Laminate is considered a liability in selling a house nowadays. I have been unimpressed with it -- it was in one room in my house when I bought it and I really dislike it -- looks fake to me. My brother installed it against my advice in his kitchen and dining room and it looks terrible 4 years later. It is really just printed paper sealed with resin glaze and the substrate absorbs moisture and expands and contracts so it tends to warp and separate, It can't be refinished if scratched or stained. A better choice would be either engineered wood (if you can't afford hardwood) which at least has a thin surface of real wood and can be refinished lightly one or two times. Or for kitchen, bath or basement areas or slab on grade, look into the Trafficmaster solid vinyl products that Home Depot carries. They look and feel like wood and are completely water resistant. I just did the 5th room I have used their materials in -- a large bedroom where I used their click lock boards in a hemlock wood pattern. Looks terrific and is completely durable. Much better resale value too, especially since this would be used as a childrens' bedroom. I am also planning to install it in my basement rec room.

I did a good brand laminate once and never really liked it. Your salesman is a BSer, for if the floor cracks, the house is falling down.

I would expect 5-7 years to be about the lifespan of laminate floor. I have laminate, and consider it a waste of money.

It would devalue it in my opinion. I've had laminate in 3 different situations and it was unsatisfactory all 3 times. If I were looking at a home to buy and it had laminate, I'd want to consider the cost of removing it. The argument about the foundation constantly moving sounds like complete hogwash. If the house is moving that much, the flooring is the least of your worries. Laminate is locked together. If the foundation moves enough to crack wood flooring, it will move enough to unlock the laminate.

We have purchased a house in Plano, Tx that needs tiles and carpets to be changed. While looking for wooden floor options, we came across laminated floors that look beautiful and as good as wooden and costs less. It hard to tell the difference even by touching it.

As per the salesperson, an old man with plenty of experience, we should opt for laminated floor with good vapor barrier for couple of reasons. 1. Dallas area soil is always moving and so is foundation, therefore a wooden floor after few years may start to develop cracks. 2. Laminated is easy to take care off.

Here's my concern: Would the laminated foor hold its value within next 5-7 years if we want to sell the home? I heard someone mentioning that laminated floor actually devalues home value. Is this true?