What is laminate flooring and how does it compare with hardwood flooring?

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Laminate wood flooring is becoming more and more popular in our households. People are slowly replacing the more traditional hardwood floors with laminate floors. This could be probably due to the added aesthetics, natural appearance and underfoot warmth that laminate floors provide. So, what is laminate flooring?

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Laminate flooring is a Swedish old flooring technique that uses a multi-layer synthetic combination of fiberboard and melamine resin that are laminated together. It provides homeowners with an affordable way of enjoying the many benefits of having wooden floors, just that they are not really wooden, but laminate floors. As we journey through “what is laminate flooring,” the best way to gain a better understanding is to draw comparisons with hardwood flooring. The following factors can be used to make distinctions between the two floor types.

Pricing? Save With Laminate Flooring

The flooring costs will significantly determine the type of floor you will choose. It is, therefore, prudent to consider that laminate flooring costs about half what it would cost you to use hardwood flooring. This is because laminate flooring is basically a composite of wood pressed at very high temperatures. Hardwood image is then impressed on the wood composite to produce the laminate. On the other hand, hardwood floorings are obtained from harvested wood. Exotic hardwood trees are very pricy and as such tend to inflate the cost of hardwood flooring.

Durability

Laminate flooring is less susceptible to wear and tear, scratching, and highly resistant to moisture. This is because it is primarily pressed wood. It is, therefore, more durable than hardwood flooring which is more prone to scratches and destruction by moisture. In addition to being durable, laminate flooring is also easier to clean that hardwood flooring.

Ease Of Repair

This is one area where hardwood flooring beats laminate floorings. As much as laminate flooring are more durable, in cases where they are damaged repair becomes quite a challenge. The only option is to replace the damaged pieces, but this will result into uneven or non-uniform floor as the pieces won’t be of the exact shade of color. Hardwood flooring is very easy to repair because all that is required is sanding and refinishing the imperfections.

Aesthetic Value

Although both floor types can greatly enhance the interior beauty of your home, hardwood floorings provide a lasting beautiful appearance than laminate flooring. The compromise with laminate flooring is in the costs most of the time. Laminate floorings are impressed with hardwood images to provide that shine. Often than not, the coverings come off leaving behind an artificially looking wood texture that is less appealing to the eye.

Maintenance

Laminate floorings are very easy to maintain. All that is required is regular sweeping, mopping with a dry piece of cloth or wiping with a damp cloth. Hardwood floorings, on the other hand, are a bit more complicated to maintain and require special cleaners.

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These are the major comparison areas between the two types of floors. The question “what is laminate flooring” has been adequately provided with an answer. The two types of floors may seem confusing, but with a keen and sharp eye it is very easy to tell them apart.