowners have done a quick fix to brighten up the home to sell, and when they buy the house and move in, the laminates will become a cost to them as they will have to rip them out and put down another flooring. And if you honestly had a real estate agent tell you point blank that laminates are better than carpet, thats hilarious. Carpet can and does cost alot more than laminates. I just put down new carpet in my house on the main level and the stairs. I guarantee that my expense to do this with a quality carpet was double or more than what you or Adam have spent on your laminates.($2800)

[hardk0re]

Allot of the houses here in the new development have had the hardwood buckle up. I was in one today and the wood is all but up against the walls and along the tile, guess thats the reason.

I would suspect laminant not so prone to this. As for realestate it all depends on the market, if its a high end home >300K then yes laminant is a BIG turnoff for buyers in that range, if its a lower market low 200's then laminante/carpet doesn't really matter to the buyer as much. That would be my view on it.

I myself would only do real wood, but thats just me.

[meford4u]

hardk0re,Aug 22 2007, 06:49 PM Wrote:Allot of the houses here in the new development have had the hardwood buckle up.  I was in one today and the wood is all but up against the walls and along the tile, guess thats the reason.

I would suspect laminant not so prone to this.  As for realestate it all depends on the market, if its a high end home >300K then yes laminant is a BIG turnoff for buyers in that range, if its a lower market low 200's then laminante/carpet doesn't really matter to the buyer as much.  That would be my view on it.

I myself would only do real wood, but thats just me.
[right][snapback]247404[/snapback][/right]

You and I have the same opinion then. Only real wood.

And I agree that once you start to get up around $300k in the GTA, you better not have laminates present in the home. It devalues the home.

Here's an explanation of a decent engineered floor.

Engineered flooring

Engineered flooring is composed of two to five thin wooden narrow pieces glued to each other to form a parquet strip. The top layer, cut from hardwood, produces a look that’s comparable to solid wood parquet strips. Numerous species are available, even exotic woods, and this for a fraction of the price.

Under the effects of humidity, this type of flooring expands along its width. To counter this problem, manufacturers place the pieces in a cross-grainpattern. This method produces a more stable mass that can be installed in the basement and even in direct contact with the cement sub-floor. Engineered parquet can be nailed, glued, stapled or floating.


Engineered flooring typically has a base of wood fibres that are woven together to stop buckling. Laminate floors differ from engineered flooring because they use a base of MDF.

[D-Dub]

hardwood works for dogs, but you have to buy something that is real hard. Most wood they sell is soft maple....... ash is good but super expensive.


The problem with laminate flooring is that it buckles and its hard to tell how much it will expand and contract. The weather in your area plays a huge factor for laminate flooring also. We live by a lake so the humidity is brutal, if you dont have the A/C on this actually really messes up the floor. Our hard wood floors dont seem to get affected by this though.

[Flofocus]

meford4u,Aug 22 2007, 06:16 PM Wrote:Okay, here is what will happen come the spring.  Because you have jammed the wood up against the tile, wood tends to expand and contract.  Especially in the changing of seasons from Winter(dry) to Spring(wet).  Because the wood tends to expand along the radius, more than like it is going to buckle your laminates lengthwise.  There is a reason they tell you to keep the flooring atleast 3/8" away from any solid surface or a wall to allow for expansion.  If you knew what you were doing, or actaully read the instructions, you would know this.

Its not right against the tile, I know what Im doing, but thanks for the tips. :rolleyes:

I showed this to my father and he pointed to his floor. He's laughing, because like I said, 5+ years and no issues.

Quote:And I don't know what hillbilly of a real estate agent you talked to, but I have been in touch with many recently, as I am currently looking for an agent to sell my own house.  Laminates are a no-no.  The issue buyers have with them is they feel that homeowners have done a quick fix to brighten up the home to sell, and when they buy the house and move in, the laminates will become a cost to them as they will have to rip them out and put down another flooring.  And if you honestly had a real estate agent tell you point blank that laminates are better than carpet, thats hilarious.  Carpet can and does cost alot more than laminates.  I just put down new carpet in my house on the main level and the stairs.  I guarantee that my expense to do this with a quality carpet was double or more than what you or Adam have spent on your laminates.($2800)
[right][snapback]247399[/snapback][/right]

they come by once a week to provide free estimates if your interested in selling your house.

I told them it wasnt hardwood, I had to tell them, they thought it was...its not like I used $1.99 sq/ft crap here, this stuff was close to $5 sq/ft, 12mm, very nice quality(thicker than a lot of hardwood I was looking at). How long do you think it would take to rip this flooring out? 20 minutes, tops. Took me 1/2 hour to rip out the carpet, so its not like they have 'crazy' amount of work to do if the new owners wanted a different flooring.....but I dont think anybody is going to be moving this floor anytime soon anyways. Im very happy with it and thats all that matters.

Personally, I hate carpet, I'd rather have high quality laminate over stinky carpet anyday. When we washed the carpet before ripping it out, it was disgusting what was coming out of the cleaner. And that was when I wasn't even in the place for a year. Fawkin gross, and yes we cleaned on a regular basis. :rolleyes:

[Flofocus]

D-Dub,Aug 22 2007, 10: Wrote:hardwood works for dogs, but you have to buy something that is real hard. Most wood they sell is soft maple....... ash is good but super expensive.


The problem with laminate flooring is that it buckles and its hard to tell how much it will expand and contract. The weather in your area plays a huge factor for laminate flooring also. We live by a lake so the humidity is brutal, if you dont have the A/C on this actually really messes up the floor. Our hard wood floors dont seem to get affected by this though.
[right][snapback]247415[/snapback][/right]

Yeah, my father used used hardwood :lol:

He redid a kitchen in tile, and was very careful removing the old hardwood. He then put each peice through his planer to get rid of the rough looking surface, then he and my mom stained/sealed them. It was a lot of work...a lot...I remeber seeing my dad everyday in his garage putting peices through that planner for many days.

I'm sure its not top notch stuff, but jeebus do the dogs ever do some damage on that stuff. He will be selling in the next few years and Im sure a good sanding/sealing/whatever the process is will be needed to brighten up those floors.

With the stuff I have, the husky and staff can be playing tug of war, slipping the whole time, and never a sratch, its sweet. :D

[NOS2Go4Me]

The funny thing is, I've seen the hackjob stuff done in this town, and in a lot of towns. THe quality of the laminate we bought, although it's only 8mm, is far superior to everything we already have down in the house. I shudder to think of what could possibly be used these days.

I'm kinda proud we didn't spend much to get the look we wanted. That's what it's all about right - maximize your enjoyment AND maximize the value of your house for the least amount of cash.. :)

I think we could debate carpets vs. laminate all day. The bottom line is that laminate is much easier to clean and maintain than carpet and doesn't hold the stigma of being "dirty", even when it's clean.

[D-Dub]

I understand, and in your case you made the right choice. I just wanted to point out it can be done, but will obviously cost more.