Choosing a Laminate Floor

The popularity of laminate flooring increases by the day due to its versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Also, there is very little variation among types of laminate, which makes it pretty easy to buy, separating it from most of its counterparts. There are just a couple of things you need to know to be able to purchase the ideal laminate floor.

What is a laminate floor?
A laminate floor consists of four basic layers: the wear layer, the design layer, the core, and the backing. The term “laminate” refers to the wear layer on the top of the floor. This layer is what protects the appearance of the floor, making it scratch and stain resistant and helping it maintain its original beauty. The design layer gives the floor its color and pattern. This can be made to look like any hard surface, whether it be hardwood, tile, or stone. The core is the main component of the laminate, giving it strength and substance. The backing is the very bottom, and can be used to resist moisture and deaden sound.

What options are there to consider?
1. Determine what style and color you want. This simply comes down to preference. If you want a hardwood floor without the cost, try one that resembles your favorite hardwood. Or if you love the look of ceramic tile but don’t want to maintain it, get a laminate that looks like tile. It’s up to you! If you go for a hardwood look-alike, you’ll probably want to get it in long planks, whereas for tile or stone, you may want to go for square tiles.

2. Laminate floors vary in thickness, typically from about 7mm to 12mm. Thinner laminate is normally slightly cheaper, but thicker floors are less likely to bend on an uneven subfloor, and are more likely to reduce noise.

3. Manufacturers rate the floors on the AC scale for their resistance to wear, with 1 being the least resistant and 5 being the most. The less resistant to wear that the floor is, the cheaper it will be. A laminate that is a 1 on the AC scale will work great for low traffic areas like bedrooms, whereas a 5 would be ideal for an extremely high traffic area.

4. You can buy your laminate with a gloss or a matte finish, and with texture or without. All laminate flooring will be highly resistant to scratches, dents, and stains, but remember that the lower the gloss and the more texture your floor has, the less imperfections will show.
All things considered, laminate flooring is a great option for your home. It can be installed in any room on almost any surface, and is one of the most durable, longest lasting, and easiest to maintain flooring types on the market. And to top it all, it’s highly cost effective. To get a quote on the installation of a new laminate floor in your home, give Perfect Flooring a call today!