FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

Many people wonder if laminate flooring is right for their lifestyle and if it is a quality product. Laminate flooring has gotten a bad reputation from products in the past, but it has come a long way since introduced to the US around a decade ago to be a durable, beautiful, quality product.

Laminate floors used to have a plastic look that made them easy to identify. Now, the technology of laminate flooring has come so far that it can be difficult to tell laminate flooring from the real thing.

Laminate flooring has the look and (now) the feel of real hardwood, tile or natural stone. Often laminate flooring provides advantages that “the real thing” cannot offer. For example, laminate can withstand water and moisture better than hardwood. It can also withstand pets and  scratches better than some species of hardwood. Laminate is not as hard as tile or natural stone and items that are dropped have a better chance of survival when dropped on a laminate floor rather than a tile or natural stone floor. The same goes for households with children. If a child falls on a laminate floor, they are less likely to get hurt on a laminate floor than a tile or natural stone floor. Laminate flooring also is resistant to sunlight fading and staining unlike hardwood flooring.

Another advantage to laminate flooring is the cost. Laminate flooring can be significantly less expensive than real hardwood, tile or natural stone.

There are many different styles of laminate for any design scheme or lifestlye.  Wood looks such as beech, oak, cherry, walnut, maple and others are available in laminate. Natural stone such as slate, travertine and marble looks are available in laminate flooring. Colors from the entire spectrum are represented so you should have no trouble finding a laminate floor that’s right for you.

If you are installing a laminate floor yourself, you will find that it is one of the most simple floors to install and maintain. For laminate maintenance tips, click here.

For more information on laminate and why it may be right for you, click here.