We all want our homes to look stunning and frequently redecorate and change furniture and furnishings when they’ve reached the end of their usable lifespan. Flooring is no different and yet today we have a vast array of opportunities and choices to select to make our homes as comfortable as possible along with being easy to maintain to fit in with our hectic lifestyles.
When it comes to flooring you have a number of choices, you can stick with carpets, however these are being viewed as a little passé or you can choose between solid, engineered or laminate flooring from UK Flooring Direct. Laminate looks like genuine, oak, ash, beech wood etc. and you can also find it with marbled effects, to resemble ceramic tiles and even patterned carpet.
To help you make the choice it’s wise to know the merits of laminate flooring.
Durability:
Laminate is durable and hard wearing as it consists of a top layer which resistant to abrasions. There’s different levels of resistant layers, for example laminate used in gyms and shops are far hard er than those use for domestic use. As with any type of floor the high traffic areas, entrances, halls and direct route passages from one room to another, need to be treated respectably – taking footwear off and only having stockinged or bare feet or soft soled slippers will notable reduce any wear and tear.
Moisture Resistant:
Most quality laminate floorboards have a degree of moisture resistance, this lies typically in the bottom layer, but you’ll need to look for laminate with green core rather than a brown core – if in any doubt as to the suitability of laminate in rooms which are prone to moisture and varying degrees of humidity, such as bathrooms and kitchens, it’s best to ask for clarification before buying.
Stain Resistance:
Many laminate floors are stain resistant as they have costings applied to the surface, unlike untreated wooden floors the likelihood of staining is greatly reduced, especially if your quick to mop it up.
Fade Resistant:
Natural woods do have a tendency to fade when subjected to direct harsh sunlight and while this natural fading may bring a more weathered look, some people actually prefer this to shiny new floors. If you’re going to lay laminate flooring in rooms which are exposed to harsh sunlight, such as conservatories and south facing rooms, be sure to look for those which have a fade resistant coating applied.
Easy installation and After care:
Layering laminate flooring yourself is relatively easy if you follow the instructions correctly. Once laid you only need a cloth and a recommended cleaner to keep the floor looking at its best. Should a board become damaged it’s also possible to remove and replace it, something which you can’t do so easily with fitted carpets or ceramic tiles.
Laminate flooring has come along way in recent years and the improvements in technology means that they resemble and feel more like real wood floors than ever before.