[askmrjesus]

If you're installing over a slab foundation, floating is the only way to go, no matter where you live.

Installing over wood joists/plywood, I use 2 inch staples and a moisture barrier.

Wood vs. Bamboo vs Laminates:

Wood: Good stuff, but expensive. Oak, Maple, Hickory, and other hardwoods, will last forever, and you can refinish them when you have to. Labor intensive if you do it the "right" way, (lay it down, sand it, seal it). Pre-finished hard woods are the next step down. A little cheaper, and less labor.

Bamboo: Tough, durable, "eco-friendly". Comes pre-finished, and can be re-finished. Purdy. The down side, is that Bamboo is basically a whole bunch of grass strings. If you get a lot of water on it, the water will seep in between the cracks in the boards, and the edges will discolor. The remedy for this, is to seal it after installation, which is a pain in the ass. But, at roughly $2.50 a sq. ft., it's a damn nice floor.

Laminates: I don't like them. Sure, they're relatively inexpensive, they "almost" look like wood (no they don't) and they snap together. Legos also snap together, but I wouldn't make a floor out of them. I dislike them in part, because I'm an elitist carpenter asshole. What I really dislike about them, however, is how they "feel". They move. They're installed over a foam underlayment (in most cases), and it just doesn't "feel" like a floor to me. You can drop a wine glass on a Pergo floor, and it will bounce. Very unsatisfying. If I drop a wine glass, I expect the fucker to break, not mock me for having a nancy-boy floor.

But that's just me.

JC