
Laminate floors offer exceptional durability for active
areas of the home.
Whether you are remodeling or building a new home laminate floors
have become a popular choice for active areas within the home. If you love
the look of real hardwood but are concerned with the upkeep than laminate
floors could be your answer. If you are concerned with tearing up your old
floor or you don't want to spend the additional money for a real hardwood
floor than a laminate floor may be a great alternative for you. Laminate
floors are also a great product for do-it-yourself installations.
Originally from Europe, laminate floors have become a
major flooring category with
North America
consumers. Today, consumers can find a wide selection of laminate flooring
brands in many different designs, sizes and colors. The floors come in many
different plank widths and square tile sizes. The stylish designs range from
realistic stone, tile and hardwood visuals.
Laminate flooring manufacturers use sophisticated,
computerized technology to create realistic designs. The top wear layer is
incredibly durable and easy to care. It is also impervious to most stains,
spills, burns and extremely scratch-resistant.
Laminate floors are installed by floating the planks over
most substrates including plywood, OSB, concrete slabs and some existing
floor coverings. The planks and tiles have tongue and groove edges that lock
them together. These floors are never secured directly to the sub floor.
Most laminate floors require no glue to secure the planks
and tiles together, they just snap together. Glueless installation makes these floors quick and easy-to-install and ideal for
do-it-yourself installations. Some other laminate floors are pre-glued at the
factory and only require a damp sponge to re-activate the adhesive along the
tongue edges. While a few other laminate floors do require a specially
formulated glue to be applied to each of the plank edges.
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