KLS wrote:
On Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:22:10 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:
its worse if your using laminate wood floor, water will get between
the pieces (seams) and make it delaminate

I've heard this argument before, and it's not wrong, but it's also a
lot less compelling than you make it sound, based on my personal
experience with an older Armstrong laminate that has lasted 11+ years
in our kitchen by the back door, which is the main entrance to the
house and which sees a lot of rain and snow. We're not seeing
delamination, but we're seeing slight wear at the seams, hardly
visible. Sure, the stuff doesn't last forever, but it holds up awful
good for the price and convenience of installation. We'll be
installing new laminate in the spring as tile is just too hard, cold,
and slippery for our Great Lakes winter climate.

Well deserved caution is not derived from the stories of those who have not had
problems.

My parents spent several hundred dollars and I put in a full weekend's work
putting laminate into their kitchen (the kind that looks like tile rather than
wood). In less than two weeks the icemaker line leaked and a large area was
ruined. Now she has a nice new area rug to cover the damage on her brand new
floor.

I would never put laminate in an area that will get wet. It's just too big of a
gamble.