I want to replace my house's shitty old vinyl Walmart-aisle

>>1199561
>I want to replace my house's shitty old vinyl Walmart-aisle flooring with some nice wood laminate.
>wood laminate.
You mean the stuff they are putting in the upscale Walmarts now?

>>1199574

bah, laminate is pretty nice these days.

Some tips I learned: invest in quality padding underneath, get a vapor barrier, buy 15% more you will make mistakes, watch lots of videos, get the right tools. Wear knee pads. It goes quickn and looks good if you have half a clue.

>>1199576
Which is why it has replaced vinyl as the shitty budget flooring of choice. Use real wood. They even sell prefinished wood for people that can't be bothered to DIY that part of it.

>>1199574

The wood laminate I've seen in houses lately looks great.

>>1199585

What advantage does hardwood flooring have over laminate? It looks the same to me, and seems to be a hell of a lot more hassle and more expensive.

>>1199578

Knee pads, good idea. I've been watching videos on removing vinyl so between that and the install I'll be on my knees for a shitload of time.

Stagger your joins. Cut three different lengths to start, make sure those joins aren't too close together. The way the vinyl is laid out in the pic is going to look terrible.

>>1199590
Let me pose a question to you: Other than looks, what advantage does laminate flooring have over old school vinyl? Remember, in 10 years when you floors look out of date and every Walmart in the country has laminate floors, what will you have?

>>1199597
>what advantage does laminate flooring have over old school vinyl

It looks a million times better.

>>1199601
Okay, so you aren't here to have a discussion. you are here to troll. I'm out.

>>1199606

>hey guys I'm going to do X, any tips?
>"don't do X"
>but I like X
>"omg troll I'm out"

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>>1199561
laminate is shit. It is not water proof and I have torn out so many floors due to water damage. once water gets under it, a large amount or small amount, you are fucked. The ONLY floor I can recommend that is safe against water damage on a slab foundation is tile. If you have to get "wood" get faux wood tile. If you like tearing out your floor because stupid shit like the ice line dripping behind your fridge, then don't listen and get whatever faggot shit you'd like. If you don't listen, then I hope you have good homeowner's insurance.

LiterallyMyOnlyMemeOnThisPC.jpg

>>1199636

Thanks for the advice. I may end up tiling the kitchen; I have been on the fence with that. Still pretty set on laminate for other common areas.

>>1199597
>>1199601
>>1199613
>Other than looks
>Looks
>omg not everyone is a troll lol

>>1199641

I'll concede I missed that phrase. But what point are you trying to make here? Laminate to me is comparable to or superior to vinyl in several ways (cost, ease of upkeep, ease of install), with looks being the biggest advantage.

>>1199644
I'm not even that anon, I just found the exchange funny.


My two cents though: I have laminate flooring in my house and it looks like shit after so many years of use. It absorbs water and starts to bubble like a cheap bookshelf. My shit is old though, so maybe if you're cool replacing it down the line it doesn't matter.

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DONT PUT CLICK TOGETHER FLOORING IN AREAS THAT GET WET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>>1199652
Like a swimming pool?

>>1199652
Click-together lasts... a few years.
tongue-and-groove lasts 100 years or more.

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I've been remodeling my house, and just finished putting down laminate in the living room and kitchen just last week. It's a pretty low end product, the ~$1/sq ft stuff from Lowe's, but after trying to damage one of the offcuts, it seems like it'll hold up pretty well. I got some blue foam underlayment, which seems to make the floor much more quiet, and adds a little softness to the floor vs the bare subfloor. Install was super easy, after I got all of the old vinyl up, and removed all of the staples that were holding down the living room carpet pads. Snap together, stagger joints in a random pattern, cut the last piece and use the offcut to start the next row.

>>1199713

Looks pretty legit, family.

>>1199656
Kitchens, bathrooms, bar/lounge, mud room, laundry room. Its a durable material and holds up well enough against kids and pets, but because its cardboard, it is garbage when exposed a tiny amount of water. The good thing is with liquidators it can be had for as cheap as $0.50 per square foot. Buy a few extra boxes and you can do repairs easily enough.

OP, cheap laminate can look just that: cheap. Its durable but everyone who walks in your house will tell you've spent $1/foot on the stuff. Some 'engineered' floors can fool the average person into thinking you have actual hardwood in your house, but is still reasonably priced. If you can't afford much, consider engineered over laminate, because laminates with surface texture are stupidly expensive for what they are.

Engineered floors are a plywood base with an actual wood top layer. Its how you can get the distressed look, beveled edges, etc without needing a full wood layer. You can either do a floating floor with padding, or do a glued-down application.

>>1199857
I don't know why is everyone isn't a part of the carpet/tile masterrace.

>>1199857
And along that same vein, you may want to consider vinyl plank [tile] floor. Its vinyl flooring, but comes in strips or tiles. It has molded in texture (something laminate usually does not have) and is easily installed by most people.

I know you're wanting to get away from vinyl, but this isn't the traditional grandma's vinyl sheet in the old kitchen. It has the wood floor image that you'd be getting with laminate. You should still check it out at your flooring store.

Laminate in general can produce an echo in the house, and the image lot (of the wood print on the surface) is changed every 6 months so if you ever needed to do a repair or add another room, you're fucked.

If you own the house and actually want to up the value but are on a tight budget, you could tile wet rooms (like the kitchen and baths) with tile one room at a time. Its miles better than vinyl or laminate provided you're not buying the super cheap ceramic tiles.

>>1199561
Op when you say wood laminate do you meab wood looking laminate of engineared wood flooring?

>>1199858
Its mostly personal preference and dependent on a couple factors; if you've got kids, pets, or elderly living in the home, what your lifestyle and budget is, etc.

Carpet is easily soiled and stained, tile is cold and hard, wood gives a warm feeling in the house and has historically been 'in-style' for most houses.

I personally like carpet in the bedrooms where they aren't likely to be soiled (no kids or pets), tile in wet areas, and wood (engineered or solid) in the living areas with area rugs.

>>1199857
>Engineered floors

I'll add this to my research list, thanks.

>>1199858

Carpet is OK in bedrooms, although it takes so much cleaning to make it last a long time (or replacing every few years if you don't clean it) and traps allergens and has tons of fucked up fumes coming off it when installed...it's just a piece of shit if you're the one having to deal with the upkeep. The only real thing I like about carpets is being able to comfortably get down on the floor and stay propped up on your elbows or wrestle or some shit, and how often do you do those things?

>>1199861
>vinyl plank [tile] floor

Honestly this might be what I was originally thinking about. My friend owns a few properties that he rents out and was raving about some product that looked just like wood but was cheap and durable, and that's what got me going on this train of thought now that I bought a house. He was out of the country for the last few weeks so I can ask him now that he's back.

>>1199863
>engineared wood flooring

I didn't know anything about this until anon above pointed it out. If it's a similar idea of laminate installation but with advantages of real wood then I might go that route.

>>1199561
Cheap wood laminate (mdf base) is shit - get water on it and the joins 'tent and it's fucked. It also wears badly. Good wood laminate (ply base) isn't much different in price to solid wood.

Vinyl plank is excellent and even the commercial grade isn't as expensive as wood laminate. Very difficult to tell it isn't real wood and lasts extremely well.

>>1199644
wrong, wrong, wrong. vinyl planks is way superior in every form to wood laminate. I put faux wood tile down and am now sorry I didn't go for vinyl plank.

>>1199868
If you go with engineared hardwood buy a product that has a thick enough hardwood layer that it can be refinished then go with the staple down method of installation.

>>1199868
Carpetfag here. I do body weight exercises, and I clean my carpet often.

>>1199880
Wade?

>>1199636

> I have torn out so many floors due to water damage.

Sampling bias ...

> I hope you have good homeowner's insurance.

A floating laminate floor is trivial to DIY and the materials are very cheap. Not like you're fucking up a hardwood floor.

>>1199942
Exactly. The laminate I used to do my living room and kitchen, was only like $400... if it's shit and needs to be replaced after 4 or 5 years... I'll be okay with that, because it was cheap. Just take a little extra care to keep pools of water off the floor and it'll probably last longer than that.

>>1199942
>A floating laminate floor is trivial to DIY and the materials are very cheap. Not like you're fucking up a hardwood floor.
They're talking about when the subfloor gets water damage, obviously

>>1200261
that's what underlayment is for

Well guys I appreciate all the advice. I feel like I have a lot better idea of what my options are now. I'm sure this thread will be gone by the time I actually finish with the flooring but if not I'll update with pics.

>he doesn't have tiles

Poorfags...

>>1200405

Tile is nice in a kitchen or bathroom but I don't like the feel of it in living spaces. Also it seems like a big pain in the ass to install

The biggest pitfall is using materials that are simply too tight.

You want stuff that fits,without any force or tension.
>>1199561

>>1199561
they sell engineered hardwood for 2.19 a sqft ft at home depot. looks better and is cheaper than most laminate.

>knee pads

you mean San Francisco slippers

>>1200405
>he doesn't have marble
Poorfag

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>not joining the Linoleum master race

>>1200816
>San Francisco slippers
You mean Santa Fe Sneakers?

>>1200616

Yeah - it's stained, three-ply birch with 1-3 coats of poly, no aluminum oxide, and will scratch and dent if you stare at ti too hard.

Hardwood is not better than laminate, is not worse than engineered. It's all relative, and it varies heavily.

But OP asked about laminates.

1.) Invest in a nice pad - something thick and dense. If it's foaming, thin, or spongy, the pad will compress quickly and be useless. A good pad cuts noise, can add insulation, but mostly improves the feel of a floating floor.

2.) Aim for a thicker laminate. 10-12mm is best. More than that is overpriced/overkill, less than that is nothing but frustrating. A 10 or 12 will lock more easily, creak less, and the often try harder with the finish. Not always true though.

3.) They are not waterproof, but better brands will have water resistant cores and waxed edges. Generally speaking, as long as you don't have a major or persistent leak, you're fine. Read up on the brands you like.

4.) DO NOT run the laminate continuously more than 25ft, and DO NOT link it between rooms. Floating floors need edge space, and they bind, creak, and separate if they don't have it. Use dividers between rooms, FUCK ANYONE who claims otherwise and they will.

5.) DO NOT put a pattern in your floor. Stagger your ends, but the end look should be random. Patterned laminate screams fake.

>>1199875
>>Good wood laminate (ply base) isn't much different in price to solid wood

You mean engineered wood, and the price is wildly different. You can get a pretty good pre-finished engineered for $2.50-3.50/sqft. Prefinished solid that's above cabin and isn't Bruce's left overs doesn't start until $3, and that's for narrow boards.

Other than that, you're spot on about vinyl plank.

properly set up table and miter saws
soft faced mallet
this little thing that looks like a wonder bar to pull edges in

>>1200852
AKA vinyl. No one uses real Linoleum anymore. It is too flammable and too expensive.

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>>1199561
I have been doing floors forever, and to be honest I wouldn't recommend installing any wood or laminate shit in kitchens or bathrooms, invariably the floor will get fucked up by water, pipe will burst, dishwasher/fridge will leak and you are totally fucked with laminate, your only option is to tear it up and throw it all way.

With a solid hard wood product like a sand in place floor, a repair is fairly simple, just re-sand the area or the whole floor, with a prefinish product the affected boards can be replaced as long a you have saved some from the initial install.

If you insist on laminate then if budget allows stay away from the pressed board paper shit or the "click" in bullshit. get the stuff that is ply-wood with hardwood laminate on top.

think ahead, laying towards kitchen cabinets can be a pain in the ass when you get to the last few boards doorways and jambs can be a challenge also, it's not a difficult job to do and do well just plan ahead a little.

>>1201020
>4.) DO NOT run the laminate continuously more than 25ft, and DO NOT link it between rooms. Floating floors need edge space, and they bind, creak, and separate if they don't have it. Use dividers between rooms, FUCK ANYONE who claims otherwise and they will.


HAHA we do that all the time, not saying it's right, but we haven't had any callbacks.

>>1201147
YOU don't get call backs - the manufacturers/retailers get calls constantly and have been repeated sued for it. We tell installers/DIYers like you to fucking stop it and you don't listen.

>>1201174
You really think a homeowner would call the manufacturer of a product about any defects before calling the company that installed it?

And nah, theres nothing wrong with doing huge floor spans and into individual rooms provided the install surface is prepped well and free of any defects.

Manufacturers only get calls when its been proven the installer didn't fuck up, and the product is shit and known to be shit.

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>>1201174
unfortunately these products are marketed as like sand in place only easier and cheaper, so to get paid we have to make the customer happy and not put stupid t-molding in every door way and inch wide base to cover the manufacture recommended expansion gap. marketing and sales needs to do a better job managing costumer expectations and tell people it is a cheap way to say you have hardwood floors in your house but the product itself is total crap. The warranty is worded on such a way as to not cover anything that any real world scenario. I read those an laugh every time I see "floor must be flat and level within 1/8" over 10 feet" or warranty is void, if homeowners knew this stuff up front they would never buy engineered flooring. Imaging telling a homeowner that they need to call an contractor to rebuild their house if they want to install this product. frankly these manufactures deserve to be sued.

Engineered flooring is meant to be installed in one square room, not an entire house like many many many builders and home owners think.

>>1201140
Wrong and wrong, it's no more flammable than vinyl, maybe less so since the modern stuff doesn't instantly melt like vinyl, and nor is it more expensive than not dogshit vinyl

>>1201191
>frankly these manufactures deserve to be sued
They probably were sued, its why they stipulate you have to have a flat and level floor with some sort of measurable flatness and level.

Its a contract of adhesion; if you don't like their conditions, don't buy the floor. You can always buy a solid wood floor that doesn't require installation then sanding and staining. Of course you're paying over double for it. But thats better than mandating a flat and level house right?

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>>1201205
But you don't see the contract until you buy and open the product.

My company wont install engineered flooring unless it's provided by the client. So it's not our problem.

>>1201212
Surely that information is available somewhere in writing, possibly on a world wide interconnected source of information.

Engineered floors are installed thousands of times a day, the actual failure rate is probably less than 1%, and I'd hazard a guess that half of those failures are install error.

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>>1201212
Oh and a lot of places have a no return policy.

The reason engineered flooring is so hated by the industry is because its all about screwing the consumer/installer through ridiculous
warranty requirements deceptive sales and marketing and the get fucked attitude after the sale has been made.

engineered flooring is more trouble than it's worth, but every year there is another scam product being peddled, a few days ago a distributer tried to sell us an engineered product that is unfinished and "distressed" so after we install it we are expected to screen and do our normal coating procedure. at over $5 sq/ft really??? its just the stuff that didn't pass QC...literally trash that couldn't be sold.

>>1201224

>possibly on a world wide interconnected source of information

u r one cheeky cunt m8 I swear on me mum

>>1201178
With floating floors, yes there is, and yes, they do call the manufacturer. You didn't offer them a warranty, we did. Read the fucking specs.

Don't buy any wood laminate that is like rubbery or gummy feeling. We just got brand new flooring where I work about a month ago and it is tacky (like sticky) and so scuffs up super easy and is really hard to get the scuffs out. We're already planning on redoing the floors next spring because if how quickly they're getting ruined

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>>1199561
That is a retarded way to stagger joints.

>>1201282

Thats a super shitty layout for laminate...or even shingles on a roof. It takes a real asshole to do work like that.

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>>1201582
There are two V shaped tiled entry ways. Combined with walls being far from square, like a tile and a half difference.

OP here again.

In my further research I found that there are several types of vinyl planks, one of which is "loose lay". It sounds like it has a lot of perks but it seems weird that it doesn't use any sort of attachment besides friction.

Anyone have experience with these? Do they come up on accident or squeak due to having no permanent attachment to the subfloor or other planks around them?

>>1200819
>He doesn't have an inch of solid gold coating every surface of his house
Poorfag

>>1201191
>floor must be flat and level within 1/8" over 10 feet
Why the fuck would your shit ever be un-level?

>>1201665
In my case, the previous owners rebuilt and made additions the house in sections over 60 years. Shit settles, building materials and size standards change.

I'll never get what's wrong with you not using old classic ceramic. You put it down once and it'll be good for a hundred years at least

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>>1202473
But it doesn't look like shit and wear out in 5 years. What is the point in that? The whole idea is to make your shithole look as much like a deadbeat landlords crackhouse as possible. Then you can 'renovate' every couple of years with an even cheaper replacement to keep the place looking 'current'! Get with the program. Hardwood and tile flooring is for squares!

>>1202473
>>1202491
Nailed it.


Personally I'd rather have all tile & hardwood floor with about 150 replacement tiles

>>1201665
>Why the fuck would your shit ever be un-level?
Why would a floor ever be level?

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I got 32 and it was better and cheaper than medium quality real wood flooring.
It was water proof ( there was 2 cm of water above it and nothing happened)

>>1203713
>Why would a floor ever be level?
Because it's supposed to be?

>>1203727
Have you never lived in house built in the 20th century?

>>1203739
Yep. Why would my floor not be level?

>>1203754
>>1203739
shit happens all the time

>>1203893
What does? Idiots buy unlevel houses? From the looks of this thread you're absolutely correct. There really are people so dumb they'll buy a damaged house.

>>1202491

You sure seem like an uptight little faggot.

>>1201660
>He doesn't have a literal diamond palace
Poorfag

>>1204070
There it is. Now I can stop following this thread.

Vinyl plank. Huge psi rating and water proof. Lots of great new designs and easy to install. Replacing laminate and most multi-family housing applications. Not very expensive and easy to take up and replace for something else on down the road

>>1199561
I just put 600 feet of this stuff in my house. BE ADVISED THE JOINTS WILL BREAK if you have old off level floors. I really wish I'd invested in some self leveller, I just used end cuts to level it out.

>>1199636
There is fully waterproof laminate for bathrooms. I have waterproof laminate that isn't meant bathrooms, the only issue is if you have a separated joint and you let liquid soak in between. My stuff is also pet and high heel resistant

>>1203998
Different anon here
I got a 1300 sq ft house for 145000. The foundation was in 5 pcs. The floors are fucked. I fixed the foundation first, and once I'm done the interior next spring I'm going to make 75k on the sale. At most I'll have spent 30k on materials and the minor things I couldn't do myself like plumbing or electrical.

You buy a fucked house to make money son.

>>1204723
>1,300 sq ft
>145,000
>Foundation in 5 pieces
>Going to sell for over $200,000

Dream on.

>>1204989

In WA state by Seattle 1 bd 1 ba homes are selling >300 K right now. Even shitty ones built in the 40s.

>>1204989
A 1300sq foot house added on over the years to have 5 cold-seam foundations could easily be $500k and much higher in certain markets like Los Angeles.

>>1204992
>>1205020
That's fucking retarded. How exactly does adding on to it over the years increase the value though? Seems like it would DECREASE the value especially if a measily 1,300 sq is going that unlevel.

>>1205222
Larger houses will always sell for more money? Duh?

>>1205235
1,300 square feet isn't shit. What part of this are you not understanding?Yes, LARGER houses will sell for more money. Anyone paying over $100,000 for a house smaller than a single wide trailer is fucking retarded.

>>1205222

>how does increasing the size of the building that is sitting on land that is appreciating in value lead to the house value increasing??

>>1205243

Do you just not understand the concept of real estate markets being different?

>>1205243
You mean you wouldn't want a 1300sq foot house overlooking the ocean or up in the hollywood hills, or a penthouse in NYC, or a small house in a highly desired area?

Some houses you pay for the location, others you're just paying for the materials.

>>1205363
>You mean you wouldn't want a 1300sq foot house overlooking the ocean or up in the hollywood hills, or a penthouse in NYC, or a small house in a highly desired area?

No, I'd rather have a large house far away from anyone. Possibly even something that needs a lot of work so I can put my own spin on it.

Look, I get that houses in Cali and such are expensive as shit, it doesn't make it any less retarded though.

>>1205412
wow, its like consumers have varying preferences in their buying decisions.

>>1205412

>why doesn't everyone like what I like????

>>1205431
>>1205491
>Asks me if I would like a shack on the hills
>You're wrong!

I forgot I'm on a site full of children.

>>1205525
small square footage doesn't mean its a "shack" or poor quality. Some people like to live in a highly desirable area and don't need a large house.

Same reason people don't build mansions out in the country side; they may build little 1300sq ft houses and enjoy being nowhere near a city.

>>1204595
>>1199561
>>1199861

My wife and I are facing the same dilemma. Currently remodeling our kitchen and discovered that our floor is too uneven to install hardwood/engineered hardwood or laminate, and we were told to go with vinyl plank (or "luxury vinyl plank," as it's now being called) -- specifically the CoreTec brand because the bottom layer is a flexible cork underlayment that will match the contours of our existing floor. We looked at a few samples and...........it's fine, but not what we want to do.

Two problems I noticed with CoreTec (and this was true for other laminates we considered): 1) the floor just feels like plastic. If you don't mind it, that's fine, but it in no way feels like wood as many of these brands advertise; and 2) you can pretty easily pick out the repeating wood grain patterns in the floor.

We're looking into putting down a thick layer of self-leveling compound or pre-mixed floor patch to even out the floors, but still not sure if this will fix the problem. Having someone come in next week to carefully measure the dips/valleys to find out if we actually can fix this.

>>1205541
>small square footage doesn't mean its a "shack"
Small square footage means exactly that, bro bro.

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>>1205550
Alright

>>1205551
Thanks, that proved my point exactly within the first sentence.

>>1199561
Konnecto flooring has a 25 year commercial guarantee and has a moisture shield. Its more expensive than your standard stuff though. Last time I bought it was 6 or 7 years ago, so I can't really say if there is anything new thats better, but it works great in my rental properties, haven't had to replace anything since and still looks new. its also fairly thick, so it can hide a couple of small imperfections, no like a big sheet of vinyl, where you can see a speck of dirt underneath of it.

Be certain to use a 50 lbs roller after you install though, or the edges will start coming up. I always did but my father didn't and it came up in his bathroom. And it can be hard to replace a single tile, it has a very strong adhesive that allows for that moisture shield.

>>1205553

>type of small dwelling
>"everything small is a shack!!"

If A then B does not necessarily imply if B then A. I'm not going to explain further than that because you're probably not cognitively able to understand.

>>1199636
exactly what I used. tile that look like wood in the kitchen. laminates in bedroom and living room, where water presence is extremely unlikely.

most importantly, didn't buy a fridge with an ice maker. those things are water bombs.

>>1199857
I did a pre finished 'engineered' wood floor in a bedroom about 9 years ago. still looks like it did the day I installed it. also if you like to have some carpeting, go with the wood floor (engineered or otherwise) and put an area rug over a portion of it. that way you get the warmth and cumfyness of a rug/carpet but if it gets trashed by a serious spill or whatever you can just roll it up, toss it and get another one. meanwhile you always have that really nice wood floor underneath.
at least the advantage of the click floor is when it does get trashed by a water spill its not too hard to un-click it and toss it. the old school laminate floors were glued at the joints and if they got trashed by water it was more work to pull them out.

>>1199875
>Good wood laminate (ply base) isn't much different in price to solid wood.
engineered (ply base) doesn't shrink/swell with change in seasonal humidity and can survive water better - a solid wood floor can get trashed by water - the boards can warp/cup. the proof is in one of my bedrooms. solid can be re-finished a couple maybe more times. some engineered can be refinished one time if you are careful - depends on how thick that top layer is.

>>1199942
>I hope you have good homeowner's insurance.
yeah, I wouldn't even make a claim for that. just tear it out myself and start looking at other replacement options. you make claims like that and yer insurance will probably go up. save claims for serious shit like a fire or a real deal flood or a big tree falls on roof kinda shit.

>>1200261
subfloor is plywood or in newer homes; chip board. not so hard to DIY fix yourself if you had to.

>>1204989
There are smaller houses in my small town selling for more with fucked foundations. All housing markets are different

>>1199561
Get top quality moisture/sound barrier underlayment material.

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What are the main problems with sheet vinyl?

Why does everyone hate it besides "out of style lol"?

>>1206220
Looks ugly, looks cheap, out of style, cold and sometimes sticky if your feet have been sweating. Sheet vinyl requires a smooth and level surface too; if its not smooth every bump is magnified by the vinyl.

But its easy to clean, cheap, plain.

>>1206230
>4 non-reasons and something that shouldn't be a problem if the house is built properly.

Ah, so there's nothing wrong with it. Good to know.

>>1206362
Its your house, nobody gives a flying fuck what you do to the interior. But don't be shocked when you've put cheap materials everywhere and few people are willing to buy your house should you chose to sell it.

>>1205800
I'm not disputing that in any way, I'm just pointing out that the cost of the laminate wasn't what was up for debate.

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>>1206220
It is easily damaged, hard to repair, the pattern is only printed on it so it wears off in heavy traffic, and it is a bear to remove. Sheet vinyl also has a limited size you can buy it in. For large areas, you may end up with seams and they never hold up that well. Vinyl 'tiles' have the added issues of 'wandering' as time goes on (gaps open up), and being much more likely to peel up as they age.

Pros, it is cheap, easy to install, easy to clean, waterproof.

>>1199561
i just redid my upstairs in wood look vinyl, removed all of the carpet, tack strips, etc - ask away