Laminate in Beaverton, OR

Yes, and it costs nothing to check — pull back a corner in a closet. In Beaverton mid-century housing there is often original hardwood underneath, and if it is sound, refinishing may be the better result for less money than a new floor. We will tell you honestly which way we would go, including when the answer is that the old floor is not worth saving.

Always, and in the low-lying parts of Beaverton it matters. The city grew on ground that was wetland, and moisture coming up through a slab or crawlspace will destroy a floating floor no matter what it cost. We test, and if a vapour barrier or a different product is the answer, we say so before you spend anything.

Neither, they are good at different things. Laminate has a harder wear surface and usually looks better for the money, so it wins in living rooms, bedrooms and hallways. LVP handles water, so it wins in kitchens, bathrooms, entries and laundries. Running both in one house, with a planned transition, is a common and sensible answer.

We would rather it did not. Kitchens have dishwashers, fridges with water lines and sinks, and the failure mode for a wood-cored floor is a leak that runs for a week behind a cabinet. Water-resistant laminates have improved a lot, but the honest recommendation for a kitchen is LVP or tile.

Almost always because it is floating over a subfloor that was not flattened, or over a missing or unsuitable underlayment. The plank is bridging a dip and drumming against the void underneath. Fix the subfloor and the sound goes away. It is a preparation issue rather than something inherent to the product.

Yes, with the right preparation. Concrete releases moisture, so the slab is tested first and a suitable vapour barrier goes down before the underlayment. Skipping that step is how a floating floor over a slab ends up cupping a year later, so it is not something we treat as optional.