The Stumbling Blocks Of Choosing A Laminate Floor
Laminate flooring is a composite material, made of pressed wood flakes, with a printed layer and a top protective coating. It can look like either hardwood, tile, or stone, and it's becoming more popular because of its durability, versatility, and its resemblance to more expensive flooring materials. However, despite all the great things about laminate, there are some drawbacks. Here are the stumbling blocks of choosing laminate flooring.
Despite its great looks, laminate is still an imitation product. Laminate flooring can increase a home's value, but not nearly as much as adding stone or hardwood. If you aren't planning to sell in the foreseeable future, then this won't be an issue for you, however.
Laminate flooring can make a bit of a hollow noise when walked on by people's shoes, or when something bounces off of it. This noise is usually due to incorrect installation; laminate flooring must have padding underneath, or have padding affixed to the underside of the planks.
Laminate floors are quite easy to install, so you could definitely do it on your own! Once you install laminate flooring, you're stuck with it the way it looks- unlike with hardwood, which can be sanded and refinished. If you are the kind of person who will at some point want to change the look of their floor, then laminate flooring isn't a good choice for you.
If you ever have to repair your laminate flooring, the job will be more difficult than with hardwood. There, it's possible to use a saw to remove the broken plank and then replace it. With laminate flooring, you will have to remove all of the surrounding planks in order to get to the one that's damaged. This is offset somewhat by laminate's durability- repairs are few and far between.
Under some circumstances, laminate planks can separate from each other; another problem caused by shoddy installation. The problem isn't unique to laminate flooring, as hardwood floors can separate as well.
Like every other home renovation decision, buying laminate flooring has both benefits and drawbacks. If you can get past the disadvantages, laminate flooring is a great choice because it is durable, great-looking, and cost-effective.