Hi Lorraine, sorry I missed your question. I only bought this house a few months back and the glue has deteriorated anyway so I used the steam mop to test it out before I get new flooring. Because many animals lived in this house I was hoping the steam would help kill germs. I've read so many opinions on the use of steam on both vinyl and laminate so I'm at a bit of a loss now. One of my joeys has laminate and has been using a steam mop on it for 12 years now with no ill effects at all, despite that supposedly being a big no-no, but she found it so quick and efficient when the kids were toddlers particularly and the floor needed doing almost daily. I just have to wonder these days how much manufacturers are protecting themselves and not giving consumers honest information. How often do you buy an item of cotton clothing and then find the label says "dry clean only". This does not mean the item can't be washed, it is to protect the manufacturer from someone doing something like washing in boiling water. We need more transparency in care instructions, only then can consumers make informed decisions on the right product for them. If steam is going to affect the glue, then it follows water will too so then it comes down to just how do you clean your floors. Manufacturers' special products that are always ridiculously expensive are not the answer and having access to these products is not always possible for country people either. I believe there are two types of vinyl planks too - one type are glued down, the others are a floating floor which would not require glue, but I was told in the event of damage, a glued plank is much easier to replace than one in a floating floor. There are so many glues on the market now too, there must be one that could be used to reglue a plank that has come adrift.

Looking at both these pics (last post), I think the bottom selections are better. Ashland is a great option to go with, as it has warmth to it, then go with a light grey, maybe Godfrey Hirst carpet - Golden Bay Cockle (It's a 55oz, but this colour does come in lighter weights). Remember that furniture doesn't always stay around as long as flooring, so if something tends to clash with the furniture now, that may not be the case in 5 years. Go with your gut feel. I can guarantee you will absolutely love the Karndean product once installed. As Houzzers, it's not always easy for us to know the aspect or layout of your home in relation to sun etc etc.

Nelson Interior Stylists - we have looked at the laminae but from the research i have done the new style of vinyl- particularly karndean gives such a wood look result, it has groves etc to make it look like real wood and the feel underneath is like real wood, its pretty sound proof too. Another plus for us is it is 100% waterproof so we dont have to be so careful with spilt water, cleaning etc. siriuskey and JE C thanks so much for your input, i am leaning towards vinyl i just dont want it to look like a cheap renovation. Many years ago in the UK lots of people used stick down vinyl in rental properties and it just made it look cheap however, as mentioned above the Karndean range and the like actually do look like real wood. Hmmm! Such a dilemma! We are doing the stairs this weekend so that will be a starting point. Another thing is hubby isn't keen on the dark wood look for floors but i love it! With clean white trims and walls i think it'll just look fabulous!

Yes Tee, a few people have contacted me with same issues and it appears it’s in the engineering. We are all taking it further so we’ll se what happen, $17000 for one large room and hallway is not something to just live with, if not happy,