Designing with Laminate
Floors
The tradition of hardwood floors dates back hundreds of years, their
beauty and warmth have downed the halls of castles and brought elegance
to many a modern day dining room. Whether it’s casual or formal,
the natural beauty of hardwood can bring warmth and character to any
room and suit any décor. Hardwood floors are however porous,
resulting in a weakened structure that is both easy to stain and
scratch. This in part has lead to the invention of laminate flooring.
While capturing all the beauty and elegance of hardwoods, laminate
flooring is both durable and easy to maintain. Its machine made construction
will not stain, warp or buckle and the Aluminum Oxide coated surface
gives it a high degree of scratch resistance that is perfectly suited
to heavy foot traffic. Unlike hardwood, laminate floors have water
resistant cores and wax impregnated edges making them resistant to
topical water spills, and allowing for installation in kitchens and
bathrooms.
The allure of laminate flooring lies not only in its representation
of real hardwood and its incredible durability, but also in the ease
with which these floors are installed and maintained. The introduction
of glueless laminates has revolutionized flooring, opening the door
to the DIY market and weekend enthusiast. No prior experience, specialized
knowledge or tools are required. Simply place on the floor, cut the
odd piece, click, and your floors are ready to be walked on. The
work is time consuming and hard on the knees, but with savings of
up to 40% of total job cost, it just might be worth the hardship.
Laminate flooring is highly stain resistant and requires very little
routine care and maintenance, freeing up your time to relax by the
pool. Simply sweep the floor daily with a soft bristled brush and
damp mop as required. As a precautionary measure, place foot mats
at external doorways, thus preventing the tracking in of dirt, and
furniture pads under the feet of furniture in order to prevent scuffing
and scratching.
Laminate flooring is available in a plethora of styles and designs.
Each wood species displays its own unique characteristics, each lending
itself to a different design aspect. Choose the grainy appearance
of Oak to add charm to any rustic interior, or utilize the grain-less
consistent landscape of Maple to bring continuity to modern décor.
Remember to use light colors to visually expand a room, while adding
dark color for a more intimate feel.
This flooring article was written by Barry H. Get more tips and
techniques at: Online Laminate Flooring Resources
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