Laminate flooring is considered by many an affordable alternative to solid hardwood flooring. Apart from being easy to install, attractive and durable,
Just like no flooring is perfect, laminate flooring also comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Check Flooring Domain, the best flooring directory and online marketplace in Australia where you can find local stores and hire professional contractors for your next flooring project near you.
Budgeted flooring
Pros
Laminate flooring is available in better graphics and deeper texturing that has brought it closer to the much favored solid and engineered hardwood flooring. The life expectancy of some laminate flooring is more than 25 years in rooms that have less foot traffic.
The flooring cost is the most inexpensive among all other floor materials as many very good laminates are available within an affordable range of $2 to $3. The price increases with the thickness of the wear layer and the quantity of the printed layer.
Professional installation is also not very expensive. The average rate for laminate flooring along with labor cost is only $5 per square foot as compared to hardwood flooring, which costs a minimum of $15 to $20 per square foot to install.
Cons
- Laminate flooring remains a budgeted flooring material in reputation, performance, and appearance.
- Can’t withstand heavy foot traffic.
Maintenance and Repair
Pros
It is easy to clean laminate flooring with a mop or a vacuum. The wear layer protects the photographic layer underneath making it resistant to dents and scratches and stains.
Cons
- Excessive water with mopping may lead to seepage into the seams between boards that might cause swelling
- Laminate flooring is not suitable for areas with excessive moisture like bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
- The flooring cannot be refinished.
- Once heavily worn out, deeply scratched, or grooved, you will have to replace it.
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Patterns and Design
Pros
Laminate flooring undoubtedly looks like hardwood, stone, and other natural materials from a distance. Each board of laminate comes with consistent quality and appearance while the deep embossing adds the illusion of wood grain. Real hardwood comes in imperfect pieces that need to be trimmed or discarded.
Cons
- Laminate flooring’s similarity to wood disappears, if you closely look at the planks, mainly due to pattern repetition
- Most brands manufacture 5 to 10 different patterns of boards
- Cheaper products may have only 3 different designs
- The improper installation ends up with identical boards next to each other
Laminate flooring can be your right choice if you are on a budget and want to save money by doing the flooring yourself. While this flooring is attractive and functional, it does not add long-term value to your home. Check with Flooring Domain which is the best blog in the flooring industry where you will get reviews, blogs, press releases, interviews, etc. related to flooring.
