Hopefully someone knows more about this than I do (which is very little)...

due to health reasons, we need to remove the carpet from our home and I'd like to replace it with laminate.

I don't have a ton of cash to pay someone to do it, so me, father, father/law are going to tackle it over the course of some weekends, starting with the 2nd floor bedrooms.

I've been looking and pricing and shopping around and noticed there is 7mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm flooring.  the 7mm I am considering had high reviews on the retailer's website and is affordable.  installed pictures and samples at the store look good.

is there any benefit to going with 10mm over 7mm?

Do you know what the sub floor is like under the carpeting?

The thinner laminates require better sub flooring than the thicker stuff.

Quote from: ducpainter on September 07, 2015, 09:48:32 AM
Do you know what the sub floor is like under the carpeting?

The thinner laminates require better sub flooring than the thicker stuff.

i haven't pulled up the carpet, but other than some kind of plywood, i'm not sure.

Are you talking sheet laminate or floating floor planks? The latter is very easy to do. I just finished my downstairs pool table/family room. Found some at Home Depot at a steep discount for like 50 cents per square foot.

Quote from: Blackout on September 07, 2015, 01:05:31 PM
Are you talking sheet laminate or floating floor planks? The latter is very easy to do. I just finished my downstairs pool table/family room. Found some at Home Depot at a steep discount for like 50 cents per square foot.

snap-together planks.

I don't think there would be any benefit necessarily. You do want a pretty smooth sub floor however.

It isn't uncommon for sub flooring to vary slightly in thickness from sheet to sheet which will leave a ridge at joints.

If you put the thinnest laminate directly over that you'll eventually see and feel it. Even the thickest will eventually form to it. You should use a product called 'Level Best', or similar, if you have anything really bad or a lot of it.

The laminate I installed for my SIL used a thin foam sheet underneath to stop it from squeaking. That will account for any minor inconsistencies.

Laminate flooring is really easy to install. It goes quickly if the sub floor is in good shape.