Why Choose Laminate Flooring?
Millions of Briton’s improve their home each year and one of the best ways to redecorate and improve your home is by laying laminate flooring. There are a number of great reasons why homeowners should laminate a floor within their home.
- Choice
One of the first reasons is that laminate flooring is available in a range of realistic designs. You can choose from realistic wood designs, which include dark oaks or light beech effects or tile and stone effect laminate flooring which often include classic light Egyptian stone or rich marble effects. With so many laminate flooring choices available you are guaranteed to find an effect that suits you décor. Moreover, choosing the right effect can enhance a room, for example a light sandstone effect in a small kitchen can brighter the room and also give the impression the room is larger.
- Cost
Laminate flooring is one of the cheapest flooring available and considerably cheaper than real wood, stone or tilled flooring. The upkeep of laminate flooring is also low cost as it doesn’t require refinishing or recoating.
- Hard wearing
A laminated floor is extremely durable, especially when compared to carpet which wears after years of use or real wooden floors which scratch quite easily. Most laminate floors feature an additional protective coating to ensure they are more scratch and stain resistant.
- Easy to maintain
Laminate floors only require a simple clean in order to maintain a good quality finish. This type of flooring is an ideal choice for families as accidents such as food stains and drink spills can be easily cleaned.
- Easy installation
A lot of laminate flooring uses a simple interlocking system which is laid over the existing floor and does not require attaching to the sub-floor. Along with clear and simple instructions installing a laminate floor is extremely quick and easy. The easy installation also means that professional help isn’t always required, which further lowers the overall costs of laminating a floor compared to real wooden, tiled or stone flooring.
- Easy to adjoin
The perfect thickness of laminate flooring, which is generally between 7 and 10mm thick, ensures that it is easy adjoin with other flooring in connecting rooms.
- Environmental
A large majority of the products used to create laminate flooring are recycled products making it the most environmentally friendly choice.
While there are clearly a number of great reasons to laminate a floor within your home, there are also a number of negative aspects to laminate flooring. In particular if any scratches do occur laminate flooring cannot be recoated or refinished like real hardwood flooring. Also, while laminate flooring is very durable, it doesn’t last as long as natural products such as wood, stone or tiles as they often maintain there high quality standard, if correctly maintained, for a number of years.
How to choose the right laminate flooring
Clearly there are many advantages to choosing laminate flooring and it is without a doubt the best alternative to hardwood, tile and stone flooring. However, while it is clear the laminate flooring is a good idea, it is important to choose the right laminate flooring that will best suit the room.
The important aspect to keep in mind when choosing laminate flooring is the AC rating. The Abrasion Class is the industry standard rating for a laminate floor; it tests a range of different factors to conclude the strength of the flooring. These factors include the amount of stress, impact, burns, scratches and stains it can withstand. The higher the class the stronger and more durable the laminate flooring will be.
Also, read product reviews, these reviews often provide you with the most information. Reviews often include how well flooring withstands water and if it has a water resistant coating. Also, its construction which is important information, for example kitchens require thicker, high quality, water resistant flooring in order to guarantee that it will be durable.
By looking at these different aspects you will be able to make a more informed decision and be able to decide which flooring would be more appropriate for each particular room.
