Laminate Hardwood Flooring Offers Appearance Without The Headache

Laminate Hardwood Flooring Offers Appearance Without The Headache

Most everyone adores the beauty of natural hardwood floors, and for many generations they graced many rooms in many houses. Today, many of the homes that have hardwoods floors have them covered with carpets or other flooring materials. Occasionally, the natural wood becomes dull and impossible to return to its original beauty, or in new construction, and laminate hardwood flooring is used as an alternative.

Installation is considerably easier with laminate hardwood flooring, beginning with the size of planks being used. Hardwood flooring strips are generally between eight and 12-feet long, making them difficult and heavy to transport, while laminate hardwood flooring is usually only four-feet long, making them easy to carry and transport. When installing a traditional wood floor, space must be allowed for expansion and contraction during weather changes, but laminate flooring can be installed as a floating floor, which is not bothered by weather changes.

The surface of a laminate hardwood flooring is designed to maintain its luster and beauty for many years without any major problems. Natural wood can easily be stained by liquids and if the liquid penetrates deep into the wood, it can nearly be impossible to remove. With laminate hardwood flooring, quick wipe ups of any liquid spills will rarely leave any evidence of the accident.

No Tough Finishing Work Is Required

When installing a traditional wood floor, once it is in place, it will need to be sanded and stained. This can take days of hard work, not to mention the mess of the sanding and the smell of the staining materials. Additionally, periodic refinishing will be necessary to retain its original beauty. When you install laminate hardwood flooring, it can usually be done in less than a day, depending on the room size and configuration, and can be used as soon as it is installed.

There is nothing else to do once it is in place and all the finishing pieces are down except put your furniture back in place and starting using the room again. While both traditional woods floors and laminate hardwood flooring can be damaged by fine grit and dirt, the care of the laminate floor is easier as it is rare to use water to clean the surface. Damp mops can be used, but usually are not necessary, and if water is spilled, laminate hardwood flooring is designed to not allow the liquid to reach the lower level of the flooring.