Laminate flooring: easy to install and very resistant

Laminate floors are an excellent option to transform your home or office. Manufactured in layers based on a glued and compacted high-density fibreboard in a waterproof way, they offer a high wear resistance and a very good quality / price ratio.

However, the popularity of this material is not solely due to its technical characteristics. Aesthetically they are capable of imitate wood finish natural or other materials, with great realism. A feature that makes it easy to integrate them into rooms of different decorative styles.

Advantages of laminate flooring

Laminate floors owe their main advantages to the technical characteristics of the material. They are hypoallergenic, very resistant to wear and tear and one of the most moisture resistant floors on the market. In addition, its installation is simple, and can be placed on other floors. Do you need more reasons to bet on a laminate floor?

• Wear protection: Its multi-layer finish provides a level of wear resistance that exceeds the normal requirements of commercial environments.
• Impact resistance: The unique multilayer design together with the compact core material, provides a very high impact resistance, to withstand even falling objects.
• Hypoallergenic and antibacterial: Bacteria need food and moisture to thrive, and the hermetically sealed, easy-to-clean surface of quality laminate floors prevents this. This provides a high level of hygiene naturally, without chemical antiseptics. They are, therefore, an interesting alternative for those who have a pet.
• Moisture resistance: Laminate floors have an efficient sealing system that prevents water from seeping out. The result is a moisture-resistant floor, suitable for installation in kitchens and bathrooms (but not outdoors).
• Ease of cleaning: The hermetically sealed surface prevents dirt build-up and a top layer of resin makes cleaning easy. A vacuum cleaner and mop are sufficient for daily maintenance. And periodically a mop with little water and non-abrasive products.
• High fire resistance: Laminate floors have a high natural resistance to fire thanks to their multilayer structure. This, in combination with the density of the core, favors rapid heat dissipation.

• Easy installation: Installation is quick and easy, snapping the boards into place. To install them, it is not necessary to remove the old flooring; can be installed on concrete, granite, vinyl, wood, etc. as long as it is dry and level.
• Economical: Laminate floors allow you to enjoy the warmth of wood at a more affordable cost.
• Antistatic: Some laminate floors prevent annoying static electricity discharges and reduce the accumulation of dust and lint on the floor.
• antideslizante: Laminate floors can also be non-slip, an essential feature if you are going to install it in a bathroom or kitchen. This protection prevents slipping caused by moisture and water.
• Wide variety of benefits and qualities. There are enough varieties to say that it is customizable. We can find them with different surface resistance in order to adapt it to use, with greater or less resistance to humidity depending on the destination of the installation, in different slat sizes, etc.

Disadvantages of laminate flooring

Are they all advantages? The advantages are much more numerous than the disadvantages, but we cannot avoid being. Laminate flooring is strong flooring but cannot be sanded, stabbed or varnished, which makes it difficult to repair the part spoiled. It is also important to bet on laminates that have additional protection against moisture perimeter sealing if we do not want to have problems.

• Unable to repair the part: It is not possible to stab, sand or repair a part once it is chipped by a blow or damaged by moisture, requiring its replacement. This forces part of the floor to be lifted, including the skirting boards, if necessary.
• Joint weakness: The main disadvantage of this type of flooring is its weakness at the joints. It is essential to achieve a surface that is as homogeneous and level as possible and we do not want the joints to open or bow to expose the interior material that is not very resistant.
• Additional features that they raise the price. Those who have underfloor heating will not be able to use any laminate floor, having to resort to a premium model.

Laminate flooring qualities

Where are you going to put the laminate flooring? In what room? Who uses it? What is it for? Will the floor be exposed to stains or water frequently? Answering all these questions is necessary to choose a soil with adequate resistance. Currently the classifications used for floating laminate flooring, ordered from highest to lowest quality, are:

1. Class 31 - For intensive domestic use - moderate commercial.
2. Class 32 - For intensive domestic use - normal commercial.
3. Class 33 - For intensive domestic use - intensive commercial.
4. Class 34 - For intensive domestic use - moderate industrial.

Colors and finishes

Laminate floors, as mentioned above, are capable of realistically imitate wood and other materials such as metal, stone or ceramic. Therefore, it offers us a wide range of possibilities to dress our home. Whatever style you want for your home, laminate flooring can help you achieve it.

Wood-effect laminate floors in natural shades They give the rooms a more rustic style. They surround our home with the warmth of the most classic woods, such as oak, beech or pine. New technologies also make it possible to manufacture floors with formats and finishes that recreate aspects of naturalness and wear; Although it seems that it has been stepped on for years, our dream will be new.

Compared to natural colors, there are those who prefer light tones, white and gray, for the luminosity and the feeling of spaciousness that they provide to modern and current spaces. Grays are one of the newest and are among the latest decorative trends; they fit into any environment and are very practical.

Do you prefer the sophistication of a dark floor? The dark tones give the rooms a unique touch of class. Those with very marked veins are ideal for ethnic decorations, while the more uniform ones are more typical of minimalist environments.