Best Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring was created by a Swedish company called Pergo AB in 1977. It didn’t become popular in the United States until 1994 when it was first sent to retailers on the East Coast and in the Midwest. When trying to choose the best laminate flooring, there are a number of factors that need to be considered.
Durability
By its very nature, laminate flooring is more durable than other types of flooring. This is its largest asset and part of what makes it so popular. This type of flooring is made so durable by the high density of its backing board. The durability of the best laminate that extends to the ability of the flooring to resist scuffs, stains, water, scratching and fading. The things that will often ding wooden floors or other types of flooring have little to no affect on laminate floors.
Installation
It is easy to be installed over older floors that include wooden floors, tile floors, vinyl floors, and linoleum floors. The best laminate flooring is easy to install yourself, which is a great way to save money on your new floors. Laminate flooring is an interlocking form of flooring that is held together with an adhesive which means that most floors can be installed in an afternoon.
Price
Typically costs are between seven to eleven dollars per square foot, though it is possible to get discounted flooring or wholesale . While it might be tempting to go for the cheapest laminate flooring available, you run the risk of getting a product that is of lesser quality. The best might cost a little more, but it will be well worth it in the long run. The nice thing about laminate flooring is that the wood character comes from a photo image, so the price doesn’t vary according to finish or grain options.
Maintenance
The best laminate flooring is one that is easy to take care of. By nature, this flooring doesn’t need much care. Owners need to make sure that moisture doesn’t get into the core of the flooring and other than that, care can be kept up by a simple mopping with a damp mop or running a vacuum over the surface.
There are a wide variety of laminate floors brands out there and choosing the best can be quite a challenge. Because it has become so popular and because there are so many brands, often the choice can be overwhelming. When choosing flooring for your home you will want to think about how long you are going to be in your home, the traffic that the floor will get and the general needs of your family. If you have a large family, you will want a thicker core to resist the heavier traffic. The best laminate will suit your family’s traffic and activity. Look at the materials used to make up the different layers of the flooring and choose the materials that will work best for your family.
Picking The Best Bathroom Flooring
There are two considerations when it comes to flooring (as with many choices that you have to make in your bathroom renovation project). Can we describe them as style and substance to borrow from the old aphorism. Do you want your floor to be all style and no substance, all substance and no style or a bit of an all rounder. An all rounder is the obvious response but you may have other things in the room that you want to set the style of the room, like an elaborate statue, modern vanity units or an unusual whirlpool tub. In this case you want a functional flooring that helps to show off these features. If you have no other features that you want to show off then maybe your flooring can be super stylish or have an elaborate pattern and be the main feature of the room. Of course these choices come down to your personal likes and your budget. This article will examine some considerations when picking the best bathroom flooring.
In terms of cost tiling is probably the most expensive flooring. Then comes laminates and vinyl. Some people use carpet in their bathrooms but this is generally going out of fashion as it is harder to clean and doesn’t really react very well to moisture. It pays to shop around either physically or on the internet for good deals for these types of materials. Often there will be an end of line material that is going cheap so you may end up getting a cheaper tile flooring that may be a few years old than the latest vinyl patterns. If you do this however, ensure that there is enough of this material to cover your bathroom (with a few spare tiles for any mishaps during the installation).
Another consideration with bathroom flooring is who will install the flooring. Whilst it is a good learning experience to lay the bathroom flooring you probably don’t want to learn this skill on a super expensive Italian ceramic tiling that costs $20 a square foot. You probably want to hire a professional or even the person that sold you the tiling to install it. If you are installing a vinyl tiling or sheeting then this is relatively inexpensive and could be a good project to get your feet wet. This all comes down to cost in the end.
Ceramic tiling looks great and is the best way to make a statement in your bathroom. This is your all style material however it has many practical qualities. It is extremely durable and will last a lifetime.
Laminate is a fairly new material in the bathroom (and homes in general). It is cheaper than tiling and can come in some impressive designs, like pine flooring or a stone effect. It is easy to install. It comes with an underlay that gives it a sense of give and dampens any noise when you walk on it.
Vinyl comes in sheets or tiles. Vinyl sheeting is probably the cheapest and easiest to install. It is a great material to use for DIY projects. This is because you can make mistakes and it won’t cost too much. Vinyl is also durable but will wear out quicker than the other materials. It is also liable for fad in terms of color and pattern over time.
Want Wide Plank Pine Flooring Underfoot?
Wide plank pine flooring is a versatile look that can go with a variety of decorating schemes. Country, contemporary or covered with antiques and bright leather chairs and sofa, this wood flooring practically screams “home sweet home.” Wouldn’t you like to have this be the foundation for your abode?
First thing that a homeowner needs to do is to find a style and stain color that they like. There is a large variety out there, so it’s wise to go to showrooms, pick up a few samples and bring them back to your house to see how they will look. There are narrow planks as well as wide ones, and light, medium and dark stains. There are some that are very smooth and refined looking, while others are adorned with personality-plus knotholes and irregularities. Some wood has been converted from antique sources that have been recovered from old barns, pickle vats, factories and homes. How’d you like to have a bit of history converted into your gorgeous new floor? Not only is this a huge design statement, but it’s a green thing to do in that you’re recycling used wood rather than cutting down another tree in the forest. Once the style of wood has been picked out, it’s time to get it installed.
Some handy homeowners can do it themselves. Others will need to hire an experienced installer in order to have it done professionally. Since pine is a softer wood than some of the hardwoods such as oak, it tends to be an easier installation. A do-it-yourselfer will need to own or rent a ready supply of tools such as a table saw, circular saw, a heavy duty stapler, nails, clamps, router, tape measure or ruler, and of course a hammer and some nails. Drills with an assortment of drill bits will also be needed. If there is existing flooring or carpeting in the home, tools will be required to tear it out as well. This tool list will depend of the type of flooring to be removed. A trip to the dump to discard the old carpet, padding or tile remains may be in order, as well.
Once the floor has been assembled in place, the handy homeowner or professional installer will need to finish with sandpaper, stain and wood oil. The best thing about wide plank pine flooring is that it will only get better with age. The natural wood will adapt to the surroundings and develop a look all its own.