Laminate flooring from China

Hi About to renovate or new flat and been talking to wanchai floor people who all recommend laminate floor as we have a dog and young kids and it is great as far as scratches etc goes...however i hear you can get laminates in china for a fraction of the price - and wondering if anyone has gone down this route and what sort of experience they have had - has it been ok? did it last...i know you pay for what you get but would be great to save on the floor - as long as it is ok!! any comments pls tell!

Go to any of the shops that sell the stuff (Seiko, Quikstep, etc) and look for the pattern that you like. Get samples from different companies and take them home and soak them in water for three days and look at the result. All will buckle at the cut edges - hopefully none will buckle at the joint edges, and some may buckle all the way into the middle of the sample. That that buckle the least will be of good quality. Sometimes you pay for name and not for quality. Do this test and you will see - it is extreme since no one's floor will be underwater for 3 days.


Laminates is better for HK weather because wood will expand (by as much as 30%) and contract and not as hard as the laminates. But wood can be resanded every few years and lacquered which laminates cannot be. But the look of wood is nicer and more natural. Some laminates are really fake looking and feeling, and the pattern may repeat.