Now that you are almost done with the structure of the house and the finishing touches are being given, it’s time to decide on the type of flooring you would like to go with. Although wooden floors is always a home-owner’s first choice because it lends a rustic touch to interiors, providing a warm and tidy look to any room, owing to the exorbitant cost involved and maintenance hassles, marble and tiles are most commonly used in homes today. But if you still want to give the same look as wood, you can opt for laminate flooring.
The laminates available in the market today look exactly like wood in terms of grain and textures. Laminate floors are usually made up of synthetic material, mostly melamine resin combined with recycled ingredients and covered with an appliqué.
Apart from being cost effective, easy to install, and durable, the greatest benefit of laminate flooring is its ability to add a smart and sophisticated look to a room, with the cost being considerably less than what it would be if real wood flooring was used.
Another benefit of laminate flooring is that it gives the natural look of a genuine wood floor. Add to that the ease of maintenance. Today amongst the various kinds of laminates available in the market, anti-microbial laminate flooring, ensures that the flooring itself takes care of its maintenance. Anti-microbial laminates are specially designed for improving the hygiene of sensitive environments. Tiny traces of silver ions present on the floor surface prevent bacteria from multiplying. The traces of silver in the floor penetrate the cell membranes of the bacteria and inhibit their growth. The bacteria die naturally of starvation and the effect is almost immediate.
Also the installation of laminate flooring takes a day or less, depending on the area to be covered. Apart from the comparatively easier maintenance techniques, laminate floors are scratch-resistant. Refinishing is also not required. Most laminate flooring manufactures today supply glueless laminate flooring systems which simply slot together, making these systems ideal for anyone to install.
Another benefit of laminate flooring is that the durability of these flooring is far superior to real wood flooring. Laminate flooring is approximately fifteen times stronger than hardwood flooring.
The other benefits of laminate flooring are:
- They have high UV resistance which blocks the harmful rays of the sun and protects the design from fading.
- The design options of laminate flooring are endless and a home-owner can choose anything that suits his needs and moods.
- Since most laminate flooring today is glueless, the floor can be used immediately after installation.
- Most laminate flooring brands come with either a 10 or 15 year warranty. This is a considerable benefit over real wood flooring.
- Laminate flooring requires very little maintenance. Just a quick wipe with a brush once in a while is sufficient. For any spills it can simply be cleaned up using a mop or sponge.
- Laminate flooring is generally designed to be scratch-resistant and fade resistant, two areas where solid hardwood flooring is known to be more vulnerable.
TIP TO INSTALLING LAMINATE FLOORING:
There are a couple of things to consider before one begins to install a laminate floor. Here are some tips to make installing your laminate floor a quick and easy process:
- Ensure that your floor is flat, dry, and smooth.
- Always use underlayment under your laminate floor for soundproofing.
- Laminate flooring and underlayment/vapor barrier can be installed over concrete, wood flooring, vinyl tile, linoleum, tile, or virtually any other hard, flat surface.
- Take extra care when installing laminate flooring over radiant heating. Ensure that you read both the laminate flooring and radiant heat system instructions carefully before beginning.
- Read your laminate flooring manufacturer’s installation instructions carefully.
- Allow you laminate flooring to acclimatize to the room where it will be installed for as long as possible (minimum of 48 hours).
- Inspect each laminate flooring panel carefully for defects or damage before installing it.
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