Probably one of the best choices for the do-it-yourself homeowner, is laminate flooring. The reasons are varied, but the biggest reason is that it’s not that hard to do yourself. So, even if you have two left hands, installing laminate flooring is still something you can do yourself.
Laminate floors are best used on areas of your home that are going to get a lot of foot traffic. Places like the kitchen or an office where you might slide chairs. Laminate floors are very scratch resistant. That’s not to say that you can’t scratch them, you can if you drug something too heavy across them. But overall, laminate floors hold up very well in areas that get a lot of wear-and-tear. Laminate is also resistant to most stains, spills, and burns … although leave a burning object on any floor except ceramic tile and you’ll get burn marks.
Now realize that laminate means that it is not hardwood. Laminate floors can be made to look like hardwood, but are in fact, not the real article. These days, laminate flooring can be made to look similar to any other flooring. You can find designs that look like ceramic tiles, like hardwood floor planks, and the list goes on.
Some laminate brands are better at getting a realistic look to their laminate floorings. A few of the more popular name brands are Pergo, Wilsonart, Mannington, Mohawk, Shaw, Quick-Step, Armstrong, Witex and Alloc. You have to look at each brand to see which laminates you like the best, as no two makers are exactly alike.
Laminate floors come in a huge variety plank widths and tile sizes. In most cases you can pretty well hide the seams if you install it correctly. That way the seams of the design itself take over and give the laminate it’s realistic look.
So, there are many good reasons to kill your carpeting and go with laminate floors instead. The biggest is the amount of dirt that carpets hold no matter how many times you vacuum. With laminate floors, you can simply dust mop the floor to remove dirt and allergens. Laminate flooring is a smart choice for people with allergies … probably the biggest reason to kill your carpeting.
Laminate floors come in a variety of installation choices, but most people choose the floating floors because they can be installed over most substrates including plywood, concrete and some existing floor coverings. The floating floors have tongue and groove edges that lock them together. Some recommend a little wood glue to hold the planks and tiles together, but you should consider using binding cables to tighten those planks if using glue. Once glued, there’s no coming apart.
So, if you’re looking for a solid solution for an area that’s going to endure a lot of abuse, the flooring to consider is laminate. With all the patterns and color choices you have today, there’s virtually nothing you can’t do with laminate flooring … and best of all it very affordable.
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