How Laminate Flooring is Different From Other Floorings

Whether you're looking over a new house, walking through an open house or just trying to impress your friends, you should know the difference between laminate and hardwood flooring. Both types of flooring have their advantages and disadvantages. Depending upon your values and style which makes you feel more comfortable, you should make a decision.

Hardwood is more expensive and requires a lot of maintenance, but it looks so amazing as it is a plank of solid wood. On the other hand, laminate flooring us synthetic, more affordable and it's also more durable than hardwood. Laminate flooring has become standard for most of the new home communities, it is considered as the upgrade or gives a more professional look to the luxurious projects. It makes sense to use it, especially in condo buildings, because of the affordability, ease of installation and durability.

Even for the commercial purpose, people like to install laminate flooring. One of the reasons for using laminate flooring is an affordable price. Considering other flooring options, laminate flooring is cheap because it's largely synthetic flooring that's easily mass produced using low-cost materials. It's easy to install because most laminate uses click and lock assembly for installation which means no nails or glue and you can float it over most existing subfloors while you're installing. Additionally, it is easy to clean and care for because of the thick and clear wear layer that covers the surface of the flooring. It is generally not a good idea to install laminate flooring in any place where you tend to get a lot of water or higher humidity level. A laminate is a hard surface, it is important that the floor or subfloor underneath is level and relatively smooth. If it isn't the laminate flooring will move a lot when you walk on it and it is too bumpy or sloped underneath, it can even crack or break.

Same like hardwood flooring, laminate floors should acclimate in the home before it’s installed. It should be in there for at least 24 hours, but ideally 48 or more hours. This timing will allow it to set properly either expand/contract for the conditions of that room. During that time period, the room should be set to normal temperature/humidity conditions for that time of the year. Laminate stands for scratch resistant wear layer which makes it best among all the flooring types. Even in the category of durability it stands first. These tough floors can withstand heavy foot traffic and are becoming more resistant to moisture. Laminate flooring is far easier to maintain than engineered or hardwood flooring. Installation of laminate flooring doesn't require any nailing or glue, like other flooring techniques.