Laminate, An Attractive Substitute for Hardwood Floors

Plastic laminate imitates stone or hardwood flooring, however, real stone or hardwood floors look more attractive. Laminate flooring will not add value to a structure, unlike solid and engineered hardwood flooring and real stone, which will increase the value of a home. However, having said this, laminate floors do have advantages over other flooring options. Like with other types of flooring there are positive and negative aspects of choosing laminate floors, and we will cover most of these in this post to help you decide if laminate is the best choice for you.

 Laminate Flooring Benefits

1. Durability: Protected by a tough external layer, laminate flooring is hard to scratch and has a longer life span than hardwood, vinyl, and carpet floors.
2. Ease of Installation: The interlocking sections are easily installed over most existing floors, and the installation process is called a “floating floor.” Most laminate flooring does not need gluing; it is snapped into place.
3. Style Variety: Wide style and variety options are available.
4. Damage Resistant: Flooring manufacturers offer extensive guarantees.
5. Ease of Maintenance: Wear and moisture resistant.
6. Environment: Laminate is a paper product so no trees are destroys as is required for solid wood flooring.
7. Costs Less: A laminate facsimile of wood or stone is cheaper considerably cheaper than real stone and solid wood.
8. Stain and Fade Resistant: Although the laminate wood texture is not as beautiful as real wood, the laminate imitation is more durable than wood and will wear better.

Cons of Laminate Flooring

1. Refinishing: The product cannot be refinished.
2. Resale Value: Does not increase the value of a structure like real wood and stone.
3. Water Damage: Large spills can damage laminate flooring.

 Maintenance of Laminate Flooring

Caring for and maintaining laminate flooring correctly is straightforward. The most important thing is to sweep it regularly to minimize scratching by abrasive particles like sand or dirt brought in by foot traffic.

Although laminate is much more damage-proof than natural wooden floors, it is still a good idea to use furniture leg pads on heavier items to avoid scratching. You can buy them cheaply from furniture stores such as cheapupholsteredbeds.com. Not only will this help prevent marking the floor, but it also makes moving the furniture a lot easier.

The top and bottom layer of laminate is plastic, and most floor cleaners will not cause damage, but you should always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. Laminate floors are water resistant, but not waterproof. Therefore, it is best not to use laminate flooring in bathrooms and kitchens as although laminate floors are moisture resistant, large spills, most likely in bathrooms and kitchens, can cause damage. Laminate cannot be refinished and must be replaced if damaged.

Due to the strength and gloss level of the top layer, waxes and other polishes are not required. In fact, most laminate manufacturers recommend against using such products.