Posts Tagged ‘type of flooring’

Floorings - What You Need to Know about Laminate Flooring

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Although carpet and hardwood are great options in many areas of the home, they are sometimes inadequate.  Certain areas of the home like the kitchen, or garage, typically demand a greater level of durability and resilience.  Carpet absorbs stains and moisture too easily, leading to a dingy looking surface that may also attract odors.  Hardwood offers a tougher surface than carpet, but it also suffers from problems with moisture.  A moist hardwood eventually warps and cracks.  After many seasons of expansion and contraction, moisture damage can become very apparent with a hardwood floor.

Places in which water damage and accidents occur can result in scratching or gouging in the flooring as well.  Laminate flooring is a wonderful solution for water damage and durability issues.  With a laminate floor, designers can have the aesthetic allure of hardwood, while dodging many of the normal pitfalls.  Laminate flooring is very resilient when it comes to moisture issues and will not absorb water.  Stains are not an issue, and with prompt clean up, will cause no lasting damage at all.
Best of all, laminate flooring is very well priced, and can be found in a great selection of shades, colors, and styles. 

Laying down laminate flooring is also relatively simple.  As soon as a set of tiles can be unwrapped, check each to make sure there are no broken tiles.  Once certain that all the tiles are in good condition, give the tiles a few days to acclimate to their new climate.  There may be some contraction or expansion involved when the laminate flooring tiles arrive in a new setting. 

Make certain to follow all manufacturer guidelines that are included with the tile product.  Specific instructions on how to glue the tiles are critical, and can affect the overall performance of the tile.  It is also important to ensure that the tiles are placed with a quarter of an inch space between the wall and the flooring.  Although a great deal of tools isn’t required for in home installation, you may need something to cut the tile around corners, fireplaces, stairs, etc.  A wet tile saw would definitely be adequate to cut laminate flooring.

Having a level surface for laying down tiles is also crucial.  Be certain to fill any holes in the subflooring, or sand away any protruding areas that might stick up afterward.

Visit floor options to read an updated version about discount laminate flooring and more information about Pergo laminate flooring.