What are the Pros and Cons to Laminate Flooring?
The Pro's of installing laminate floors in your business.
1. Affordability:
A lot of choose laminate floors over the other because of how affordable they are. Laminate floors are made up of mostly composite wood that is pressed together which is more affordable than real natural wood, which can be expensive depending on which tree's it is coming from.
2. Extreme resilence:
The composite wood material that laminate floors are made up of are extremely hardwearing and is very scratch resistant. The topcoat of the laminate material will survive heavy foot traffic which is a great option for a commercial space that is going to have a lot of traffic or furniture moving. Laminate floors are also UV resistant which means it will not be affected by the hard rays of UV's and the color will remain good as new over the years.
3. Beautiful apperance:
The apperance of laminate flooring is almost identical to natural wood floors but for half the price. Laminate floors comes in an abundance of different colors and styles. The laminate material is made up of four different layers; the back layer if the plank is responsible for protecting the plank against moisture and balances the floor. The core layer is a high-density board that protects the material from indentations and moisture. The design layer, which is above the core layer, has a high-resolution photograph of the floor's surface apperance, which creates the wood-like look. Last layer is the wear layer, this is the top layer made up of aluminum oxide that protects against fading stains, and surface burns.
4. Simple Maintenance:
Laminate flooring is known for how easy it is to maintain. It is best to look up the maintenance and care from the manufacturer, since different methods can vary based on different materials. Otherwise, taking the same precautions as you would with any other floors. Cleaning up spills and messes is as simple as using a damp mop and broom. By adding rugs or mats can help prevent furniture and traffic from scratching the floors making them last longer in your business or home. Keep in mind that laminate floors can be sensitive to water, try to avoid mopping regularly and use a damp mop rather than a soaking wet one. To preserve and protect the wear layer, make sure any cleaning supplies that are used are safe for laminate floors. Also never polish or wax your floors as this can also damage them. Once you have damaged your laminate floors, you cannot refinish them, small scratches might be able to be fixed with wax pencils or repair putty, but anything else will require having that board/boards replaced. Which replacing the boards is very easy and does not require much labor, if it is just one or a few boards.
5. Design options:
There are a ton of design options since laminate floors use a printed design for their image layer, it is even possible to customize your flooring planks for an extra cost. The most common design for laminate planks is the wood look, but they also can come in stone and tile laminate floor options. There are a few different patterns you can choose to lay your floors in. There is tradition, which was meant to mimic wood flooring so a traditional pattern would follow the standard width and layout of classic wood floors. There are a lot of different patterns to choose from; grid, staggered, diagonal, offset, weave, and herringbone. Laminate floors are constantly growing in popularity and always coming out with new and trendy designs.
6. Versatility:
Laminate flooring can be installed over just about any substrate, including concrete, wood, plywood, and previously installed vinyl flooring. Since it doesn’t expand and contract like real wood does, games also notes that its good flooring for use in areas where hardwood flooring isn’t an option. They are suitable for any living area; they can be installed in industrial areas. The basic quality of your laminate can be identified by the thickness of the individual panels and the workmanship of the components. The Tongue and groove click mechanism should be solid and of good quality. To be able to decide which laminate version meets your requirements, you can use the service classes specified by the manufacturer as a guide. These provide information about the durability of the floor. For use in the home, for example, a distinction can be made between low use, normal use, or heavy use in order to achieve the best durability in terms of value for money.
7. Installation:
Laminate floors have a few options when it comes to installation. There is glue less click, which is the most popular option because it is the easiest to install and is simple and mess free. Most laminate flooring in this style uses a double click method to lock into place completely, this is a great option for renters or if you just aren’t looking to damage your subfloors. Glue down laminate is the first form of this flooring, which requires glue to be applied to the subfloor before placing the planks down. This option can be messy, but it is highly durable when placed properly. Pre-glue is another great option that is mess free, it goes by peel-and-stick method. The pre-applied glue needs to be dampened before the panel is secured to the floor. When it comes to your surface type, you typically want a smooth flat surface before installing laminate floors. This is the easiest to clean and will help make your floors more realistic if you are looking to resemble more natural materials. If your floors are textured or embossed, laminate flooring can look more accurate to the materials it is modeled after.
8. Con's
The only real con’s to choosing laminate floors is how sensitive it is to moisture. Oversaturation of any liquid, not just water, can cause the planks to buckle, stain, and break down if left untreated. Waterproof laminate is always a great option, as it is becoming more popular, it is still important to act like they are not waterproof to insure the longevity of the floors. If liquids get underneath the planks, they must be removed and replaced entirely. Laminate floors cannot be refinished due to its composite construction and wear layer, a laminate floor can never be refinished. Once damaged or worn out the planks must be replaced.
If you are thinking about installing laminate floors into your commercial space, call HTC Commercial Flooring for a free estimate! (708) 942-5800!