Laminate flooring

I had to lay a laminate floor in a kitchen today. At home we have it throughout most of the bungalow, including the kitchen. Because our house is very well insulated we're able to heat the whole house from a single cast iron stove in the living room (Yes, that's right - we don't want central heating). The only disadvantage of a stove is that embers fall out of the firebox when I decide to poke around too enthusiastically, however even after two years of falling embers the laminate remains totally unaffected.

Good quality laminate can be incredibly hard wearing.

It seems far more hygienic than carpeting, and is so easy to keep clean. The one thing that no laminate seems able to cope with is wet. Even bathroom laminate "lifts" if soaked once too often. My suggestions are therefore don't use it where it may get very wet. and DON'T BUY CHEAP LAMINATE unless you have a lot of money.

Laying laminate floors in a large room is much easier than in a hallway. When examining a laid floor don't bother looking at the middle of the floor, look around the door frames - that's the trickier area - and will show the level of skill of the installer.