All About Laminate Flooring

The main reasons laminate is so popular is its convincing hardwood look (some companies have recently created other faux finished, such as stone and marble), its durability, and its affordability.  There is far less maintenance needed than for traditional hardwood floors and laminate floors are a fraction of the price.

The planks fit together in a tongue and groove fashion and simply lay on top of any existing flooring.  This is another reason laminate flooring is so popular: whether your original floor is hardwood, plywood, concrete, or any other material, laminate flooring will probably do fine on top of it.  The actual hardwood aesthetic is achieved through the use of photography, and because the look of wood is easily reproduced in this way, there is a laminate version of almost every species of hardwood. 

Laminate floors have a wood core ranging from six to twelve millimeters.  The larger the core, the stronger and more resistant to warping and buckling each plank will be.  The core should be treated with a moisture-resistant chemical coating. There is a protective backing on the underside of the planks and on the top is a coating of resin and a clear sheet of Aluminum Oxide.  This provides a majority of the protection from stain, scratches, and the like.

These days, the hardwood look is not the end of your choices in laminates.  A number of companies have introduced laminate tiles, which can be used as the main flooring or as an accent, such as a border.

Though laminate flooring is very durable, minor scratches and dents may occur.  For these, there are laminate repair kits, which include putty, wax pencils, and crayons that are color coded to match your style of floor.  If the damage is extensive, you may need to replace one or more planks.  This has become easier in recent years with the introduction of glueless, "floating" flooring.  Replacing a plank near the wall is a relatively simple procedure, but taking care of a plank from the middle of the room can still be a bit of an ordeal, involving sawing the plank away and placing a new plank in its spot with the use of a liberal amount of water-resistant adhesive.

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