I put in Kahrs laminate flooring in my basement last year. It was the
only product I could find that was warranted below grade (that also
looked good). It was very cool (and fast) to install. The joints
lock together and I challenge you to find a joint with a gap of more
than 1/128" (probably less). It is really tight!

The planks were 7' long and about 8' wide. Each plank is made up of 3
strips. Each strip is made up of lengths less than 7' but usually not
less than 24". The maple on top is 3/8" thick. According to the
manufacturer it can be refinished three times.

The look is very nice. My wife and I get a lot of compliments from
people that see the basement.

Downsides:
- I don't think it wears as well as the solid oak upstairs in the
kitchen.
- It is noisy in spots (it creaks). This is partly my fault for not
doing a better job of leveling the subfloor (I laid it over 1" wafer
board that is on top of 12" joists that aren't very level). There is
a plastic layer between the wafer board and the flooring. It is
supposed to be a vapor barrier.
- It doesn't sound as solid as the the solid oak upstairs.
- $$$: This stuff was expensive. I think the retail price was $10.50
per square foot. I bought off the Internet for less than that though
- Finish: it is rather slick. I practice TaeKwonDo on this floor. I
had expected to be able to work out in my bare feet. But the floor is
too slick so I wear shoes. This might be due to it being maple
instead of oak.

Jim

(Phil J) wrote in message . com...
We are considering laying wood floor in our lounge and have heard
differing opinions regarding solid wood floor and engineered wood.
Today, someone told us that solid wood can gape and buckle, as it
already contains water and can be very costly to treat and will need
sever treatment ever few years.

Please could someone give us relative advantages/disadvantages
regarding these two types of floor. We will be laying on timber
floorboards, rather than concrete.

Hope someone can help )

Thanks,

Phil J