Floors take a lot of punishment in most homes. Between regular foot traffic, pets, and dropped items, you can find your floors dented, cracked, or the finish wearing off. It's no wonder that flooring is a top home improvement project for many households.
Of course, deciding you need new flooring isn't the same as picking out new flooring material. Your options range from carpet and tile to hardwood. If you find yourself leaning toward hardwood, though, you should consider laminate flooring as well.
The benefits of laminate flooring might make you a convert. If you're not familiar with laminate flooring, keep reading for some of the top benefits it offers.
Appearance
One of the main reasons people select hardwood flooring is the unique look of wood and feel of wood. It creates a more organic space with a kind of natural warmth to it.
One of the main benefits of laminate flooring styles is that they replicate that unique look and feel of natural wood. The key is that the laminate uses a high-res image of actual wood in its design layer. You generally can't see the difference because it's not an artificial design of wood.
Even better for you, laminate flooring can offer you the look of almost any kind of wood flooring. That includes very expensive woods like mahogany that most people can't afford.
Floating Floor
Most kinds of flooring must permanently attach to the subfloor. With hardwood, it's typically done with nails or, occasionally, with screws and dowels. Ceramic tiles use cement, while vinyl tiles use an adhesive.
These approaches ensure the floor remains rock-steady. The flip side of that equation is that also means a lot of work to remove that flooring if you ever want something new. Even if you hire the work out to a crew, you'll pay for it in labor.
Laminate flooring works as a floating floor. That typically means the pieces of flooring lock together using a tongue-and-groove system, but it doesn't attach directly to the floor.
The flooring also gets a small gap between it and the wall. This gives the material a little room for expansion and contraction as the seasons change.
The upside is that floating floors prove much easier to remove and replace than floors attached to the subfloor.
Durability
Under the Why Choose Laminate Flooring category, durability is a big reason. The layered construction makes laminate flooring highly resistant to most common flooring damage, such as:
- Scratches
- Fading
- Dents
- Cracks
- Staining
It makes laminate floors ideal for high-traffic areas like an entryway or living room.
Versatility
Many types of flooring can only be installed properly on certain kinds of subflooring. Hardwood flooring, for example, typically needs a plywood subfloor for installation. While you can install it over concrete, it's typically a more complex and more expensive process and problems prove common.
When you install ceramic tile, you need a backer board underneath unless you put it down directly on concrete. With concrete installation, you must ensure it's a moisture-free environment or the mortar won't set properly.
Assuming you have a moisture-free area, you can install laminating flooring on just about any flat surface.
Have a hardwood floor that you don't feel like ripping out? You can install laminate right on top of it.
Want to finish your concrete-floored basement for some extra living space? Again, the laminate can go right on top of it. If you're installing on a subfloor, no adhesives, backer boards, or mortar required.
Simple Installation
Since laminate flooring is a floating floor system that can go on almost any surface, it greatly simplifies installation.
In theory, you can even install it yourself. In practice, though, getting the edges of laminate flooring right is a more difficult task than it seems on paper. Unless you own a fairly complete woodworking shop and have some extensive DIY experience, installing the flooring yourself will likely prove more trouble than it's worth.
Assuming you opt for professional installation, most flooring installation takes days. A hardwood floor can extend even more with the finishing and curing time for the finish.
A professional team can install laminate flooring in a few hours, as long as the room doesn't include complex features that the team must work around. Flooring sellers like National Floors Direct even offer free installation with the purchase of laminate flooring.
Simple Maintenance
Keeping most kinds of flooring clean is a labor-intensive job. While sweeping does the trick in the short term, you inevitably end up mopping tile or wood floors. It's almost impossible to keep tile or wood floor clean without periodic mopping.
Carpets also come with a heavy load of cleaning duties. Vacuuming helps as long as you keep after it every week. Yet, even the most thorough vacuuming job can't dirty water tracked over carpeting.
At some point, you'll need a home carpet cleaner or a rug shampooer. Then, you must wait it out while the carpet dries.
Laminate flooring is a different animal entirely. The durable, stain-resistant surface makes sweeping your main cleaning method. In cases of severe grime, you take a damp cloth to it.
Are the Benefits of Laminate Flooring Right for You?
There are many benefits of laminate flooring to explore. You get a durable product that holds up well to the abuse of even active families with pets. It also provides much simpler maintenance than other types of flooring.
You get a fast, simple installation courtesy of the floating floor design. Plus, it's a versatile solution that replicates the look of wood.
If you're planning on installing a new floor anywhere there isn't a lot of water or water vapor, laminate flooring is a great choice.
National Floors Direct specializes in flooring of all types. Contact National Floors Direct today for a free estimate.
