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If you want to add a unique finish to your home floor plan but can’t afford the hit to your bank account that the purchase of a hardwood floor would entail, you might want to consider trying laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is designed of synthetic materials that have the appearance of wood species but are actually a series of glued composite materials. Because these materials are manufactured, not grown, they are much cheaper than naturally occurring hardwoods which must be specially grown and tended to an age of maturity before they can be used as materials. For the same reason, laminates are also better for the environment than are hardwoods.
Laminate flooring is available in all the appearances of hardwoods. You can choose maple, wood, pine, pecan, oak, beech, iroko, cherry, or merbau species, each with its unique grain pattern and color. There are several design options as well, including tile, strips (1-4), plank, longstrip, and squares. The design will depend on the type of look you want to give your floor, and the pattern that you would like to see on its completion. There are also several surface options for laminate floors, such as smooth, textured, matte, embossed, semi-gloss, or flat. Like hardwoods, laminates have a reputation as being durable and low maintenance. Like hardwoods, however, there are several areas in which precautions must be taken if your laminate flooring is to achieve the longevity, especially in its appearance, that it is touted for. Avoid using laminates in rooms where there are likely to be spill or any other type of pooled water- the gaps in the boards will allow water to seep underneath the flooring and cause it to warp or buckle. Laminates are also easier to dent and scratch than hardwoods, so be sure to keep dogs or other pets with non-retractable claws out of rooms with laminate finishes. Finally, keep in mind that low maintenance is relative to appearance. You will certainly not have to vacuum your laminate with the frequency that you would have to apply to carpet, but you will find that pieces of dust and dirt are much more visible, so that you will be sweeping almost constantly. Perhaps the biggest advantage of laminate flooring over other models of flooring such as carpet or hardwood is the fact that it is so easy to install. Companies such as Pergo continue to develop floating floor designs which make it possible for even the greenest home improvement amateur to install them with ease. Floating floor basically means that no gluing is required to attach the laminate to the floor, instead the glue is applied at the grooves and at the tongues. The ease of installation means that more cost is subtracted from the overall expense of flooring, which is probably why laminate flooring continues to grow in popularity. |
Laminate Flooring