The Making of a Home with Laminate Flooring

The Making of a Home with Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is one of the recent innovations in interior design.The most remarkable feature of laminate flooring is the no maintenance or low maintenance feature."Affordability. Durability. Elegance. Throw in ease in its installation, too and you have just found the best floors to walk on all the days of your life."

That’s how David of Berkeley, California felt when he shopped around for flooring materials to install in his 4-room Victorian-inspired home, two months before he brought over his wife, Anne, who hardly contained her excitement and surprise, to see the house the first time. David believed that the home was the finest expression of his love to his wife, and their young son, so he left no stone unturned looking for the best materials for his home. Laminate flooring was recommended by his colleagues at work; even his mother-in-law who saw nothing but David’s receding hairline and extended belly, mentioned about it, too.

There could really be something about laminate flooring, David thought, so he had it installed in his home. Even his kitchen flooring was all laminate flooring, as David figured out that it can best withstand spills and scuff marks compared to other flooring materials. He never regretted his decision ever since.

What’s all this fuzz about laminate flooring that it became the most popular flooring choice in Europe and the US, even in distant shores like Asia?

What it is and what it is not. Laminate flooring looks like real wood, but it is not. It is made of high-grade fiberboard, soaked in melamine resins and done in layers to withstand moisture and traffic abuse.

Two layers down, laminate flooring has fiberboard as foundation layers. Right on top of these layers is a paper design, resembling closely hardwood for customers wanting laminate wood flooring, or it could also resemble stone or tiles, depending on demand. The uppermost portion of the floor plank is made of clear layer of melamine resin for durability and resistance against moisture, stains and general wear and tear.

Four (4) major reasons why laminate flooring is "everyone’s choice":

Price is right. Laminate flooring is ideal for those who, like David, may have wanted the look of real wood on their floors, but are on a tight purse- string budget – laminate wood flooring is a way lot cheaper substitute. With its natural real wood-look, it can spruce up and lend a certain degree of class and style even to a room with sparse furnishings.

Worry-free installation. Do it yourself? Yes, you can! How to install laminate flooring is no longer mind boggling with its "snap-on" system. In previous years when glue and staples were used to install laminate flooring, installation time was more than 24 hours and positioning the planks together would challenge the mind. Also, the planks, which were glued together, should dry up first before they can be walked on. Today, the planks simply click and fit, thus they can be walked on right away.

Durable. Laminate flooring does not dent easily under heavy traffic, unlike real wood.

Elegant. Laminate flooring comes in a wide array of visual choices that suit any room motif.

And if these are not enough to stir your excitement towards laminate flooring, here’s more:

> Warranty: 10-15 years from date of purchase;
> Size: wider than any other floor boards, thus it easily covers a wider area at least cost;
> Resistance to fading: laminate flooring is resistant to harmful UV rays of the sun, which cause discoloration and fading;
> Easy to Clean: Your ordinary kitchen mop can clean spills easily and a few brush strokes can liven up its looks.

With all the benefits far outweighing minor deficits (if any), millions of homes, including David’s, could not have gone wrong when they chose laminate flooring. Is it not about time, you do, too?