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Hardwood Vs. Laminate Flooring Tips
How Does Your Floor Sound?
One of the best parts about laminate hardwood flooring is that installation is a snap, literally. Planks are snapped and/or glued together using a tongue-and-groove system that allows them to fit snugly. What goes underneath your laminate flooring is just as important. Be sure to place a smooth and even underlayer of foam or some other resilient material on the existing floor before adding your planks. The underlayer will help with shock-absorption, but will also soundproof your floor. Floors that have a hollow sound when you walk over them indicate that the underlayer is either not smooth -- or not present at all. Be sure yours is even and pulled tight before even beginning your laminate floor installation.
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Laminate Flooring Basics
What is a laminate hardwood floor actually made of? There are four layers of a laminate floor that keep it looking great and staying strong:
Wear Layer: Protective layer that includes aluminum oxide. This important layer protects against stains, scuffs, and general wear.
Image Design Layer: A high-quality photographic image of wood, stone, or some other surface. (Here’s where innovative designers can have a lot of fun!)
Inner Core Layer: This core layer is made of high-density fiberboard(HDF), and often a plastic resin called melamine is added. This combination gives the layer intense strength and resistance to moisture.
Backing Layer: The final layer that lies against the existing flooring is made with a resin-infused paper. It acts as protection against moisture from the floor, keeping your laminate flooring dry and sturdy.
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Comparing Laminate Flooring to Hardwood Flooring
There's a fairly long list of the pros and cons for both laminate and hardwood flooring. What you need to ask yourself is how much you want to spend, where you want to place your flooring and how much maintenance you are ready to put into your flooring.
Cost The cost of laminate flooring is significantly lower than hardwood flooring. However, if you're a stickler for a real-wood floor, take a good look at your budget; you may find that engineered hardwood flooring (which used real wood throughout its layers) may still fit into your budget.
Location
The most significant difference between hardwood and laminate wood flooring is the latter's resistance to moisture and wear. So, if you desire a wood-look in your bathroom, for example, laminate may be the perfect choice. Also extremely high traffic areas in your home could benefit from laminate flooring's extra durability.
Care
Both laminate flooring and hardwood flooring need a certain amount of extra care. Neither should be cleaned with abrasive cleaners, wax or soap detergents. Laminate flooring does not need sanding or resurfacing, but unlike hardwood, damaged sections are not as easy to repair.
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Install Laminate Flooring
Here are a few floor installation pointers to help make your laminate wood floors look their best:
1.Not all laminate can be installed over carpet. 2.Be sure that your subfloor is smooth and dry. (If installing over carpet, be sure your carpet is flat.) 3.It’s best to use some sort of underlayment for extra cushioning and soundproofing. (Laminate boards can get creaky over time). 4.Check each board for any damage before installing. 5.If you’re installing laminate flooring over heat systems, be sure to take extra precautions for both the laminate installation as well as the heat system. 6.Like hardwood flooring, some laminate flooring needs to acclimatize to the room’s temperature. If this is the case, open the packaging and leave the flooring in the room where it will be installed for at least 48 hours. Make sure the subfloor temperature does not exceed 85 degrees, and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
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Slippery When Wet
Laminate flooring repels moisture, but this also means it can become very slippery when wet. Be sure to allow ample time for drying after you’ve washed the floor. If there are any wet spills, wipe them up immediately. Wet feet from boots and shoes can also cause the floors to become slippery. Leave a mat at the entrance of your doorway to absorb tracked-in wetness. Wipe any wetness away immediately. Finally, laminate floors in kitchens are most susceptible to hidden wet spots. Dropped ice cubes or splattered dish water can cause a real hazard. Be aware and wipe up moisture right away.
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Cleaning Laminate Flooring
Routine maintenance of your laminate wood flooring is essential for its long life. Follow these cleaning tips to keep your laminate flooring looking great.
Use a dust mop or damp cloth over the boards after vacuuming. If there is a spill, use a cloth or sponge. Avoid soap-based detergents during cleaning. These will dull the sheen of your laminate flooring. Waxing or polishing the floor is not necessary and can damage the top layer of your laminate flooring. Avoid all abrasive cleaners and cleaning products that can scratch your floor.
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Your House's Resale Value
Many homeowners make renovations to their homes in order to improve the house's resale value. When considering flooring options, keep in mind that solid or engineered hardwood flooring increases your home's resale value considerably more than using laminate hardwood flooring. Because hardwood is made of natural materials, it costs more to purchase and install. This expense does transfer to your asking price on the house later on, though, so it may be worth it to invest in those materials. Also, hardwood flooring lasts longer than laminate flooring, which means your potential buyers won't have to factor in the cost of reinstalling flooring when they move in.
That said, laminate lends a beautiful look to virtually any room. If you keep it clean and in good shape, your buyers may not be concerned that it's not real wood. In fact, many homeowners care more about low-maintenance flooring than authenticity, so having laminate wood flooring may actually work in your favor.
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Why Laminate Flooring?
Many people use the term laminate hardwood flooring, however, laminate flooring is a plastic product made to look like wood or other natural materials. If you're looking to remodel your floor, like the look of hardwood, but want to save some money and time, laminate flooring might be the right choice for you. There are several reasons why laminate flooring has become so popular:
•The price of hardwood-look laminate flooring can range from a mere $.80 per sq. ft. to around $3.00 per sq. ft., with the installation costs totaling usually under $3.00 per sq. ft.
•Laminate flooring is more scratch and scuff-resistant than hardwood flooring.
•Installation is simple, requiring not much more than a power saw.
•Laminate flooring can be placed over any flat surface, even existing carpeting.
•The top layer or the "Wear Layer" also protects against fading and staining.
Laminate flooring almost entirely eliminates the concerns about moisture damage that hardwood flooring can suffer from. Whether you purchase laminate flooring, solid or engineered hardwood flooring is really a matter of taste and budget, but laminate flooring certainly holds its place in the list of possibilities.
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Give Your Laminate Floor Some Space
When laying your own laminate hardwood flooring, it is important to leave a 10mm space around the perimeter of the room as well as around any obstacles in the room such as pillars, heat vents, etc. The reason for this space is that the laminate core is made of wood. That means it is going to expand slightly with adjustments in the room’s temperature and humidity. When the weather is warmer, or if the room’s temperature rises, the planks will expand slightly so you’ll want that small gap there to allow for the natural expansion. Without this 10mm space, flooring boards may buckle as they press against the wall or whatever obstacle is in the room.
