The best option for replacing your Alexandria, Virginia home is laminate floors that are cost-effective, durable and versatile. Made from pressed fibreboard adorned with photographic images and sealed with a clear-plastic coating, laminate floors say a lot about the person in their homes.
To select the best laminate flooring, you have to find one that works for you and your lifestyle. Size, thickness, wear thickness, AC rating, finish/texture selections that you have and also water resistance/warranty requirements or brand name are possibly key factors.
Thickness
Thickness is also something that a homeowner should pay attention to when it comes to shopping for laminate floors. Thicker laminate, like 10mm or 12mm laminates, will resist more traffic and high traffic than thin laminates and are generally more realistic in appearance and feel – especially laminates that are aimed at replicating, for example, wood flooring.
Thicker laminates are mainly built to be more resistant to water, and so they’re suitable for kitchens and bathrooms where you regularly have water intrusion from rain or bath tub use. Lack of moisture exposure can cause laminate planks to warp and brown with time, which could be harmful to the long-term function.
Laminates that are thinner like 6mm are also cheaper which is why it’s common among homeowners with budgets and DIYers to save money by putting in laminate themselves. And it’s true that if laminates are thinner, they won’t be as tough or resistant without some thought when tailored to the environment.
Wear Layer
A clear finish guards laminate against scratches and scuffs, keeping your floors strong – especially if you have kids or pets. The more durable your floors are the more durable your wear layer will be.
Laminate floors are an affordable flooring that comes in different styles and colours. No glue or grout to stick them on – a snap for the DIY-ers! The laminate is also water-resistant and will not warp – which makes it a great option for bathroom or kitchen.
Laminate should be allowed to dry in the new location at least 48 hours to acclimate to the moisture and temperature difference and avoid any later complications such as warped or buckled pieces. Be sure that your warranty also has waterproof hour guarantee to use it when in damp places.
Warranty
With a new technology, laminate floors can now re-create the look of woods, stones and tile floors. They’re scratch and spill resistant and a lot of brands offer some sort of limited lifetime guarantee for them.
As you can get mass-produced floors from Home Depot and Lowes to local flooring retailers, and you can buy them cheaply too. Installation might be available for an extra cost from some big box retailers as well.
When you use professional installers for floor installation, it will make it last long and be sold for higher price and can be finished in much less time than homeowners could ever.
A few laminate floors even have water-repellent coatings for wet areas such as bathrooms and kitchens that keep them from swelling or warping from moisture. The choice of the laminate floor that’s right for your budget, lifestyle, style, and job needs is not a clear-cut matter but in the end, the best laminate floor relies on the floor looking natural and being durable enough to endure daily usage.
Installation
It’s more than just the size of the home and how much it costs to hire an installer; it’s how many factors contribute to your floor installation. Graham suggests getting a couple of estimates before going with one, and checking to make sure that it’s licensed in your state before committing to a company for the job.
The install laminate at home will take a couple of days, maybe even week, depending on your capabilities, you will need to buy or rent tools and that is all part of the cost.
Since laminate is made of four layers, not only does it have sturdy construction, but it also has realism for any design and resists stains, scratches and abrasions (some styles are antibacterial as well! Laminate is great for busy families as its four layers don’t stain, scratch or nick and are antibacterial!
