Laminate Flooring Types and Installation

Laminate flooring is often the go-to flooring option for many people because it looks like the real deal for a fraction of the cost. There is almost no end to the designs you can get with laminate flooring. A wood, tile, and stone flooring lookareall possible with laminate flooring. Laminate flooring made of layers adhered to fiberboard with a printed image on the surface. It’s easy to maintain and is also resistant to burns, scratches, and warping. The variety of styles, ease of maintenance, and cost make laminate floors a great choice for almost any home.

Types of Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is as versatile as it is affordable. Like hardwood floors, there are several types of laminate floors, each with their own benefits.

Glue-less laminate flooring—These floors don’t need glue or adhesive and you simply can fix the tiles or planks together—think of them as a giant puzzle. Although this type of laminate floor installation is easier than most, you still need to know the right method to install them properly.

Glued laminate flooring—As the name implies, you will need laminate glue or special adhesive to affix this flooring type. While gluing the joints creates a very strong bond, it is does take time to install glued-laminate floorproperly.

Pre-glued laminate floor—You won’t need to apply glue to this type of floor as it already has the adhesive attached. Once the adhesive side is ready, you can simply snap the planks in place. There are many different types of pre-glued laminate floors, and some require moistening before the adhesive will stick.

Laminate vs.Hardwood flooring

Laminate flooring cost is significantly less than engineered or solid hardwood floors. You won’t need any special waxes or stains to keep these floors looking their best. A once-over with a mop will let them looking like new, and their scratch resistance is superior to that of many hardwood floors. Moreover, since they are not as susceptible to heat and moisture warping, you can install these floors no matter where you live.If you have a lot of natural light in your home, hardwood can fade, but many laminate floorings have UV protection.

Why laminate flooring?

Laminate flooring may not look as luxurious as its real-wood counterparts, but as mentioned above they are much cheaper to purchase and install. However, laminate floors are generally harder to repair than wood floors. But the best laminate flooring, installed and maintained properly, will last many years.