The Benefits of Laminate Flooring
The process of choosing flooring for your home can be daunting, on account of the many choices available. The decision between carpet or “not carpet” might be the easiest part. What comes next is the deciding between tile, hardwood, laminate flooring, and many others. However, this choice doesn’t need to be so hard. For a versatile, durable floor, laminate flooring is the obvious choice. It has several key benefits over other flooring options.
The first benefit of choosing laminate flooring is the ease with which it can be maintained. Unlike carpet floors, which are almost like magnets for stains, dirt, and even allergens like dust and pollen, laminate flooring can be easily mopped or swept clean of dirt and spills. Unlike hardwood floors, a laminate floor does not need to constantly be polished, stripped, resurfaced, or stained. It looks like expensive hardwood flooring, but it won’t require the hours (if not days) of hard maintenance required to keep traditional hardwood floors looking their best.
Then there’s the installation of laminate flooring, which is a breeze compared to many other methods. Laminate flooring comes in long, wide “planks” which are cut in an interlocking pattern. This system makes it easy and straightforward to cover your whole home in laminate flooring, as it can be done as a do-it-yourself home improvement project. Those who would instal the flooring themselves need only lay down a thin moisture barrier (which helps ensure that the flooring is level) and begin installing panels on top. With a few extra hands, the process is as easy as they come.
Another great installation benefit is that laminate flooring can be installed over top of existing wood, vinyl, or linoleum flooring. This eliminates the painstaking process of ripping up one floor before installing another, and will help quicken the installation process.
Laminate flooring also tends to be a fraction of the cost of traditional hardwood flooring options. And while the price is lower, it doesn’t sacrifice appearance or quality. Most people won’t be aware that you’ve chosen a laminate floor over a hardwood floor unless you specifically tell them. And, really, there’s no reason to divulge a secret like that when your brand new floor can be the envy of your neighbours!
Finally, a great benefit of laminate flooring is that the high-quality material it’s made of tends to be resistant to stains (which is great for the drop-prone among us) as well as fading. Whereas carpet tends to fade from exposure to light, and hardwood floors can become scuffed and need an entire overhaul, laminate is relatively low maintenance and low stress. You won’t find yourself having to “conveniently” place any rugs over top of stains, or make excuses for the all the places where your floor doesn’t exactly shine. This is probably the biggest selling point for the Type A personalities who dread the thought of every day life ruining their pristine environment.
Overall, the benefits of laminate flooring are many. From the low maintenance and ease of upkeep, to the ease with which it can be installed, laminate flooring has changed the way many people think about their homes. It’s a flooring choice that is generally low maintenance, allowing us all to focus a little more time on ourselves, and a little less time on where we’re standing.