The Advantages of Laminate Floors

Indistinguishable from real wood 

Most people like the design real wooden floors. They provide a warm ambiance and are suitable in almost all interior styles. On the other hand, real wooden floors are costly and need a little more care. When considering price difference, laminate floors are a great second option. It has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between a high-quality laminate floor and a real wooden floor. Here are some of the benefits: 

Laminate floors are made from several layers of compressed fibre-board. On top a photo print is pressed together with a clear protection top layer. The photo print is usually copied from real wooden floors so the initial looks are very similar. The only thing that gives away that it is actually a laminated floor is that these prints show some repetition. This is harder to detect with tranquil decors. Aside from the print, there are three different structures that can make the floor look even more comparable to real wood: 

1. Structured: Structured laminate floors have a palpable surface structure. This gives the floor a wood like structure, but a full wood drawing will not be recognisable. Another advantage of this structure is that the floors are less slippery.  
2. Embossed: Laminate floors that are Embossed have a tangible wood structure. Note that this does not follow the wood grain of the print, so they run past each other. However, you can only see this properly when viewing the floor in grazing light.  
3. Registered Embossed: The laminate floors that most closely resemble wooden floors are usually Registered Embossed. This means that the tactile relief closely follows the wood grain of the print, so that even in grazing light the floor is almost indistinguishable from a wooden floor.  

Another advantage of laminate floors is that these remain colourfast, while real wood can sometimes discolour as a result of UV. 

 

Easy maintenance 

A laminate floor, in contrast to a real wooden floor, requires little maintenance. It requires regular vacuuming and mopping, but that's enough to keep the floor looking good. Furthermore, the floor absorbs little dust making it suitable for people with dust allergies. Use laminate cleaner when cleaning the floor as the most all-purpose cleaners tend to leave stripes on the floor.  

Laminate is generally wear and scratch resistant, this is due to the very strong top layer. Therefore, it is more resistant to dogs, cats, children and even high heels. We from Solidfloor advice to add a walk-in mats at your entrance and to provide furniture with felt caps to prevent scratches. In addition, it is also easy to clean. When an accident or spill occurs: always make sure that you clean up immediately, especially when it involves liquid. Moisture can penetrate into the core layer through the seams, causing the floor to bulge. Water-resistant laminate floors are also widely available. Please note, these are only truly water-resistant if the Carrier is also made of water-resistant HDF.  

 

Laminate floors are cheaper than traditional wooden floors, but they don't fall short in terms of appearance, ease of use and quality. There are great choices for laminate flooring in every price range. Laminate floors are sold in a wide assortment of wood, stone and tile style decors, all of which are available in a variety of colors, thicknesses and plank styles. This means that there is a laminate floor for every interior and every individual can choose a floor that fits well in their home.