Laminate Flooring: Benefits and Ideas for Luxurious Designs
Laminate flooring is a multilayer synthetic flooring product which simulates natural floor surfaces like wood, stone and even tiles. It has four main layers. The bottom layer is called the ‘backing’. It is designed to ensure the boards do not warp. The inner layer is called the inner core and it is made of high density fibreboard that is further reinforced with a special resin to increase durability and water resistance. On top of the inner core is the image design layer. This is where the image of the surface simulated is placed. The images are usually high resolution ones mimicking either wood, stone, metal and other materials. Finally there is the top layer referred to as the wear layer. It is the layer that keeps the design from the damages of every day wear and tear including fading and scratching.
The appearance has been one of the pull factors for many people towards this new flooring alternative. Other major advantages of laminate flooring are as follow below.
AFFORDABILITY
Laminate flooring costs far less than the various flooring surfaces it usually imitates. Whether it is hardwood or stone and even tiles, the material for making laminate flooring is much cheaper allowing the benefits to get to the end buyer. They are also cheaper to install than other flooring types by almost 50%.
EASY INSTALLATION
Laminate flooring comes in the form of planks or tiles; and they are designed to simply snap together. There is no nailing required. They are a dream DIY project and even if you hire a pro you are guaranteed of fast and cheap installation costs.
EASY CLEANING
Much of the cleaning needed here is simple vacuum cleaning, light mopping and a broom. You can also make use of a laminate floor cleaner. You will never have need for waxing your floor.
DURABLE AND EASY TO MAINTAIN
This type of flooring is almost impervious to scratches and dents. Thanks to the wear layer, you can also get protection from staining which when it happens is easy to clean off. Many manufacturers will give 10 year warranties and more as testament to the quality of the product.
APPEARANCE
For those interested in a luxurious feel in any part of the room or the whole house in general, this is an alternative to try out. The boards have no defects and they offer consistent quality and appearance. You also can get to try out a wide range of color tones knowing you can easily work out cleaning and maintenance. Here are some interesting luxurious options to consider.
The various laminate flooring options include deep browns and black as well as light color tones. The woods simulated include maple, walnut, oaks and hickory.
