Guide To Laminate Flooring Reviews
If you are in the market for new laminate flooring, you want to be sure that you get the best for you and your home. We have the best information you are looking for on laminate flooring review, and are here to help you along the way. Be sure that you check out our other articles as well as the rest of our site for great information that you can actually use.
When laminate flooring first became available in the 1980's, people complained of its difficult installation with glue and its susceptibility to moisture. In these early years, laminate flooring still looked rather fake and plastic. Who wanted such a floor that didn't look real and that may buckle with moisture within a few years? All of these issues have been resolved over the years.
Installation
Installation has been improved tremendously with new technology. Early models required that all planks be glued together, which was labor intensive, time consuming, and somewhat messy. Then you had the added inconvenience that the glue had to dry before anyone could walk on it or move furniture onto it. Now, the planks come in interlocking pieces that snap together easily and quickly. Some have pre-glued joints for extra strength without the mess. These are quite convenient since they are easy to put in and can be walked on or have furniture placed on them immediately after installation. Many builders even suggest that their customers install their laminate floors themselves because it is so easy and will save them labor charges. Other time saving features have been added to some brands. Many still have to sit 48-96 hours in the room they are to be installed in just to acclimate the planks to the humidity and temperature levels. This adds two to three days to the waiting for installation. Now, some brands have reduced this step by improving their moisture resistance.
Moisture Resistance
Moisture could be devastating to the original laminate floors causing buckling. However, advances in the construction of the planks have resolved this issue. Earlier products would absorb as much as 20% moisture, while at least one of the manufacturers of modern laminate flooring says its planks will absorb no more than 6% moisture. The planks are infused with melamine and protected with an overlaying layer. This process is so reliable against moisture that manufacturers will now warranty the laminate floors for 20 to 30 years, which was not the case in earlier years. Consumers can rest assured that their laminate floors will not buckle as long as installation procedures for the proper underlayment are followed correctly.
Aesthetics
The aesthetics of laminate flooring has also improved dramatically. The early laminate planks were smooth with a picture-like quality of wood grain underneath the protective top layer, and all of the planks were a uniform size. This gave a plastic, false look to the flooring that many people would associate with looking cheap. Few wanted to ruin the sophisticated dcor of their home with a phony looking flooring. Today's laminate flooring planks come in varied widths and lengths with actual texture of wood, slate, or tile embossed on the surface. This makes the planks seem more realistic whether it's a wood or stone look.
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