Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is an extremely popular choice of flooring because of its durability, ease of maintenance, and inexpensive price. A relatively new addition to the market, laminate has rapidly grown in popularity as a replacement for real wood or stone floors. Laminate flooring is a variety of man-made composite flooring consisting of several layers, typically with a fibreboard core covered with a decorative layer featuring a printed image of the design, and then finally covered with a wear layer that helps to protect the floor from scrapes and other forms of damage. Because laminate floor incorporates a decorative layer that can incorporate almost any image, it is available in a huge range of different styles to mimic the aesthetics of many other types of flooring like real wood or slate. While the majority of laminate floor features a smooth top layer, it may in addition have embossed or textured effects which mimic other types of flooring. Laminate flooring is suitable for a number of rooms, but be cautious if you plan on fitting it in a bathroom as specific moisture proofed laminate will have to be used. When choosing the perfect laminate for your house, decide on one with an appropriate Abrasion Class (AC) rating, as this specificies the amount of traffic the laminate is graded to perform well under. Laminate flooring is not too difficult to install due to its snap or click together design. However, it can be time consuming to install a substantial amount of laminate, and also tricky to cut the planks to the precise dimensions, as well as difficult to ensure that the right underlay and damp proofing is installed to suit your house. Specialist flooring companies can give you advice on the perfect laminate floor for your home, and ensure that it is installed to the highest quality.