Why Choose Laminate Flooring?
Laminate is not a natural wood flooring. It is a man-made product consisting of a High-Density Fibre (HDF) board and a resistant veneer on top. The top veneer of laminate floorings usually imitates either natural wood or natural stone effects. By doing do, laminates are often selected as a preferred choice because they create natural wood appearance at a much lower price.
Price in not the only advantage of laminates compared to other types of floor coverings. Because of their multi-layer construction and the lack of natural wood in their composition, laminate floors are less reactive to changes in moisture levels and temperature as they do not contract and expand as a response to these. Some higher qualities laminate floorings today, such as Quick Step laminates are also water resistant and scratch resistant, making them ideal for all residential and commercial premises and areas, including bathrooms and kitchens.
Laminate floors are often compared to engineered wood floorings not only because their multi layer composition, but also because their similar installation methods. Both engineered wood floor fitting and laminate floor fitting can be done with the use of click installation system, where each board connects to the other by clicking together. The main difference, however, is that engineered wood flooring has a top layer of natural wood, where laminates don’t.
Nevertheless, a significant disadvantage of laminate floors is the fact that they cannot be repaired or sanded. Therefore, once damaged, laminate floors would normally need to be replaced.