One of the most vital features of a home is its beautiful flooring. It is a crucial aspect of your interior design and can make or break your living space. Not only do they add aesthetics, but they also increase the overall home value. That’s why many homeowners take enough time to assess and select the best flooring option for their residence.
Since hardwood flooring has been a traditional and proven option for many years, the flooring industry has developed an alternative for those who can’t afford its hefty price. Laminate flooring has been invented to mimic traditional hardwood without requiring as much money and time for installation as the original hardwood floors. It could be an ideal alternative if you want a great flooring material that suits your home’s design.
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Before investing in laminate flooring, it would be best to decipher their pros and cons to better decide:
Pros:
Easy Installation
This advantage is excellent for you if you’re gifted with handyman skills. Laminate flooring is easy to install compared to other flooring options. You can do it yourself and skip hiring labor and professional floor installers, which may cost you extra. The products usually come with instructional guides. You can also ask the sales staff, and they’ll provide brief instructions for installation. You can lay laminated flooring on your floors in less than a few hours.
This flooring material is best to install on floating floors. It means that your flooring isn’t glued to the subfloor. But before installing, it is essential to know how your subfloor is constructed. To prevent damp issues and movement in the flooring, use the appropriate underlay if you have an uneven subfloor or are laying on top of concrete. You can research more about these steps online or from professional laminate flooring installers. If you’re not confident tackling this task, leaving it to the pros is always best.
How To Cut Laminate Flooring
Maun recommends using a straight edge to mark accurately when cutting laminate flooring, and that a handsaw is perfectly fine if you’re making simple straight cuts.
Easy Care And Maintenance
One of the best features of laminate flooring is its hassle-free maintenance. It is common for flooring manufacturers to provide instructions for care so that homeowners can continue to have beautiful floor surfaces. Fortunately, if you go for laminate flooring, you don’t have to execute any specific and complex care steps. You can easily remove stains and spills with a dry rag. If you want to protect your laminated hardwood floors from scratches, install furniture pads on their bottom legs. These prevent any scratches when you move them.
One important rule to follow when applying maintenance tips to your floors is to avoid using wet mops frequently. It’s best to sweep the floors and wipe them with a damp cloth or mop. If you buy DIY cleaning products, ensure they are safe for laminate floors. Some abrasive products can damage your laminated surfaces, so it’s best to forego using them.
In the event of damage to laminate flooring, refinishing is no longer possible. Hence, you must apply the simple care and maintenance steps instructed by your flooring suppliers. You don’t have to worry about their condition, though, because laminated flooring can last a long time and maintain its beautiful features even when the care and maintenance tips are straightforward.
Reasonably Priced
For homeowners who don’t want to spend much on hardwood floors, laminated flooring is a cost-friendly alternative. Their price range ranges from USD$1 to USD$12 per square foot. There are many designs, patterns, and color options to choose from. Also, luxurious brands are offering much more expensive options. Hence, you have more flexibility to work depending on your budget preferences.
However, even with USD$3, you can already find suitable laminates. Prices differ depending on the print layer’s quality and the wear layer’s thickness. But like any other home improvement or construction product, buying from more expensive brands usually means better quality, although this is not always the case. Therefore, you must research and compare prices from different stores and suppliers.
Aside from spending on the products, you should also consider installation fees. But since they’re pretty easy to install, you don’t have to worry about your labor fees. Another option is to do it yourself, as this laminated flooring comes with installation guides. You can also refer to video resources if you follow the DIY approach.
Cons:
Susceptible To Moisture And Water
Like any other construction material, laminate flooring also comes with known downsides. Due to its wood composition, laminate flooring is susceptible to moisture damage. For this reason, it should not be used as hard flooring in the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry area. Any place that contains stagnant water should not have laminated floors. Surface water can be used for cleaning laminate flooring, but it would be best to avoid using it in frequently wet or moist areas.
Can’t Be Refinished
It isn’t possible to sand down and refinish laminate flooring, unlike other flooring options. You will need to replace or repair your flooring once it becomes worn or shows cosmetic damage. This is one reason you should know what steps to avoid to retain dry laminated floors. Since laminate floors are composite and have a wear layer, they cannot be resurfaced. But you don’t have to worry as the laminated floors can last as long as 25 years. With proper care steps, you can slow down their wear and tear.
Possible Slips
Another disadvantage of laminated floors is their slippery surfaces. There is a possibility that laminate flooring will provide a slippery surface, so it’s essential to consider this con, especially if you have elderly or kids in the household. Family members could fall because of this, so extra caution is necessary. There are steps to prevent slips and falls to make the surface less slippery.
Conclusion
Many factors affect your home’s comfort level; flooring can be one. Laminate flooring may be the right choice when you want to install cost-friendlier than stones and hardwood. However, it would help to consider all the pros and cons listed above before deciding to go for it. Also, you must be aware that laminate flooring is functional and attractive, but it doesn’t have the elegance and added value of real hardwood flooring or stone tiles.
