I already have carpet in my house.The carpet is less than a year old.I was thinking of changing the (top)carpet only since the padding is still in excellent condition but our family says to just get our floor laminated.which is cheaper?
Laminate can be cheaper depending on what quality or brand you choose. It is and easy DIY product so that helps keep costs down. Also, since carpet is a petroleum based product the soaring gas prices are causing soaring carpet prices. Carpet costs are increasing approx 5-8% every quarter.
When we bought our house we ripped all the carpet out and replaced it with laminate wood and ceramic tile. I love my laminate wood! It's not as noisy or cold as you might think. We put down a good moisture/noise barrier underneath it which gives it a solid, quiet sound. And it's not cold at all, it stays the temp of your house. Carpet holds alot of dirt, mold, bugs, and bacteria, no matter how much you vaccuum. And it's terrible for allergy sufferers. I have no allergy problems now that we have no carpet. Remember you can always put rugs down where you need some softness. We bought all of our flooring from a discount builder supply store. We paid $1.00/sq. ft. for the laminate wood and 68cents/sq. ft. for the 12x12 tile. There's no need to pay high prices for this stuff, just make sure it's good quality. We saved even more money by doing the work ourselves. I say ditch the carpet and go for laminate wood.
I like answer #3. This is also my experienced preference. I always seek out a good supplier, for rubberized vinyl floor covering. this stuff is expensive if one does not have contacts in the surplus industry. I have no flooring concerns with this stuff. It is as tough as a conveyor belt.
Cheap laminate is a poor investment. Any laminate can be cold and noisy compared to carpet. Measure the room and make price comparisons when you have had quotes for both.
