My husband and I have been researching this for several months and become more and more frustrated because every person we talk to gives us a reason we need to go with one product over another...and none of them have been the same.

We have dogs and a completely carpeted upstairs. One small dog still has accidents on the carpet, so my husband decided we need to get rid of the carpet altogether. We have looked at laminate, engineered hardwood, vinyl with a 3/8" foam backing, and bamboo.

We're pretty certain that we will need this to be a floating floor of sorts since the subfloor is particle board. Cost is a factor since we're looking at ~1500 s.f. We've also been told by one installer that we should only install a floating floor with the pad attached because he has had too many problems with padding moving around and crumpling underneath.

We're at a loss, as there seems to be some big downside to every flooring option we've considered. What do you suggest?
Thanks,
Carol

Carol, For a 2nd floor installation I would suggest going with solid hardwood. I understand that it will cost a bit more to replace the particle board, but it will be well worth it in the end. Solid floors can be refinished more times, they will feel more solid to walk on and they will look better. Different guys will prefer different products because they each use different distributors and different distributors carry different brands. Some prefinished brands that I like are BR-111, Mirage, Lauzon, & Armstrong.

No matter if you go with laminate, solid, or engineered wood if a dog has an accident on it you need to clean it. If it sits there it will soak in. As far as padding, I have never had a problem wit rolls of padding, and I have installed hundreds of thousands of square feet of it. Yes solid is always the best choice, but if it isn't in the budget you have to go another route. Laminate will be more durable and will be your least expensive option, but if you go with a higher end product that looks more realistic it will cost you as much as an entry level engineered wood.

Thanks for your quick answers. We're probably going to go with engineered wood or bamboo. Do you know where I can find a reputable installer in the Dallas, Texas area?

If you are close to the water, you should forget about solid wood all together. Solid might not be worth the cost as you can get laminate for a lot cheaper. Padding doesn't move - thats BS. If you want Bamboo, make sure you get aged bamboo. Cheap ones is wet and soft inside. Aged bamboo is harder.