[punxsyyote]

I THOUGHT THERE WAS A PREVIOUS POST ABOUT THIS, BUT I CAN'T FIND IT AND THERE'S ONLY 14 PAGES LISTED UNDER THIS FORUM?
CAN ANYONE GIVE ME INFO ON LAMINATE FLOORING YOU HAVE INSTALLED IN YOUR CAMP. I AM IN PROCESS OF BUILDING A CAMP AND WANT TO PUT LAMINATE FLOORING. I TALKED TO A EMPLOYEE AT LOWE'S WHO SAID I NEED A VAPOR BARRIER AND HAVE TO HEAT THE PLACE UP SLOWLY OR ANY LAMINATE FLOOR WILL BUCKLE? ANY HELP AND INFO YOU CAN GIVE, THANKS!

 

[comblockshooter]

i have 2 rooms in my house with it. i think he didn't want bothered.

 

[pappy53]

This is just my opinion we have it in our camp it is durable and very nice, we did not put down a vapor barier but was put down over plywood. It also had foam padding attached directly to it I would not use it again, it is always cold and if you use your place in the winter months it takes at least a day to heat up and even then it is still cold. We had carpet down before and I am sorry we took it out

 

[Fly Guy]

Vapor barrier comes I think in two grades, and is absolutely needed at below grade levels. Carpet, what someone else suggested, will also require a quality pad at sub level. I am not sure of the situation, but laminate flooring may not be the best option.

 

[Pa-Plinker]

I've had numerous laminate "professionals" tell me that unless a building is heated year 'round, putting laminate down will be a mistake. I'm not sure I totally agree because there are different types and grades of laminate, but in the end, I decided not to take the risk and went with a different product that has proven to work very well.

 

[Trail Cat]

I put laminate in my camp and it is not heated when I am not there. I put down the padding with the the vapor barrier installed on it but nothing else. I have no buckling issues. Just make sure you leave adequate space along all walls and door jambs. It has been problem free for me.

If I could have done it again I would have went with real wood. Nothing against laminate, but real wood is just REAL wood!

 

[Blaze Cammo]

laminate. ....ive installed lots of it...junk if you ask me,

 

[Danesdad]

What if you aren't there in winter?

 

[4c_game_chaser]

PROS:
fast and easy to install

cheap

durable under normal walking conditions



CONS:
cold in winter

hard on the feet, especially after a long day on them in the mountains

slippery when wet

we've dropped drinking glasses/guns/clips with ammo and each time they have taken noticeable nicks out of the floor when they hit on a seam.

 

[pumpgun]

the laminates i have seen installed are pretty loud when you walk on them. that might be due to the padding. when i redo my floor in my camp i'm going with roll vinyl. i've had it in my house for 15 years and it has taken a real beating from the kids and still looks great. easy to clean and easy to install as a DIY job.

 

[Birch812]

Laminate flooring or hardwoods is 50% product and 50% skill of the installer. If you install cheap in a short time you will see issues.
It is not difficult to install and I have installed miles of both.
Lam is not great if your bringing snow in on feet, you have dogs or your not keeping minimal heat during winter.
Any warping or gouging cannot be repaired.
Hardwoods warm up quicker, handle wet better, are easier to repair scratching or gouging.

If the laminate does not have foam backing buy padding, this type floor needs to move. For hardwood floors I always use 90# roofing paper, holds out moisture.

You can pick up a 3/4" prefinished at a place like Lumber Liquidators for less then 3 bucks a square.
Good Luck

 

[runningdeer]

I do a lot of flooring. what has already been posted is accurate especially the 50% product 50% installer comment. Personlly I hate laminate flooring it looks and sounds cheap. For camp I installed Armstrong wood-look vinyl. It is a great product that is easy to work with, looks more realistic than most laminates, and cleans easily.

 

[pigstyconrad]

I have to agree with the cold and slippery comments. It sure is durable and easy to clean.

 

[jace]

has anyone tried the allure vinyl planks in a camp that isn't heated in the winter ?

 

[Trail Cat]

I have installed 5 different laminate floors there definaely is a difference in the stuff that is 99 cents compared to $3-5/sf. You get what you pay for.

You'll hear a lot of different opinions on here, but do what you feel is best for your situation

 

[bushmaster]

I've used the 99 cent stuff and have had no problems with it. Durable as heck. I'm sure the 3 - 5 dollars stuff is that much more Durable.

 

[outofstater]

When i built my house 6 years ago wife and i finished the basement on our own. Mainly carpet but on entance area we decided to go laminate. The guy at store told me i didnt need a vapor barrier, he didnt know squat. Its mainly for over concrete like we was doing and it bucled liek you couldnt believe. Talking later to people who knew something about it said the moisture from the concrete casued it.

 

[outofstater]

I do a lot of flooring. what has already been posted is accurate especially the 50% product 50% installer comment. Personlly I hate laminate flooring it looks and sounds cheap. For camp I installed Armstrong wood-look vinyl. It is a great product that is easy to work with, looks more realistic than most laminates, and cleans easily.

Im going to build a room on to my cabin and was wondering what to use for flooring. I have carpet in rest and thinking of pulling up since its 20 years old. I was leaning towards vinyl due to carpet holding dust, etc. Your opinion?

 

[Buckshot1822]

You can always get good deals on laminate flooring if you have an ollie's store near you......you can get the 5 dollar psf stuff for between 1-2 psf...............I have laminate in my home since the main living area is partially below grade, I didn't want to go with hardwood because of that.......I bought the flooring at Ollie's and after a year of pretty hard use, I have no complaints......there are a few small nicks here and there, but it is pretty durable overall.......

Make sure you put good underlayment material underneath it, and it wont sound hollow like a lot of people say it does.....it is somewhat cold, but not to the point that the wife complains about it.....

 

[WestPhillyFam]

I would not do it. I would do the roll vinyl that looks like wood as suggested above because it looks really great. I have laminate in my house but only because I have young kids and it had the least toxicity of anything I looked at (except stuff like aged, reclaimed barn timber which is $$$). For a camp, I would put anything down because the off-gassing is a non-issue since you won't be there and can let it slowly dissipate while you aren't there.