Flooring question

[dlctcg]

I do not have any experience silent stride as our supplier doesn't carry it & we usually only use those types of underlayments when a moisture barrier is required (mostly in basements here).

Being you are above grade / not on concrete I would at least look in to Cork underlayment (as others have mentioned). Cork underlayment has good sound deadening qualities, it is natural (not recycled materials"), renewable , naturally water resistant (not a vapor barrier), & it is anti-bacterial as well as anti-fungal. ( think allergies). I'd at least look at it...

 

[kenmac]

I have never bought from LL
Lumber Liquidators Flooring Class Action Settlement | Top Class Actions

Lumber Liquidators Flooring Lawsuits

Perhaps they have changed their practices

 

[PILOON]

On flooring:
Had a rental whereby the pump went wild and flooded the house for 6 days.
All the nice antique birch flooring in the living area was totally scrapped (kept it for firewood) but he kitchen area (HD laminated) survived untouched.
Insurance claim was in the $30k range, but that kitchen area with HD flooring survived unscathed.
LOL, I'll add the kitchen flooring was a 'deal' purchase to boot! (like an inventory balance).
All to say that there is major differences in that engineered flooring.
Go for the highest quality! It is not all about the top surface but also about what is underneath to support the surface finish.

 

[4570Man]

A cork backed vinyl floor would be my preference. I have real hickory hardwood in my house and if I built another house it’s probably what I would use. I’ve used it on a few jobs and it’s fast to install, isn’t affected by moisture, doesn’t get scratched by pets or furniture, cleans easily, and doesn’t feel cheap like most of the fake hardwoods.

 

[Dftodd]

We just replaced our floors about 6 months ago. Can't remember the brand. We are on a slab, so we needed a vapor barrier as well.

The original floor was done on the cheap before we bought the house. We weren't very impressed with it. On removal we realized why we weren't happy with it. They just put down some thin plastic half a##ed and some thin packing foam. Triple the recommended gap around the edges as well.

The underlayment we used was a thick fiber blend with plastic on one side for the vapor barrier. Purchaed it from home depot for around $0.60 a square foot. The fiber looked similar to denim or the moving blankets you see for sale at uhaul.

That stuff made the floor. We went with a cheap flooring about $0.80 per square foot since we were planning on selling the house. But with the high quality underlayment, you can't tell.

The old stuff echoed so bad, and traveled. When I installed the new flooring, I removed the baseboards. Then ran the flooring to the edge of the drywall. This gave me the spacing I needed around the edges. Then installed the baseboards tight to the floor.

This way no corner round needed to be used except for at the exterior doors. And it gave it a really clean look Plus, the floor stays put and doesn't travel.

 

[forgeblast]

Thanks folks, I think Ill take our sample pieces and see if we can find someplace other then LL to buy from.
We liked the engineered hardwood because it wasn't as slippery as the vinyl and we need to run it to the head of our stairs.
I have used other snap, click but as this is the master bed room we want to make sure its done right and done nice.
The flooring will run away from the baseboards vs parallel to them as the flooring needs to go into a hall and a closet.