Laminate flooring is fast becoming a popular option among homeowners. There are several reasons for this. An article about wood flooring on the TalkTalk website discusses what may be the biggest reason for their popularity:
“The main advantage of this flooring is cost – you get what you pay for here. These floors are simply clicked into place over a layer of foam, making them very easy to lay. They are easy to maintain and highly durable, although lower grade laminates may only last 5 – 15 years before heading to the landfill.”
Laminate flooring is named after the process that made it: lamination. This describes fusing different materials together through heat, pressure, and adhesives. Most of the time the laminate flooring is made to resemble wooden flooring, but most of the time no wood is actually used in the process.
A laminate floor has several layers. The top layer is the wear layer, which is designed to take all of the punishment. The next layer – the decorative one – is often designed to look wooden; however, the pattern is actually printed on paper then set in resin. After the two upper layers comes the core. This is made of fibreboard and it provides the laminate with solidity so that it can be installed easily. The final two layers are a back layer that absorbs moisture and an underlayer to reduce the noise made by people walking on it.
Installing laminate flooring is actually rather easy. The most important step is the preparation. Ensure the floor is well prepared. It has to be free of bumps, tacks and any other protrusions. Their installation is done by one of two means: glue or glueless. Glue installations require professionals. This is to ensure that the laminate is properly is properly applied so that there are no seams between the laminate boards. Glueless installations are more popular since they are easy for the average DIY’er.
Once you have the laminate flooring installed it’s important to keep the flooring in great shape. The only way to do so is to regularly use high-quality laminate floor cleaner. Cleaning the ingrained dirt and dust from the laminate floor ensures that the wear layer is clean and unsightly scratches are minimised. Additionally, using a mop ensures that no additional moisture is left behind as this could damage the floor.
Bespoke laminate floor polish from vendors like Laminate Restoration U.K. is also used in addition to their cleaning products. This protects and makes your laminate floor shine like new. The best results are always achieved when using products that are specifically designed for the job.
(Source: Wood flooring explained, TalkTalk)