True hardwood flooring has many grain marks that are original and unique. Laminate flooring has many of the same markings and looks just like the real thing.

Hardwood flooring needs continuous maintenance. You need to keep it clean, keep things that can scratch it off of it, and you will need to protect it with coatings when needed. It is expensive to maintain! Laminate flooring is much easier to take care of. You simply need a wet mop to clean it up and while you won’t use chemicals on it, you don’t have to take care not to scratch it as much. It is much more resistant to damage.

Hardwood flooring that is laid correctly will last a lifetime. Laminate flooring will probably last just as long if not longer.

Laminate flooring is much less expensive than hardwoods that can cost you ten times as much as laminates.

Both can be stained in the colors that you want them to be. They can both be protected with special layers of protective coatings that will keep them looking beautiful and lasting a long time.

Laminate flooring to be used regularly, as with true hardwood floors, you will need to take special precautions to make sure that they are not damaged. Water can even damage many hardwoods.

When you are considering the purchase of laminates, make sure to look at the value that it offers to a home. Many love the look of hardwood and the no nonsense trouble that laminates afford. Which is your choice?

By: Sandy Baker

Be aware that large pieces of sand or rock can cause visible scratching. These are usually easy to catch by having floor mats and foot brushes at outside doorway entrances. Dirt which gets pass the mats and brushes can cause invisible scratching that eventually leads to dullness. So, vacuum and mop regularly to keep grit off the floor. For dry cleaning, vacuuming is usually sufficient. Microfiber pads are also quite effective and, if available, lets you avoid involving fluids. Never clean with abrasives, scouring powder or steel wool.

Damp clean laminate flooring using a vinegar or ammonia-based solution. For example, you can pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into a 30 to 32 ounce empty spray bottle filled with plain water for a quick solution. Then, dampen a terry mop or a Swiffer with water and mop, spraying the floor as you go along. When damp mopping, avoiding standing fluids so you do not saturate the floor. Wipe immediately! Other possible cleaning fluids that have been suggested include:

- vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and water (equal parts)
- 1/3 white vinegar, 1/3 rubbing alcohol, 1/3 water, and 3 drops dishwashing liquid (1 quart total)
- Swiffer WetJet wood floor cleaner
- Windex

Here are some tips on spot cleaning: To remove oil, paint, permanent marker, tar, rubber heel marks, use a neutral cleaner on a clean light colored cloth. If needed, use alcohol or a nail polish remover containing acetone. To remove blood, fruit juice, wine, beer, soda pop, pasta sauce, use warm water. If needed use a neutral cleaner on a light colored cloth. To remove candle wax or chewing gum, first harden with ice and then scrape very gently. Wipe the rest with warm water on a clean light colored cloth.

If your laminate is scratched, see if you can buy a touch up stick from your manufacturer. The area you repair will look, hold up to traffic and wear just like the rest of the laminate floor.

In case of more severe damage, which is unlikely to take place in most of the homes, a trained professional can be called to replace a plank. The new plank should be almost indistinguishable from the rest, if done properly.

By: E. Timothy Uy

About the Author: Laminate flooring enthusiasts unite! Installation, maintenance, selection, e.g., Harmonics, Pergo, Shaw, Mannington – you name it, we are talking about it. Join us at http://laminateflooring.oncloud8.com

We are now going to make a brief presentation of the company that is probably the number one brand name in what laminate flooring is concerned, and that is Prego. There is quite a fierce competition on the market today, as there is a large number of companies that provide this product. The special thing about Prego is that it offers the most complex variety of patterns and, of course, the composition of its materials that are made of an original composite of layers.

The massive part of the laminate flooring is made of a water-resistant material whose purpose is to provide evenness and dimensional stability. All this material is covering a layer of polymer paper. This material is used because it helps to the stability of the entire floor, but also because it is able to adjust to the temperature and humidity levels that are constantly changing in a house. The covering layer is only a decorative one. The Prego top layer is a little more special because it is made of a three-layer combination of materials, such as the cellulose paper combined with melamine resins and also with a heat resistant base layer. What makes Prego’s materials harder with 25 % than other brands? products, is the fact that the Prego specialists also use hardeners while creating the combinations. The finite product is commercialized as planks and panels of different patterns such as wood, tile and even stone.

By: Becky King

At first look, laminate flooring seems to be a natural wood floor but in fact is a layer of paper under a tough protective film that is glued and pressed to a high-density backing board. There are also types of laminate planks that are installed over a moisture barrier which levels any uneven areas of the floor. You don’t need any glue or nails for them because the planks snap together.

Before choosing a laminate flooring material you should think about the type of traffic in your house. One other advantage for laminate flooring is the durability. So this type of floor is one of the best choices for households with heavy foot traffic, kids, or pets. But, best of all, laminates will look like new for years.

Laminates are also highly resistant to stains, fading and moisture and many laminate flooring manufacturers offer warranty protection against them for a long period of time (usually from 10 to 25 years).

If you already have a type of floor this doesn’t represents a problem for you. Laminate flooring can be installed over floors like wood, tile, vinyl or linoleum because most of them are floating which means they do not fasten directly to the subfloor. Also, at this moment, many manufacturers offer snap-together laminate flooring systems.

A typical laminate flooring is and extremely economical solution, if you take in consideration the costs of alternate flooring solutions. Solid hardwood floors will require 4-5 refinishings and carpets and vinyls will need to be replaced at least twice (depending on traffic loads), while laminates don’t require anything.

Laminates come in different styles an types. You can find transition strips, end caps, stair nosings, moldings and baseboards. Almost anything you need you can find at a laminate flooring manufacturer. There are companies that offer floor registers for heating and air vents.

Laminate flooring provides a much cleaner and healthier living environment when compared to other floorings such as carpets, with regular cleaning cycles. It accumulates less dust, pet dander, allergens and it doesn’t hold residual stain contaminants on the surface. Allergic people will often be recommended to remove the carpets from the living space.

In conclusion laminate floors are a very good choice for your home because there are durable, resistant, economical and easy to install.

By: E. Timothy Uy

About the Author: Laminate flooring enthusiasts unite! Installation, maintenance, selection, e.g., Harmonics, Pergo, Shaw, Mannington – you name it, we are talking about it. Join us at http://laminateflooring.oncloud8.com

As a verb it means to bond together in layers, while as a noun, it refers to a material that is produced by bonding together layers of material. For flooring, “laminate” is a family of products in which a finish material is fused to a substrate. Laminates can resemble many things, including wood, stone (like marble, slate, or flagstone), tile, or a solid surface of color (though that’s usually saved for countertops).

You may be wondering why you would choose a laminate over a wood, tile or stone floor. There are lots of reasons!
* Cost.
* Environmental concerns.
* Health issues.
* Speed of installation.

There are some reasons to not choose a laminate floor too.
* Durability.
* Maintenance.
* Noise.

Before we delve into the pros and cons, let’s understand better what laminate flooring is and a quick review of its history.

Laminate flooring is typically made with an interlocking tongue-and-groove system that sometimes clicks together and sometimes glues together. It can be pre-finished at the factory or finished after installation. It can be installed on any surface and in any room of your house, including wet rooms like the kitchen and bath. Laminate flooring consists of four main laminated components. First, the decorative surface — wood grain or stone look — made of resin is based melamine or a thin slice of wood. In the middle is a moisture-, heat- and dent-resistant core. On the underside is a balanced backing that adds support. The top is a clear, wear-resistant finish, often of aluminum oxide, which provides the protection and stain resistance.

Laminate flooring has a hardness factor, assigned by independent testing labs, reported on an AC scale. The AC rating considers resistance to staining and cigarette burns, impact, abrasion, and thickness swelling along plank edges. You want either AC-3 or AC-4; AC-3 is made for heavy residential and light commercial use. AC-4, which is 60% heavier than AC-3, is rated for heavier commercial use but is also fine in homes.

Pergo, a Swedish flooring company, developed the idea of a laminate floor out of their laminate countertop business, in 1977, introduced it to Europe in 1984 where it has grown in popularity ever since. It was introduced in 1994 to the U.S. where it spread quickly. Now there are numerous companies manufacturing laminate flooring, though Pergo has become the household word for the product.

Durability is one reason to not choose a laminate floor. Laminate flooring is tough, but by its nature of being made of thin layers it’s not as durable as wood, tile or stone flooring. It can’t be refinished when it gets scratched and the scratches can’t be easily camouflaged. When a laminate plank is damaged it’s challenging to repair it, though with the repair kits you can get from the manufacturer it can be patched. In some cases, you can take the floor up and replace the damaged plank.

The cost of installed laminate flooring can be cheaper than wood floors, making it one good reason to consider. Speed of installation from start to finish is faster than wood floors. It’s because it comes pre-finished, removing the additional step of coating the surface with a protective seal, and because it isn’t nailed down. It can be noisy to walk on, sounding a bit hollow.

Environmental concerns are worth evaluating as well. Trees, though a renewable resource, are very slow growing, and using them for floors consumes quite a bit of natural resource. Laminate floors, on the other hand, use manufactured materials (often from scraps of wood, cardboard, or paper) which are more abundant, being gentler on the environment.

Health issues are still another consideration in purchasing laminate flooring. Some laminate floors are off-gassed at the factory, saving your home or office from the health-challenging fumes. The quality of laminate flooring varies, along with the contents. Some products are made with more urea-formaldehyde and high volatile organic compounds (VOC) ingredients while others are made with low VOC ingredients. If the off-gassing is handled at the factory, you are in better shape.

Is laminate for you? I enjoyed my laminate flooring, laid in the entry, kitchen, and bathroom. The present owner of that house says the floor looks great more than 11 years later, even after being subjected to men wearing hiking boots, to dogs racing through the house, and all kinds of weather conditions, showing that it can definitely be a durable surface despite its reputation as being fragile.

Because it’s designed with a tough and durable wear layer, laminate flooring is much stronger than most installed solid hardwood flooring, carpets and vinyls, it’s more resistant to scratches than softer surfaces (solid hardwood floors for eg.) and is one of the best choices for households with heavy foot traffic, kids, or pets. But, best of all, laminates will look like new for years.

Resistance

Laminates are highly resistant to stains, fading and moisture and many laminate flooring manufacturers offer warranty protection against them for a long period of time (usually from 10 to 25 years).

Ease of installation

The top brands of laminate flooring have developed a glueless floating floor installation process. They just need to be cut, clicked together and are ready for walking or even placing heavy things, like furniture, on them. Most professional installers could do it in a couple of days, but expect to take longer if you want to do it yourself.

Easy cleaning and maintenance

To clean up spills and messes, just use a little soap and water and your laminate floors will look brand new.

Healthy flooring

Laminate flooring provides a much cleaner and healthier living environment when compared to other floorings such as carpets, with regular cleaning cycles. It accumulates less dust, pet dander, allergens and it doesn’t hold residual stain contaminants on the surface. Allergic people will often be recommended to remove the carpets from the living space.

Economical

A typical laminate flooring is and extremely economical solution, if you take in consideration the costs of alternate flooring solutions. Solid hardwood floors will require 4-5 refinishings and carpets and vinyls will need to be replaced at least twice (depending on traffic loads), while laminates don’t require anything.

In conclusion, kids playing with their toys on the floor, the dog running through with dirty paws, friends walking with wet shoes on it, or baby bottle spills all over it won’t be a problem with laminate flooring. They are the perfect floor for busy families and growing households.

By: E. Timothy Uy

About the Author: Laminate flooring enthusiasts unite! Installation, maintenance, selection, e.g., Harmonics, Pergo, Shaw, Mannington – you name it, we are talking about it. Join us at http://laminateflooring.oncloud8.com