Laminate, luxury vinyl, or engineered wood?

Laminate is a printed layer over fiberboard. Luxury vinyl plank is waterproof and tolerates basements and baths. Engineered wood has a real wood wear layer and can sometimes be refinished. The choice usually comes down to moisture and how the room is used, not appearance.

Does the old floor have to come out?

Usually. Removing it exposes the subfloor so soft spots, squeaks, and moisture can be found and fixed. Installing over an existing floor also raises the height, which affects door clearance, appliance openings, and every transition in the house.

Which direction should the boards run?

Most often the long direction of the space, or perpendicular to the floor joists, which keeps the floor stiff. Sightlines from the entry and the main light source get weighed too. It is settled before the first row goes down, because it cannot be changed afterward.

Flooring

Flooring installation: hardwood, engineered wood, laminate, luxury vinyl plank, and transitions.

Finished kitchen with dark shaker island, white countertop, glass pendant lights, orb chandelier, light gray cabinetry to the ceiling, stainless refrigerator, and wood-look plank floor — Open-plan kitchen with a dark island from the portfolio →

Flooring runs through a house, so the decisions are about the whole plan rather than one room: where a material starts and stops, how it meets the next surface, and which direction the boards run. Preparation carries the job. A subfloor that is flat, dry, and solid is what most flooring complaints turn out to be about.

What the work involves

Removing existing flooring and underlayment, then assessing the subfloor
Flattening, refastening, and drying the subfloor before anything is installed
Layout: board direction, the starting wall, and how runs continue through doorways
Plank installation — nailed, glued, or floating, depending on material and substrate
Expansion gaps at walls and vertical surfaces, covered by base or shoe
Transitions and thresholds where flooring meets tile, carpet, or a change in height
Stair treads, risers, and nosing where the flooring continues to another level
Undercutting jambs and casing so flooring runs beneath them instead of butting to them

From the portfolio

Frasch Construction's portfolio includes wood-look plank flooring run through a hallway and adjoining room with oak doors and trim, labelled 'Laminate flooring' in the company's own gallery.
Also in the portfolio: a stair runner installed on wood stairs, published on the company's Facebook page.

Questions

Laminate, luxury vinyl, or engineered wood?: Laminate is a printed layer over fiberboard. Luxury vinyl plank is waterproof and tolerates basements and baths. Engineered wood has a real wood wear layer and can sometimes be refinished. The choice usually comes down to moisture and how the room is used, not appearance.
Does the old floor have to come out?: Usually. Removing it exposes the subfloor so soft spots, squeaks, and moisture can be found and fixed. Installing over an existing floor also raises the height, which affects door clearance, appliance openings, and every transition in the house.
Which direction should the boards run?: Most often the long direction of the space, or perpendicular to the floor joists, which keeps the floor stiff. Sightlines from the entry and the main light source get weighed too. It is settled before the first row goes down, because it cannot be changed afterward.