laminate floors

[shader112]

I think 12mm is probably good. As others have said the Lifeproof stuff is solid and comes in different wear layers. I just laid a 2 story home in a 12mm lifeproof and it is tough. Keep a generous expansion gap 1/4" everywhere, flat floor and you won't have problems. Prep is key. I had probably 30 hrs prepping the floor as it was terribly warped.

 

[CDS8034]

Awesome info. I’ll definitely be looking more into this. My gsp has done a number on my hardwood flooring.

 

[Neeks]

Contractor here. Go LVP. Save yourself the hassle of fixing F'ed up floors. Also, buy an extra box or two. Good to have down the road. Some manufacturers dont make certain colors forever. Cheers

 

[Yoder]

I've installed the Lifeproof from Home Depot and the Smartcore from Lowes. Both require the subfloor to be completely flat. Any dips in the floor cause problems with the planks snapping together properly or will cause them to come apart. I would say the Smartcore was a little easier to snap together but the Lifeproof is more scratch resistant. Both are really good and look awesome. I had the biggest problem installing it in my basement. The entire concrete slab was really uneven. I used about 10, 40lb bags of floor leveling compound to finally get it to where I could install the floor. It still turned out really well. The Smartcore I've had for about 5 years. Two golden retrievers were no factor. Sliding kitchen chairs did scratch it a little but the pattern hides it well.

 

[ILoveBusch]

In 2020 I replaced our laminate flooring with LVP from Menards, it was Superfast Ridgeplex brand and it is okay. The laminate had too large of gaps in areas and was swelled from water in other areas. I had to do a ton of subfloor work to level things out, and have a few spots I need to repair. The scratches are very clear when they first show up. Moving the fridge back into place I had a lovely little rock that made a big scratch, but you can't see it now. IMO LVP is the a great way to go if you have a level floor. Super easy install with TONS of good youtube videos. If I were to do it all over again, I would not cheap out on the LVP and buy the most scratch resistant stuff I could get.