Is Laminate Flooring Right For You?

When some homeowners hear the word 'laminate' they think 'cheap' right off the bat. This shouldn't be the case at all. Yes, laminate is substantially less than genuine hardwood floors, but many times the benefits can outweigh any original negative thoughts.

First if all, laminates are not just for wood flooring. There are laminates that mimic the appearance of more expensive tiles and stones and even molding and trim. This flooring process has been updated, improved and is really in the 21st Century.

If you are redecorating your home be aware that a laminate product can be used anywhere as long as the subfloor is structurally sound, is flat, clean and dry. For the DIY'ers, it can be installed over current flooring. You can easily install it yourself (or with a friend or two) over badly damaged wood floors, concrete, ceramic, tile, vinyl sheet (linoleum) and even old carpet. There are some elements that affect installing over existing carpeting and your flooring store can fill you in on the details first hand.

Pet lovers also love a laminate floor. As long as large dogs have their nails clipped regularly, you should have no problems. Unlike carpeting that stains - and even genuine hardwood floors can retain stains - laminates are easy to clean and are almost totally stain resistant. While most home owners understand that re-flooring with laminate is considerably less expensive, they can expect the floor to last between 20-30 years. Can you imagine what carpeting that has been down for 20 years would look like?

When searching for the right laminate floor for your home, your selected flooring store can be your best friend. There are some really cheap tiles and planks out there. There is a reason why they are so cheap as 'cheap' is the clue. When you are ready to purchase ensure that your floor has the seal of the North American Laminate Flooring Association, or NALFA. By buying a NALFA-certified laminate floor you know a few important things about your floor. First, you'll know that your floor will be installed without glue. This is good for a couple of reasons. Click-together laminate floors are easier to install, and by not using glue, your floor won't emit gasses that can harm the quality of the air in your home.

NALFA certification also tells you that a product bearing its logo is recyclable and conforms to all regulations regarding formaldehyde emission.

You may have heard that individuals can tell the different between hardwood floors and laminate floors when they first step on them. This can be true to a certain degree. When you walk on hardwoods your footstep will sound solid. When walking on some laminates your footsteps can tap or cause an echo. A lot of this negativity has been reduced by special padding that has been developed to lie under the laminate. Made of a smooth, spongy material it will absorb noise and counter-effect the echoing sounds.