20 Jul The Dos and Don’ts of Laminate Flooring

If you are considering laminate flooring for your home, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we are going to go over some of the basic dos and don’ts when it comes to choosing laminate.

Laminate was created years ago as an affordable alternative to hardwood. Unfortunately, some of the first passes at making laminate flooring were not very successful, and the floor type got a bit of a bad reputation. In better news, manufacturers have invested in new laminate technologies and have now increased the quality and selection of the available choices on today’s markets.

You can now get laminate floors that look almost identical to any hardwood flooring. Some selections include pines, oaks, maples, and walnut. Among the variety of species of wood, you can also get different textures to help it look more realistic. Some laminate manufacturers even offer distressed or aged looks as well as provide flooring that looks like it has more character.

Laminate Dos

Each flooring type has its good and bad or pros and cons. Here is a list of the positive aspects of having new laminate flooring installed in your home.

• Do choose laminate flooring for its convenience.
  • Laminate flooring often comes in the form of planks or tiles. This means that the pieces are typically free-floating and do not require nailing down, which allows your subflooring to be a wider variety of materials.
• Do get laminate floors for stability.
  • Unlike the wood that laminate imitates, its unique construction helps it to stay stable. Its unique composition also helps the planks or tiles to not swell or change with humidity or temperature fluctuations.
• Do select laminate because it takes less work.
  • Due to the lightweight and easy installment of laminate flooring, you can sometimes install it over existing flooring. There just needs to be room for the thin cushion underlayment that is placed on the floor, which rules out carpet underneath; however, you can cover most other types of flooring.
• Do choose laminate flooring to help protect your home and family.
  • Because laminate flooring is free-floating and has tongue and groove snapping pieces, there is no need for glues or chemicals during installation that could release harmful chemicals or terrible smells into your home.
• Do get laminate floors due to their sustainability and eco-friendly nature.
  • Laminate flooring does not contribute to deforestation. This is because there are no old-growth trees or exotic slower growing trees used to help make laminate floors.
• Do select laminate because of its durability.
  • The hardened transparent wear layer on the top of all laminate flooring is very tough. This helps to make maintenance and cleaning a breeze. With only occasional sweeping and damp mopping, you will keep the floor shiny and looking new for years to come.

A Few of the Don’ts

Just like the good, every flooring type has a few downfalls too. Here is a small list of a few reasons that laminate may not be an ideal flooring choice for your home. Consider these points.

• Don’t choose laminate flooring if you need something waterproof.
  • Just like traditional hardwood, knowing where to install laminate flooring is critical as it is susceptible to damage caused by water or moisture. This means that it is not ideal for placement in laundry rooms, bathrooms, or basements that need sump pumps or drains. You must think about the area you are putting the flooring in and consider how much exposure to humidity and spills the area might have. Some flooring installers glue your laminate edges and seal your perimeter with caulk, and in these situations, it is safer to put the flooring in more water or moisture-prone areas.
• Don’t select laminate floors if you want something that you can resurface.
  • Unlike traditional hardwood, you cannot refinish laminate flooring after it has been installed. After the flooring is worn out, you will have to replace it with new laminate. You can check with the manufacturer to see what kind of warranty the laminate flooring you are considering has. Flooring manufacturers with higher quality typically offer a better and more extended warranty.
• Don’t purchase laminate flooring if the traditional knocking sound of hardwood is important to you.
  • Though laminate floors look very real, it is critical to remember that they are synthetic. Unfortunately, this translates to the sounds that footfalls can make when walking on this flooring type, and laminate tends to sound hallow when compared to hardwood

Choosing Laminate and Kuhn Flooring

At Kuhn Flooring, we are one of the leading laminate flooring companies in South Florida, and we are here to help you with all of your flooring needs. Not only do we offer laminate flooring, but we also have hardwood, carpet, vinyl, and tile options. Our friendly and experienced team can help you select new flooring for every room in your home today.