What Is Laminate Flooring?

What is laminate flooring and is it the right practical and aesthetic choice for your home’s next floor? Laminate flooring is a relatively new addition to the flooring market and is generally considered to be a more versatile, affordable alternative to tile or hardwood flooring. Continue reading to learn more about what laminate flooring is made of as well as what kind of laminate flooring is best for your home. Laminate flooring is a popular alternative to hardwood or tile flooring and is made up of multi-layered, synthetic materials. Generally, laminate flooring consists of 4 layers. The first laminate floors were developed in the 1970s for homeowners looking for a different option to hardwood.

What Is Laminate Flooring Made Of?

So what is laminate flooring made out of? Laminate flooring usually consists of four different layers, the backing layer, inner layer, design layer, and wear layer. These four layers work together to create a durable, aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional flooring types (i.e. hardwood and tile). Below is a more detailed description of the different layers in laminate flooring and why each is necessary for creating these beautiful floors.

Backing layer: The backing layer is necessary for preventing warping due to moisture while the inner layer serves the primary purpose of minimizing sound.
Inner layer: This layer is usually comprised of high-density fiberboard and doubles as a moisture-resistant and sound absorption layer.
Design layer: The design layer is what gives laminate flooring a similar appearance to hardwood or tile flooring. This layer is visible to the eye and is made up of high-resolution photographs to give your floor the look of real wood or tile.
Wear layer: This is the clear layer on the very top of your laminate that makes your floor stain and fade resistant. The wear layer (on the very top of your laminate flooring) is needed to create the durable floor quality of laminate flooring.

These four layers help make laminate flooring extremely resilient and durable and also allow laminate floors to last a very long time while maintaining their beautiful appearance. Next up, we’re going to answer a common question homeowners have regarding the differences between laminate and vinyl flooring.

What Is Best Laminate Flooring?

So what is the best laminate flooring? To answer the “what type of laminate flooring is best” question, you must look at your aesthetic preferences and practical household needs. Not every laminate flooring on the market is suitable for households with heavy foot-traffic or small children. The type of laminate flooring that is best for your home is not universal, it’s dependent on what you like and what you need. If you’d like to learn more about the most durable or best types of laminate flooring on the market, give Carpet To Go a call to speak with one of our flooring specialists.

What Are The Benefits Of Laminate Flooring?

Laminate flooring comes with a host of benefits for homeowners. More and more people are opting for laminate due to the numerous benefits and ways that laminate enables them to have more convenient maintenance and home cleaning routines. Here are just a couple of the awesome benefits that laminate flooring affords homeowners.

1. Laminate Flooring Is Durable

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits that come with laminate floors is their durability. Laminate floors are extremely durable and have the ability to withstand heavy foot traffic for many years while maintaining their new appearance. So, whether you have indoor pets or small children, laminate floors are still a wonderful and durable option for your home.

2. Laminate Flooring Is Cost-Effective

Perhaps one of the most obvious benefits of laminate flooring is that they are incredibly cost-effective. In regards to the quality, look, and durability, laminate flooring is a worthy competitor to traditional hardwood flooring as it is equally beautiful and many times more cost-effective. Laminate flooring is incredibly affordable and provides homeowners with an easy way to reign in all the interior design aspects of their home without blowing the budget. This is perhaps why laminate flooring has become in higher demand in recent years.

3. Laminate Flooring Is Versatile

Given the wide number of shades, textures, styles, and patterns available on the flooring market today, laminate flooring is incredibly versatile and able to match almost any design style. Traditional, modern, minimal, rugged, or simple are all designs that can be achieved with laminate flooring. When you choose laminate floors, you are opening up an entire world of design flexibility through the options available to you. While many flooring types limit homeowners to one aesthetic, laminate flooring allows you access to virtually any style that you might fancy.

4. Laminate Flooring Is Super Easy To Install

Laminate flooring is possibly one of the easiest flooring types to install and requires very little time to get the job done. If you want the new look without the tedious days or weeks of construction and chaos going on in the home, laminate floors are just for you! They yield immediate results and are the most convenient way of sprucing up your home without added drama.

5. Laminate Flooring Is Convenient To Maintain

Another wonderful benefit of choosing laminate flooring is that it is incredibly easy to maintain and clean. Unlike traditional hardwood which requires periodic refinishing, laminate floors require no annual maintenance and are one of the easiest floors to clean. Maintaining laminate flooring requires a quick sweep daily and mop around once a week. When mopping your laminate floor, opt for a microfiber mop as this will leave your floor streak-free. Microfiber mops also will ensure that your laminate flooring doesn’t get too wet while mopping which will be beneficial to the longevity of your floor.

How to Choose The Best Type Of Laminate Flooring?

There are many types of laminate flooring, and the answer which is best for you is highly dependent on your individual needs. What laminate flooring is best for you may not be the best choice for others and vice versa. As a general rule, choose laminate flooring that meets your quality standards as well as your aesthetic preferences. If you’re not sure exactly what you are looking for in terms of design or quality, never fear! Here at Carpet To Go we have a team of laminate flooring experts who are ready to answer any of your flooring questions and assist you in finding the perfect floor for your home. If you’d like to speak with one of our flooring professionals or learn more about the laminate flooring options we offer, contact Carpet To Go today. We’d be more than happy to help you out.

What Is the Cost To Install Laminate Flooring?

The cost of installing laminate flooring is often far less than a more time-consuming installation (such as authentic hardwood or tile installations). In general, laminate flooring and laminate flooring installation are considered to be one of the most cost-effective options for homeowners so if you’re on a strict budget, consider having laminate flooring as your home’s next addition.

What Is Needed To Install Laminate Flooring?

If you are looking for a reliable laminate flooring installation service, get in touch with Carpet To Go’s team of flooring specialists today. Our team has years of experience completing flooring installations and helping homeowners find the right flooring solution for their homes. Whether you want to learn more about our laminate flooring selection or want to enlist our specialists for your installation, Contact Carpet To Go or give us a call at (425) 441-3658 today.

Frequently Asked Question:

What Is The Difference Between Laminate Flooring & Vinyl Flooring?

Many homeowners think that laminate flooring and vinyl flooring are synonymous with each other. This, however, isn’t the case as there are some main differences between laminate flooring and vinyl flooring. A general way of distinguishing between laminate and vinyl flooring is by testing the flexibility and softness. Vinyl flooring is soft and flexible whereas laminate flooring tends to be less flexible and more firm. While vinyl flooring has the added benefit of being more waterproof/water resistant than laminate floors, vinyl often has problems with fading due to sunlight exposure while laminate doesn’t typically encounter the same issue.