Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is the hottest trend to hit the residential flooring industry since the early days of linoleum! As the younger generation of homeowners look to modernize the look and feel of their decor, laminate flooring has slowly become one of the hottest consumer products on the house and home market.

Laminate flooring is an ultra-durable product that looks like a real wood or stone floor. But it's less costly than the 'real thing', easier to install and can last a lot longer.

If you love the look of real hardwood, but are concerned with maintaining its appearance, there is an alternative. Laminate floors are beautiful, extremely durable, and easy to clean. It’s well suited for high-traffic areas, busy family kitchens, and homes with children and pets. Like hardwood, laminate is available in various widths and lengths and is less expensive than real wood.

Wood-look laminate flooring is made to look like wood, but the decorative layer is actually a photograph. Most laminates have four-ply construction: a backing or balancing layer, a moisture-resistant wood-based core of high- or medium-density fiberboard, a decorative layer, and a wear-resistant layer of melamine resins.

Laminate is fast becoming a favorite alternative in many interior decorating plans. Laminate flooring can also show the texture of ceramic tile and stone.

Laminate is easy and quick to install because of its glueless installation. Laminate comes with a type of tongue and grooved locking system which “clicks” into position. All laminate floors require an underlayment that is installed directly underneath the laminate planks or tiles. This helps the floor float freely over the subfloor, adds a vapor barrier and aids in noise reduction.

Selecting the laminate flooring that suites your needs.
Unlike hardwood, laminate floors will not stain, fade, dent and are far more scratch and water resistant. Warranties range from 10 years to lifetime and cover such factors as mentioned above. Entry level laminate wood flooring is designed for light traffic areas and come with warranties ranging from 10 to 15 years. Most people set their expectations too high and expect that entry level floors will perform under heavy traffic conditions and still look good for the duration of the warranty. This is however not the case, as an entry level floor subject to high traffic will start to show wear and tear within three to five years.

Laminate floors come with cores ranging from 6mm up to 12mm. A thicker core is more stable, less vulnerable to buckling and will sound more like real hardwood when walked on. Good quality cores are treated with water repellent chemicals, and resist swelling due to excessive moisture. This is very important especially when considering placing laminate wood flooring in bathrooms and kitchen. For these applications also consider a floor that has Paraffin wax impregnated joints. The Paraffin wax acts as a water repellent and will prevent topical water spills from penetrating down to the core. Also remember to scrutinize the warranty, as certain products are not covered for use in bathrooms and kitchens.

Buying the floors that suits your needs will save you money in the long run. This is not to say that every home requires a high end floor with an extensive warranty. Consider the amount of traffic as well as the amount of time you intend staying in your current home. There is no point in purchasing an expensive floor with an extended warranty if you plan on moving in the near future. Remember, the floor is usually the first thing replaced by people when moving to a new home.

Laminate wood flooring offers the best combination of quality and value in a wide range of colors, styles and designs and are also engineered engineered for exceptional strength and durability and will last for years and years. For a rich and long-lasting experience, at a home friendly price, choose l-a-m-i-n-a-t-e; it's a natural look for your home and for the way you want to live.