Laminate Flooring Reviews

Laminate flooring is emerging as an inexpensive alternative to hardwood floors. Laminate floors are usually made of high density fiber. It has a fiberboard core over which a photographic layer is placed. The bottom layer is usually made of melamine resin, and the fiberboard is placed over it. Finally, both top and the bottom of this flooring is covered with a layer of plastic. It imitates the look of expensive hardwood and stone floors. It can lend the same elegant look to your home as hardwood floors, but at a lesser cost.

Laminate Flooring for Your Home

It is preferred by many people mainly due to its durability and ease of maintenance. Moreover, such floors can be found in a wide range of wood grains and designs. Laminate flooring installation is also quite easy. It is resistant to moisture, as well as stain. It is also resistant to scratches and dents, owning to the tough external layer and do not fade easily.

Its disadvantage is that it laminates cannot increase the value of a structure, or in other words, laminate flooring cannot increase the resale value of a home unlike hardwood flooring. Moreover, it cannot be refinished. It is usually resistant to scratches and dents. But if somehow, it gets deeply scratched or damaged, it cannot be refinished. In such a situation, the damaged laminate floor has to be replaced.

It may not be very suitable for places like, bathroom and kitchen, where it can get exposed to a high level of moisture. Usually, it can withstand moisture to an extent, but large spills can damage these floors. Finally, it is more commonly made of melamine resin, which is a compound made with formaldehyde. Exposure to formaldehyde is considered to pose several health hazards. However, it has been observed that resin materials can have considerably lower emissions than other building materials made with formaldehyde. Some of the reputed and established manufacturers of laminate floors, which you can consider for purchasing this flooring material are, Pergo, Armstrong, Dupont, Empire, Mannington, Wilsonart and Formica.

Things to be Considered While Purchasing Laminate Flooring

Not all laminate floors are the same. As far as the manufacturing process is concerned, there are two varieties of laminate floors, direct pressure laminate (DPL) and high pressure laminate (HPL). High pressure laminates are more durable than the direct pressure laminates, as they are made of at least 5 layers. Direct pressure laminates are usually made of 3 layers. Therefore, high pressure laminates are more resistant to dents than direct pressure laminates. The next important thing to be taken into account while choosing laminate floor is, core thickness. The thickness of laminate core can range between 6 to 12 mm. A thicker core usually indicates more durability and strength.

However, some high pressure laminates can have much thinner cores than the direct pressure laminates. But still, high pressure laminates can be stronger and more durable than direct pressure laminates. If durability is your main concern, then you have to look for the AC (Abrasion Class) rating, which indicates the ability of the laminate floors to withstand wear and tear. Other factors for rating are, water resistance, resistance to stains, scratches, heat and stress.

Finally, you would also like to consider the kind of warranty given on laminate flooring and its price. Warranty on good laminate flooring covers aspects like, denting, wear and tear, staining and even fading. Some kind of water warranty can also be found in some products. As there are so many varieties of laminate floors, their prices can vary significantly.