Laminate in McMinnville, OR

Regularly. It is a short run down 99W and it is one of our steadiest markets outside Newberg. Estimates in McMinnville are handled the same as at home — we measure in person rather than working from a phone call.

Luxury vinyl plank with a thick wear layer, in almost every case. It takes moisture, furniture drag and heavy turnover far better than carpet or laminate, and a damaged plank can be replaced without redoing the room. If carpet is wanted in bedrooms, we would spec for density rather than plushness.

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.