Luxury vinyl flooring and engineered wood flooring are close matches with laminate flooring.
Still, laminate flooring remains a budget flooring material in performance, appearance, and reputation.
Because product quality differs greatly, life expectancy can also vary.
The Spruce / Michelle Becker
Many very good laminates can be found in the affordable $2 to $3 range.
Because laminate is easy to install, professional installation is not always needed.
Nationally, the average price for a laminate flooring installationmaterials plus laboris only about $5 per square foot.
This makes laminate flooring one of the least expensive of all flooring materialscomparable to a mid-level carpet.
Hardwood flooring, by contrast, can easily cost $15 to $20 per square foot to install.
For stains, mop with a slightly damp mop, or better yet, use laminate floor cleaner.
The Spruce / Michelle Becker
No floor waxing is ever necessary for laminate floors.
Avoid excessive waterwhen mopping, which can seep into the seams between boards, causing swelling.
Forareas with heavy moisture, you need an impervious surface, such asvinylorporcelain tile.
The Spruce / Michelle Becker
Some manufacturers even issue long warranties on the wear layer itself.
If you do get a stain, it is usually easy to clean off.
The inability to sand and refinish is a disadvantage of laminate flooring.
Every board is of consistent quality and appearance.
Deep embossing adds to the illusion of wood grain, as well.
However, laminate flooring’s similarity to real wood or stone disappears when you look closely at the planks.
Laminate flooring is by no means identical in appearance to real wood, partly because of pattern repetition.
Laminate Flooring Installation
Laminate is very quick and easy to install.
Even do-it-yourselfers with limited flooring skills can install laminate flooring in a small room in a day or two.
Older types of laminate flooring required you to glue pieces to each other.
Since the planks are constructed with a particleboard core, it’seasy to cut themto fit with miter saws.
The underlayment also eliminates the hollow sound and feel that sometimes occurs with laminate flooring.
Traditionally, laminate flooring has been very slippery.
More recently, though, laminate flooring manufacturers have been developing textured, slip-resistant wear layers.
Also, laminate flooring tends tocreate static electricity, though this problem can be reduced bykeeping the floor clean.
Laminate Flooring vs. And because it is a resilient material, it is quieter and softer underfoot than laminate flooring.
Is Laminate Flooring Right for You?
Few flooring materials are more economical or easier to install than laminate flooring.
No, laminate flooring is not plastic flooring.
While laminate flooring has many strong points, its most significant downside is its poor resistence to water.
Otherwise, the water may seep below and affect the sensitive core layer.
Carpets and Healthy Homes.
National Center for Healthy Housing.
