What You Need to Know about Laminate Flooring

Laminate is a relatively newer flooring option that has grown in popularity due to its ease of DIY installation. It is a half-way point between hardwood and vinyl. Here’s what you need to know about laminate flooring:

Structure and Durability

Laminate flooring is made of several layers that are bonded together with resin, heat, and pressure. These layers consist of a pressed-wood layer, a printed image of the desired wood, and a wear layer. Because of the wear layer, it can hold up to scratches, stains, and fading. Because it is a printed image of hardwood, it can’t be refinished if it does end up getting badly scratched or damaged.

Installation

One of the major reasons people choose laminate flooring is that it is easy to install, even for a DIY project. The boards quickly click into place and are easy to cut to the needed size. This also makes it easy to replace a board that gets damaged. You just remove the damaged board and replace it with a new board. One important thing to remember is to buy an extra box or two in case of damage. Because of how many different laminates are out there, it can be challenging to match if you need to down the road.

Water-Resistance

Laminate flooring has recently gotten much better in this area. Laminate is a water-resistant flooring in that the top wear layer is waterproof, but the pressed-board middle does allow for water damage. With the click-lock installation, it is possible that excess water can seep in the seams and cause damage. Companies have been working on making the cores more water-resistant.

Price

Laminate flooring is a budget-friendly option when it comes to flooring. It is usually one of the big motivators to get laminate. The downside to this, however, is that laminate does not help your resale value the same way real hardwood flooring does.

Like with all flooring options out there, whether or not laminate fits your needs depends on where you want to put it, your lifestyle, and budget. If you’re looking for an easy-to-clean flooring that can hold up well to high traffic and kids/pets and is budget-friendly, then laminate could be an option for you. Stop by Carpet Depot and let us help choose a flooring option that you will love and work for you and your life.