Enjoy The Beauty Of Hardwood With The Endurance Of Laminate Flooring
|
Everyone likes the beautiful, timeless look of hardwood floors. Elegant, yet simple, hardwood is stunning. But take a closer look. Is that hardwood scratched and dented? Are those stains and fade marks that you see there? Maybe that hardwood floor is not as nice as you originally thought.
If you like the look and the timeless appearance of hardwood floors but not want the scratches, dents and fade marks that will come with it than laminate flooring is a good option for you. Besides the fact that laminate is much more durable than traditional hardwood flooring, it is much cheaper as well.
What Is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is a composite product that looks like a wood product; however, you can care for it as if you would your laminate countertop. Laminate flooring is made of a high-density core with an image placed on the top layer and sealed with a laminate covering. Laminate flooring has a water repellent placed on it and good quality floors are infused with water repellent throughout the core.
What Kind Of Laminate Floor Should I Get?
When you are choosing your laminate floor you will need to take a few things into consideration. The first thing that you need to look at is where you are going to put the floor. Are you looking at a high traffic area that will see a lot of use? Alternatively, is the area that you are covering a smaller, low traffic area? If you are looking at covering a low traffic area, you will probably be able to get away with a laminate flooring that has a smaller core.
The core sizes of laminate flooring vary from around 6mm to 12 mm. The thicker the core in the flooring, the better the stability is. In addition, if you have a thicker core it will stand up better to wear and tear is likely to last you longer than a thinner core.
If you are thinking of moving to a different home in the next few years, you may want to go with a lesser quality of laminate flooring as well. Usually when people purchase a home, the flooring is the first thing that they change so there is no point spending a lot of money on a floor when you are going to move homes.
Most laminate floor come with warranties starting around ten years long. Generally, the more expensive floor types will come with longer warranties. Be sure to read your warranties very carefully however, as some warranties may not cover floor placement in the kitchen or bathroom.
Can I do It Myself?
One of the biggest appeals of laminate flooring is that most people can install them by themselves. You can install most laminate coverings over sheet vinyl, concrete slabs, plywood underlay, existing hardwood or any other flat and level surface.
The glue less Pergo flooring is a very popular choice because it does not require any glue to install properly or any other special tools of any kind. Therefore, anyone can do it himself or herself without any special training. Even if you have never installed a floor before, or do not have a lot of home renovation experience, laminate flooring is easily installed.
One of the biggest benefits to installing the floor yourself is that you can save thousands of dollars on installation fees. Unlike hardwood floors that are already very pricy, and need to be installed professionally, laminate is quick and easy, even for the beginner.
What About In The Kitchen?
Laminate flooring is a good choice for the kitchen and bathroom because it is water repellent. The core of laminate floors have been infused with water repellent to protect from everyday spills that happen. However if you are looking at installing your floor in the kitchen or bathroom you may want to look at purchasing a floor that has been infused with a paraffin wax in the joints in order to further repel water and avoid swelling.
Unlike hardwood floors, laminate is a much better choice for kitchens or bathrooms. Because we all know that spills happen. Water and food spills can stain traditional hardwood floors, and with laminate, you simply wipe them up and it is all taken care of.
Choose The Right Floor
Laminate flooring is available in many different styles, colors and patterns. There is something to suit everyone no matter what your style preference may be. When you go shopping for laminate flooring, you will encounter many different brands such as Pergo, Armstrong and Bruce. Since laminate was introduced in 1982, its market share has been growing in leaps and bounds. You will be able to find laminate in many price ranges, so there is something to suit everyone and everyone's budget.
© 2005 http://www.laminate-flooring-now.com
Kevin Brown is successful author and publisher of many informative websites including http://www.laminate-flooring-now.com . His websites offer tips and advice on a wide array of topics including laminate flooring, hardwood floors, bamboo floors and more.
|
|
|
Choosing Your Builder: Cheapest Quote Wins?
You have your 3 quotes from each potential builder so choosing the one you are going to trust with your re-modelling, new garage, extension etc. should be easy, shouldn't it? Unfortunately most homeowners would consider this the end of their search for a builder when in fact what you should be doing next is the second most important if your home improvement project is to run smoothly (what's the most important? You will find the answer at the end of this article).When asking a builder for a quote you should always ask him to include with his reply, the name, address and phone number of the job he is currently workin...(related: Home Improvement)
Electrical Savings System; Save Up To 40% On Your Electric Bill Every Month
Once a month there's an electric bill coming in the mail with your name on it. For the next week, it's telling the kids to shut the lights off when you're done, And most of the t...(related: Home Improvement)
Everything - Plus The Kitchen Sink
Looking to do some remodeling in your kitchen sink area or maybe the whole kitchen? There are many options out there for any idea you may have. Kitchen appliances on down to kitchen tables, and kitchen sinks are available at your finger tips online. So, whether you are repairing or remodeling, take a minute to notice all of your options.Kitchen sinks and kitchen faucets are among the many things you can find online. Sinks ranging from stainless steal to tiled in every size and shape can be found. Faucets with many features like spraying hoses and tilting heads are available. Check out ...(related: Home Improvement)
Physiological Response To Window Coverings
Nothing soothes the brain like Mother Nature, whose intrinsic scenery relaxes and refreshes us, consciously and subconsciously. Therefore, a view of nature should never be completely covered up during the day.During daylight hours, windows should let in as much light and scenery view as possible, because people who can't see out of their windows during daylight hours get depressed. A view of nature, trees, plants, sky, clouds, and birds diminishes stress, promotes general physical health, and contributes to psychological satisfaction.Factors such as nat...(related: Home Improvement)
Why You Should Get A Patio Awning
In these days of climate change, the UK summer is believe or not, getting warmer and sunnier. Whilst this gives us opportunity to enjoy more time in the garden and sitting on the patio. It also means we need to take measures to protect against the sun's harmful rays. This is where a patio awning comes in.Many properties have french windows or patio doors leading onto the patio or decking area of the garden. This area has been much under used and folks do not realise the benefits from having an awning attached above the french doors and the extra dimension this will give. It is like having another living room. With the shelter the awning provides, the patio can be used regardless of the prevailing weather conditions. As previously discussed, the patio awning will pro...(related: Home Improvement)
Selecting Color Schemes
Choosing a color scheme for a room can be a daunting task at times, especially if nothing about the room initially jumps out at you. If you find yourself without a particular color preference for a room, you might begin by picking color combinations that are inspired by a favorite fabric pattern. Patterns usually have a group of complimentary colors, and using variations within the same group of colors throughout the house will lend your entire home a sense of harmony.Another method for selecting a color scheme when you have no real preference is to start with the colors you already have in the flooring and on other surfaces that aren't going to be replaced. Ignore any color that you really dislike; in this case, everything doesn't have to match.Go to your local paint store and find paint chip cards...(related: Home Improvement)
Guide To Bathroom Design
The first step is to plan the design ? as with kitchens, your local supplier will run off a computer-generated plan based on the room's dimensions and your particular requirements.If you're sticking with the same layout, measure your bathroom suite carefully before you go shopping for a replacement so that you know the new items will fit.Re-plumbing and re-wiring will push the cost up so stick with the existing service points if possible ? although this may be unavoidable if you want to change the position of the bathroom suite.First decide o...(related: Home Improvement)
Hardwood Floor Refinishing - For The Faint Of Heart
Are your beautiful hardwood floors not so beautiful anymore? Maybe they just need a refinishing job. It can be a daunting task, but here are some ideas to make it a little easier.If your hardwood floors are in dire need ofrefinishing, get a few estimates from professionals. You may be surprised at the figures. You'll want tosit down when they tell you it will cost you $1200 tohave your living room redone. You could carpet over itfor less, but doesn't carpeting over beautiful hardwoodfloors...(related: Home Improvement)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Home Improvement