Laminate Flooring

Member since 2008 · 251 posts · 7 votes

I'm thinking of putting in laminate flooring throughout a house I just bought. Currently it has carpet. I have roughly 900 sq ft to do.

My main question is: How hard is this to put in yourself? It's advertised as easy to do yourself, while places that sell it have installation fees that are roughly 3X that of installing carpet. Is that just because it's more time-consuming, or is it more difficult?

My other questions are: Is it more difficult to install if there is already carpet down? I've read about the "floating floor" concept, so it sounds like I'll have to pull up the carpet tacks after I remove the carpet. Is there more to it than that to get a typical floor ready for this stuff, or will I just be able to go?

Is this stuff really a lot better (durability-wise) than carpet? I've heard mixed things about it.

Thanks for any info!

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Tom Sylvester

Real Estate Investor · Rochester, NY · Member since 2008 · 193 posts · 46 votes

16y

We use laminate flooring in all of our rental properties. It is the cheapest solution we found, easy to install and looks great. Another benefit compared to capret is that it does not hold the smells. So many houses that we renovate smell horrible because of the carpets.

Here is an example.

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Jordan Hughes
Blue Mound, KS · Member since 2010 · 4 posts · 0 votes
16y
We were pondering the same question and we decided on Laminate. No regrets...
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Account Closed
Full-Time Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
16y
i recently paid 70 cents a foot for laminate floating floors. they look sorta like wood i guess.. :roll: :roll: actually they look great, and were fairly simple to put down..if i knew how to post pics, i'd share. i say go for it, but just be prepared...o ya, your hands will hurt from hitting the wood into place also! lol
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Luis A.
Real Estate Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2009 · 339 posts · 126 votes
16y
I agree that for rental applications and for miscellaneous rooms in flips, laminate flooring gives you the most bang for the buck.

I get like .50/foot price for roll laminate which my handyman can install in a snap. The plank laminate looks very good but it is very expensive considering that it's still laminate.
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Jeffrey K.
Real Estate Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 671 votes
16y
If you plan to hold your rentals I would use real wood. It is not that much more and it is a hell of a lot more durable. The only other tools you need is a flooring gun (can rent at HD for $30). If the floors are not prefectly even do not use prefinished!
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Savannah Leigh
Real Estate Investor · scranton, PA · Member since 2010 · 174 posts · 14 votes
16y
My experience: engineered floating laminate is easy (skills wise) and slow for an amateur. Needs an ok (not perfect) surface underneath and use the vapor barrier
for the pulling tool from lowes is JUNK. HD's is much more durable.

I don't like that it's based on particle board...wish I knew of an affordable alternative. Water can mess that up fast

In bathrooms and kitchens i use HDs floating laminate strip linoleum...where one piece underlays the rest.

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Tony Deese
Real Estate Investor · NC · Member since 2010 · 7 posts · 0 votes
16y
I try to use the laminate,floating floor or snap lock what ever you want to call it in high traffic areas. I generally put carpet in the bedrooms. I paid a pro to do my first job and just watched. It's pretty easy as long as you have a jamb saw ,jig saw, and a tape measure. You might find out sometimes you should have done the whole house. I just had one move out . The carpets weren't worth saving after just 15 months.
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Carlee Clove
Member since 2011 · 1 post · 0 votes
15y
A friend recently did this and I helped. Just pull the carpet with the tacks and install the underlay (some floors DO have it attached). Then you can [ad link removed]]. It's not that hard to do. It seems like a lot of people are going with laminate these days!
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Kevin PolitePro Member
Investor · Decatur Atlanta, GA · Member since 2011 · 612 posts · 232 votes
15y
Can you lay laminate directly over tile floor? It believe the tile my be asbestos so I don't want to disturb it.
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Jeff M.
Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2011 · 17 posts · 7 votes
15y
I realize this topic has reached geriatric status BUT when evaluating whether or not to personally take on major repair projects, investors must always factor: The Value of Time.

What is your time worth?

Re-flooring a unit myself NEVER saves money. On paper it may be enticing to DIY and save $500. BUT in the time it takes you to lay the floor, you've potentially lost $5-10k!

What the Pergo??!! The time you invest in taking on a task you're not an expert at, you're taking time away from activities that yield bigger returns. The time you spend on your knees wrestling with laminate, could be spent finding other properties to buy, sending out yellow letters, talking to prospects, wholesaling properties, etc.

Are you a handyman or an investor? Don't just spend time, invest it wisely. There's a reason there are so many cliches about "time". I hope this post was a good use of mine.

To our success!
Jeff MacIntyre
Emmy Winning Investor
[LINK REMOVED]
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Kevin PolitePro Member
Investor · Decatur Atlanta, GA · Member since 2011 · 612 posts · 232 votes
15y
@Jeff M. Totally agree with you...once I get to many more properties. I'm in starter phase right now so every dime I can sell save in labor I can upgrade in material, which lead to greater profits.
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