Laminate flooring includes a flooring product that’s made by layering a thin decorative material sheet over a synthetic or particleboard base. The decorative material may be designed to appear like tile, stone, or wood, and it generally is covered using a coat of sealant to keep it from breaking down. One example of laminate floors is Pergo brand floors from Scandinavia, though numerous businesses worldwide additionally manufacture the product.
The benefit of laminate flooring is that it’s nearly always less expensive than the thing it’s attempting to imitate. The expense for installing a maple floor, in other words, may get very prohibitive, yet laminate that’s designed to appear like maple may be fairly inexpensive to obtain. Also, laminate floors are made to be extremely simple to install; individuals without any construction expertise often can place a laminate floor together using very little effort. The easy installation and low cost are attractive to most consumers.
Some businesses have the ability to design laminate flooring from recycled material, another attractive feature for eco-conscious clients. Whether designed of recycled or new materials, laminate floors are available in the form of planks that have to be fitted together. A few brands snap together similar to a puzzle, whereby other ones have to be nailed or glued to one another. It’s typical to install a subflooring material layer underneath laminate floors to decrease moisture and noise.
Of course, the main downside to laminate flooring is that it is not the real thing. Though modernized laminates are very durable, they aren’t as solid as the floor products they imitate. A few styles are vulnerable to water damage and spills, and as the laminate becomes scuffed, the base beneath may begin showing through.
