We put in laminate flooring in our kitchen and dining area a year ago and absolutely love it. Easy to clean. We bought ours at Home Depot and spoke with a very knowledgable employee there. Our flooring has a padding underneath which buffers any echoing sounds. We went with the 25 year guarantee on the laminate and put it directly on the concrete slab. Bottom line is we love it and wished that we had done the whole house-maybe someday.