Laminate Floor Review

Reviewing and Evaluating Laminate Floors
By Barry Hutch

Since the introduction of laminate flooring into the US in 1982, the sector has experienced growth of up to 20% per annum at the expense of other floor types, making laminate the fastest growing floor type in the country. The appeal lies not only in its aesthetic value of its representation of real hardwood, but also due to its incredible durability and ease of maintenance.

Pergo were the first company to introduce laminate flooring into the U.S, and held the majority share of the consumer market for many years. As the popularity of laminate flooring grew, new players began entering the market and quickly gaining market share. Today there are hundreds of brands available to the consumer, some good quality and some inferior. With all the latest advancements in laminate technology, it seems that a new style is being introduced almost every week, making it a daunting task for the consumer to determine which floor best suits their needs.

The following factors will help you evaluate different brands and styles of laminate flooring in order to determine which laminate floor best suites your application.

Laminate floors are constructed using two different methods of manufacture: Direct Pressure Laminate (DPL) and High Pressure Laminate (HPL). Direct pressure laminate is made up of three layers, while a High Pressure Laminate is made up of a minimum of five layers. Is one better than the other? Yes. HPL is a far superior product. The addition of Phenolic Treated Kraft Sheets make the HPL a far stronger, more dent resistant and stable product. The catch is that they come with a higher price tag. Do you need HPL in your home? No. Most laminate floors sold in the US are (DPL) and are built for today’s active households. However if you are looking for a floor that will withstand the vigour of small children and large pets and still look good in 15 years time, then High Pressure Laminate is a good alternative.

Laminate cores range in thickness from 6mm to 12mm, with a thicker core usually denoting a more stable product. The only exception to this rule is High Pressure Laminate (HPL), which although has a much thinner core compared to (DPL), is stronger and more durable. Composition of core material is also an important factor. A good laminate floor is constructed using High density Fiberboard (HDF) as the core material, which has been treated with water repellent chemicals, offering stability and a high level of water resistance.

Joint integrity can be an important factor, especially when placing heavy items on your laminate floors. Laminate floors are engineered to withstand normal day to day wear and tear and are designed to withstand the weight of normal household furniture. If you wish to place an extra heavy item of furniture on you floors, such as a very large fish tank, you might want to consider purchasing a floor that has an aluminum locking system. Laminate floor joints should also be treated with water repellent chemicals, such as paraffin wax, which is impregnated into the tongue and groove of the floor boards.

A good laminate warranty should cover the following aspects: Fading, Denting, Wear and Tear, Staining and should have some kind of water warranty, although keep in mind that no laminate warranty covers flooding. Always be sure to scrutinize the duration of the different aspects of a laminate warranty, as a 25 year warranty might refer to manufacturers defects only, while the wear and tear aspect of the warranty only covers a 15 year period.

North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA): NALFA is the organization that sets the standards for laminate flooring in the USA. NALFA is a non profit organization, and its members are unpaid volunteers. Laminates submitted o NALFA undergo a range of stringent tests. If the laminate floor meets or exceeds NALFA standards, it will earn the right to display the NALFA seal of approval. Note that submission of laminate flooring to NALFA is voluntary. The following laminates carry the NALFA seal of approval: Pergo, Mannington, Wilsonart. A more complete list can be found at the NALFA website.

Laminate floors are available in a plethora of wood grains, stains and designs. Recent advances have included textured surfaces and beveled edges, giving the product the look, feel and appeal of real hardwood. Laminate floors are now available in widths ranging from 2 ¼” wide to as much as 12” wide, offering a wide range of interior design options. Laminate floors will complement almost any décor and can be placed in every room of the home.

This flooring article was written by Barry H. Get more tips and techniques at: Flooring Information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Benefits of Laminate Flooring

I'm thinking that for my household, laminate flooring has more benefits than hardwood.

Why Laminate Flooring Is The Perfect Choice For Family Households

by: S.A. Smith

If you've ever had carpets or vinyl flooring you've probably had your share of stains, spills, and rips that no matter what you do, you can't quite wash out. Or perhaps the family pet has scratched the carpet edging, or even worse - had a bathroom mishap on the children's favorite playing area?

Your flooring nightmares can finally end! Laminate flooring was designed to stand up to the rigors and demands of a busy family household and when compared to other types of flooring solutions easily outperforms in almost every category. Here our our top reasons for selecting laminate flooring for a family household:

Laminate flooring is tough

Designed with a tough and durable wear layer, it is much stronger than most installed solid hardwood flooring, vinyl's, and carpets. It stands up much better to dents and scratches that the softer surface of solid hardwood floors, and is a much better surface to install if you have heavy foot traffic, kids, or household pets. Best of all - it continues to look brand new even after years of wear and tear.

Stain, fade, and moisture resistant

Most laminate flooring manufacturers offer triple warranty protection against stains, fading and moisture damage for 25 years. In contrast, solid hardwood floors are susceptible to wood grain staining, fading in repeated sunlight exposure, and are not a suitable floor for areas with high moisture or humidity levels.

Laminate flooring is easy to install

The popular quality brands of laminate flooring have gravitated towards a glueless click together floating floor installation process.

These floors simply need to be cut to size, clicked together, and are immediately ready to walk on or place your furniture. Most weekend do-it-yourselfers can handle this installation, but should expect to take 2 - 3 times longer than a professional installer.

Laminate flooring is easy to clean and maintain

Spills and messes easily clean up with a little soap and water thanks to the hard moisture and wear resistant surface coating. No residual stain or mess will remain and your laminate floors will continue to look brand new. No more run down and tired looking floors!

Laminate flooring are a healthy flooring choice

With regular cleaning cycles, laminate floors can provide a much cleaner and healthier living environment when compared to carpets. Less dust, pet dander, allergens and dust mites accumulate on the surface, and the laminate surface will not hold residual stain contaminants like a carpet will. Allergists will often recommend to their patients the removal of carpets from the living space.

Laminate flooring is economical

Once you consider the costs of alternate flooring solutions over a typical laminate flooring lifespan it becomes an extremely economical solution. Carpets will require 2 to 3 replacements during this time, solid hardwood floors will require refinishing 4 to 5 times, and vinyl will need to be replaced at least twice, or more depending on traffic loads.

A worry-free family focused flooring surface

Kids can play toys on it, the dog can run through with muddy paws, the neighbor friends can visit with wet shoes, and the baby bottle spills all over the floor... not a problem anymore! Laminate floors are the perfect floor for busy families and growing households.

To read more of the benefits and advantages of laminate flooring visit http://www.laminateflooringzone.com About The Author

S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, contributor, and editor of the Laminate Flooring Zone resource site, and can be reached at http://www.laminateflooringzone.com .

Benefits of Hardwood Flooring

Why Hardwood Flooring Is Still A Good Investment

by: S.A. Smith

1) Hardwood flooring has a timeless air of quality

Hardwood floors have decorated some of the most exclusive mansions and estates in history and still exudes a feeling of permanence and classic quality compared to manufactured floors.

2) Hardwood floors are natural

Hardwood floors bring the natural outdoors inside, and do not contain man-made chemicals in the wood itself. Homeowners with exclusive design tastes will tend to gravitate towards the quality and natural feel of hardwood floors - there is just something about the feel and look of them that cannot be duplicated in a factory.

3) Hardwood flooring adds value to your home

Installing solid hardwood flooring in your home is a true investment that will retain its value. In many cases, installing hardwood floors with generate a return on investment that exceeds the initial cost of installation.

4) Real hardwood colors will never go out of style

There is a timeless quality about the natural color of hardwoods that will ensure your house never becomes outdated because of its flooring. Recent advancements in laminate flooring have allowed consumers to pick from a multitude of design styles and colors - unfortunately some of these may become outdated and fall out of favor.

5) Hardwood flooring sounds better

If you've ever walked over a floating laminate flooring system you'll hear a muffled echo sound, which is one of the few downsides of laminate floor systems. With proper installation of solid hardwood floors, you will not have this distracting hollow noise. Hollow sounds and vibrations are not an issue with hardwood floors - and this is actually one of the "good feelings" people can literally sense with real hardwood floors.

To read more of the benefits and advantages of hardwood flooring visit http://www.laminateflooringzone.com About The Author

S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, contributor, and editor of the Laminate Flooring Zone resource site, and can be reached at http://www.laminateflooringzone.com .

Selecting Hardwood Flooring

Ten Things You May Not Know About Selecting Hardwood Flooring

by: Doug Bolton

1) Red Oak is not the only choice

If you want your home to look like everyone else’s, this is a great choice. If you want your home to be unique try hickory, cherry, walnut, white oak, maple or many others. Go to flooring retailers or search the Internet and see what is available. If you really want red oak try using wider widths or character grade for variety and uniqueness.

2) 2 1/4 inch is not the only size available

If all you ask your builder for is a hardwood floor – you are going to get a 2 1/4 inch red oak floor. Why? It is the most common, most produced, most stocked, cheapest option available. You can buy sizes in 3” through 12”. You can put down a single width for a uniform look or multiple widths for a more random look. Typical random flooring patterns are 3”-4”-5”, 3”-5”, 4”-5”-6”. Have fun! Make your home unique! The wider the floor the more seasonal separations between the flooring planks can occur.

3) Import Species don’t support jobs in the United States

While there are vast amounts of imported species available, there are fantastic, interesting species of flooring available right here in the United States. Not all countries have managed forests and renewable resources. This is an important time to support our own economy.

4) All flooring is not select (clear) grade

The most common floors are select grade. These floors contain none of woods naturally occurring character marks. Look around your flooring showroom, almost every display is showing clear flooring. There are warm and inviting options. Look at a character grade or other grades. Make sure to see a photo of what the floor looks like, not just one piece.

5) Prefinished flooring is convenient

Have you ever been forced to leave your home for three days while the flooring contractor sands, stains and recoats your floor? If not ask a friend who has had it done. A professional flooring contractor will leave your home spotless, others can leave dust on all your furniture. Today’s factory finished flooring can be installed today and entertained on tonight with very little mess. With prefinished flooring each plank is allowed to move independently with humidity changes in your home. This makes those seasonal separations (cracks) in your floor less noticeable.

6) Colors can be cool – but mother nature is hard to beat

Some species of flooring are so beautiful in their natural color, they do not require any added color. Look up hickory, cherry or walnut flooring on the Internet and you will see what I mean.

7) Prefinish warranties are a gimmick

50 year warranty – WOW! Lifetime warranty – fantastic! Oh really? These are wear-through warranties only. Your floor will loose its “sheen” or luster and require refinishing long before you ever wear through the finish. The best way to make a floor last is to vacuum it often to keep away abrasive material that might scratch your floor. Remember a lower sheen floor shows less wear.

8) Not all flooring is smooth – texture is popular

Hardwood flooring does not have to be smooth. Many companies are offering hand scraped, distressed and reclaimed flooring. These floors have a classic look and add great value to upscale homes. They do not show much wear or scratches since they have a great deal of character interest to draw attention to different parts of the floor. These floors will be a guaranteed conversation piece with your friends and neighbors and are often the focal point at luxury home tours.

9) In a basement use engineered flooring

Most people use engineered flooring to glue down to concrete or in higher moisture areas. This flooring has a thin layer of hardwood with a cross banded plywood base. This makes the flooring more stable and does not require nailing like a solid hardwood floor.

10) Laminate flooring is not Hardwood flooring

A great steak does not taste the same as a picture of a great steak. If you want the beauty and warmth of hardwood flooring in your home – buy the real thing, not a cheap imitation.

About The Author

Doug Bolton is the owner of Homerwood Hardwood Floors located in the heart of the Pennsylvania hardwoood region - Titusville PA. You can learn more by visiting their website at http://www.homerwood.com

How To Shine a Hardwood Floor

I've heard people recommending vinegar to make a hardwood floor clean and shiny, but others say to avoid it. I wonder...this article provides some insight.

Make Your Hardwood Floors Shine

by: Craig A. Mouldey

You have just installed hardwood flooring in your home. Now what? How do you keep your hardwood floors clean and shiny? Read the following Q&A in which two hardwood floor owners are asking just that.

Q: "I was reading your site and saw that one should not use oil based cleaners. Why? Our installer told us to use vinegar in water, and use a damp cloth to clean the floor about once a week. Will this damage the floor? What is a polyurethane cleaner? Where do you buy it?"

A: If an oil based cleaner is used on polyurethane finished floors, it leaves an oily residue on the surface which can not only make cleaning the floor more difficult, but after a period of time, when the floor is showing signs of wear and needs to be buffed and recoated, this residue can present adhesion problems. When cleaning any hardwood floor, or furniture, minimal water should be used. In other words, wipe with a dampened, not wet cloth. Adding a capful of vinegar can help and is suggested by the National Wood Flooring Association. However, I have heard one floor finish manufacturer dispute this, believing the vinegar is too acidic and can break down the finish eventually. The absolutely simple and safe way to clean any sort of wood that is finished with a urethane is to use polyurethane cleaners which are manufactured by both hardwood flooring manufacturers and manufacturers of polyurethane. I use Squeeky Cleaner from Basic Coatings. Any hardwood flooring supplier near you should carry this or similar product. Also, Home Depot is a likely place to look, since they do sell hardwood flooring. This cleaner is usually blue in color, and is mixed 4 parts water to one part cleaner in a spray bottle. Mist some on a cloth and wipe. You can use this to clean any wood finished with urethane top coats.

Q: "We bought a beautiful old home with wonderful wood floors throughout which were installed in 93. They looked pretty good when we moved in two years ago, but now they look dull and mottled. Our cleaning person uses ****** for floors and some floor dusting cloth called ********. Could they be the problem? What can we use to get the shine back?"

A: There are any number of cleaners on the market, found in supermarket that say they are for hardwood floors. Your safest approach is to purchase a cleaner created by hardwood flooring manufacturers or floor finish manufacturers. This can be purchased (these products, as far as I am aware, are all basically the same) from local hardwood flooring retailers or a big box store that sells hardwood flooring. Best bet is the Hardwood retailer who specializes in hardwood. I use "squeaky cleaner" manufactured by Basic Coatings. See their web site: www.basiccoatings.com.

Mirage cleaner is another one.

It sounds likely that the cleaners being used on your floors are leaving some sort of film on the wood surface. This can create the situation you are describing and can make buffing and recoating in the future impossible to achieve due to adhesion issues.

To sum it up, your best bet to make your floors shine is to purchase a cleaner created by hardwood flooring manufacturers or floor finish manufacturers.

About The Author

Craig Mouldey is the owner of http://www.FaceLiftFloors.com . He has been in the flooring business for over two decades. You can find more flooring Q&A at http://www.FaceLiftFloors.com .

webmaster@faceliftfloors.com

Laminate Floors Offer Beauty, Durability

by: ARA Content

(ARA) - You might not give your floors much thought -- until it comes time to replace them. Then you realize that there are many options out there. For busy families whose floors need to stand up to kids and pets, laminate flooring is an excellent choice.

Laminate flooring has been a fashionable option in Europe for more than 20 years, and it's rapidly gaining popularity in the United States. The most common designs have a wood grain appearance; some are made to look like stone or marble. Laminates are designed to look good for many years with a minimum amount of maintenance.

Laminate flooring consists of four main components that are bonded together. A wear resistant decorative surface made of resin-based melamine/aluminum oxide is bonded to a moisture resistant wood composition-based core. A balancing backing is bonded to the underside of the core. On the top is a clear cap sheet of aluminum oxide, which provides the protection and stain resistance. Since the resin-filled wear layer is so dense, it becomes extremely difficult to stain, scratch or burn.

Ease of installation is one factor that contributes to the popularity of laminate flooring. It uses a tongue and groove interlocking system, which can be installed over the top of an existing substrate. Plywood, concrete slab, sheet vinyl flooring, hardwood flooring or virtually any other basically flat hard surface is a suitable base for laminate.

Most brands of laminate flooring require that the joints be glued with specially formulated, water-resistant glue placed between the tongue and grooves of every plank. However, Alloc, Inc., located in Racine, Wis., has a patented glueless interlocking system that provides strong, tight joints without messy glue or special tools.

Because installation is so simple, and because you can walk on your new floor immediately (no waiting for glue to dry), beautifying your home with new laminate flooring is truly a project you can do in a weekend. "Installing a laminate floor, especially with our glueless system, is a lot easier than people think," says company president Claes Wennerth.

No matter what your décor or your lifestyle, you can find a laminate floor to fit your needs. Alloc's Home Flooring can be used in virtually any area of your home, such as kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms and bathrooms.

Taking care of a laminate floor is even easier than installing it. To keep your floor looking like new and avoid scratches, simply vacuum or dust mop regularly to remove loose dirt or grit. Glides or cushioned bottom protectors under chairs and table legs also help prevent possible scratching, and floor mats at all outside doorways keep dirt from coming inside.

Alloc Home Flooring is backed by a 25-year, five star plus warranty which covers five areas: joint integrity, stain resistance, fade resistance, wear resistance and water resistance.

To find an Alloc dealer in your area, or to get more information on available patterns and installation procedures, call (877) DO-ALLOC or visit the company's Web site, www.alloc.com.

About The Author

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com

Laminate Flooring- Attractive and Long Lasting

Laminate Flooring Is Attractive And Long Lasting

by: Mike Yeager

Laminate flooring is perfect for people who want to install a floor covering that is easy to install and combines the rich look of hardwood with the easy care of a laminate counter top. Laminate floors that have been constantly gaining popularity since their creation a few years ago. Laminate flooring can be properly installed on sheet vinyl flooring, concrete slab, plywood, hardwood flooring, or essentially any other flat hard surface. Laminate wood flooring has a special composite of layers that makes up its construction. Most of the flooring plank is a thick and water resistant core material that is designed for uniformity. The top level of laminate wood flooring is the finished flooring material, which is usually decorative and waterproofed to protect against common household spills. Because of flooring harmonics laminate’s design, most laminate flooring will last longer than other types of flooring.

Choosing the right Laminate Flooring

If you are interested in buying laminate flooring but worry about the price and availability of certain colors and patterns, there is no need to fret. Flooring harmonics laminate is actually cheaper than most other kinds of flooring. Also, laminate wood flooring comes in many different patterns and colors, so you will be sure to find exactly the right type of laminate flooring that you are looking for. If you are relatively inexperienced with common household installation projects, you might want to consider hiring a contractor to install the laminate flooring. However, laminate flooring manufacturers have made it fairly simple to install, so it should not be beyond the grasp of people who have at least a little experience in common household installations.

About The Author

Mike Yeager

Publisher

http://www.a1-interior-design-4u.com/

How To Select Distressed Hardwood Flooring

How To Select Scraped//Distressed Hardwood Flooring

by: Doug Bolton

Hand-scraped and Distressed hardwood floors are becoming a popular choice in today’s upscale homes and commercial buildings. These floors are a newer trend but are rooted in history. Before today’s modern sanding methods, floors were hand scraped on site to make the floors flat. Today’s hand scraping is done to add texture, richness and uniqueness.

Distressed hardwood flooring is done by machine or by hand. In an effort to reduce high labor costs, manufacturers have created machine-made distressed/scraped looking floors. These are cheaper imitations of the real thing. The problem with machine distressing is repetition of the pattern. As you look across the floor you see the same pattern repeating across the floor. This lacks a natural feel to the floor.

True hand scraped is exactly that – done by hand. When properly done this method creates a truly unique floor. These floors differ greatly in the amount of the texture added to the floor and the skill of the person scraping the floor.

Some manufacturers are just denting, scooping, or roughing the floor. Others are sanding the floor unevenly to create a worn look. Still others are scraping the entire surface of the flooring creating the most unique hand made look. Some product lines allow the customer to choose between heavy, medium and light scraping. True artisans can create a reclaimed look complete with wormholes, splits and other naturally occurring character markings.

The labor used in hand scraping varies greatly. Some floor installers simply have their crew scrape the floor after it is installed in the home. Results vary widely based on the skill of the person or persons doing the scraping. Lack of control and expertise can lead to disastrous results. Scraping is a plant environment is also varied. Some are using illegal immigrants for the scraping labor; one company uses the federal prison system, smartly not advertised as such. Yet another uses Pennsylvania Amish craftsman to create their Amish Hand-Scraped collection.

Some homeowners are buying scraped floors unfinished and applying the finish on site, but most are choosing prefinished. These floors require special methods to prepare the floor for finishing. Regular on site sanding can destroy the texture of the floor that the customer is paying for. The most expensive lines are being finished by hand sometimes referred to as “hand rubbed”. Most of the prefinished floors are excellent and create convenience and speed of installation for the contractor and homeowner alike.

One of the great benefits of a prefinished floor is the ability of each plank to move independently with the changes of humidity in the home. On site finishing bonds the finish between planks requiring the finish to split as the floor contracts at dry humidity levels. These cracks rarely create a problem and are natural in hardwood floors, they are less noticeable in prefinished microbevelled floors.

Scraped floors that have darker finished tend to show the scraping more than natural finished floors. This is due to the finish pooling in the scrapes causing shadows drawing your attention to the character in the floor. Most hardwood flooring manufacturers have web sites showing the consumer what the floors look like. Many have displays at dealers near your home so you can actually see and touch what you are buying.

Hand scraped floors are not cheap. They are for those looking for a truly unique look. The cheaper machine made distressed hardwood floors material can retail around $10 per square foot. You will pay $15 and up per square foot for hand scraped. With most things in life, the real thing is hard to imitate and most people know a fake when they see it. A true hand scraped floor will give a unique, warm, rich look to your home and will be an absolute guaranteed conversation piece with your friends and guests.

About The Author

Doug Bolton is the owner of Homerwood Hardwood Flooring, located in the heart of the Pennsylvania hardwood region - Titusville PA. You can learn more by visiting their website at http://www.homerwood.com .

dbolton@homerwood.com

How To Care For Laminate Flooring

One of the big selling points for laminate flooring is how easy it is to care for.

How To Care For Laminate Flooring

by: E. Timothy Uy

It's hard to damage and easy to care for laminate floors. Here are some tips on how to properly maintain them:

Carefully read the warranty and care instructions provided for your flooring. Follow them as much as you can and refer to them if a problem develops.

Ask for post-installation care instructions.You may not be able to mop the floor for 48 hours or you may be given other care instructions,depending on the flooring brand.

Don't wet-mop laminate floors, because puddles could seep behind basebords and under your floor, damaging them.Only vacuum and then damp-mop them.

Don't ever apply wax or acrylic floor finishes.

Use only the stain-removal products recommended by the flooring manufacturer.Typical suggestions in product literature are: acetone, for cigarette burns and nail-polish spills, and mineral spirits for grease and tar.

Buy doormats for doorways that lead to the garage or outdoors.These doormats will trap grit that can gradually cause light scratching on the laminate floor's surface.

Put easy-glide protective buttons on the feet of the furniture.

Use dollies when moving a large piece of furniture or a heavy appliance across a laminate floor or else you could leave a scratch by getting tiny peebles caught under a furniture foot or a wheel.

Take common-sense precautions to protect your floor when working with sharp or heavy objects.For example, put down a thick tarp or a carpet scrap to protect the laminate floor when installing a ceiling fan and using a drill; you can damage the floor by accidentally dropping it.

About The Author

Laminate flooring enthusiasts unite! Installation, maintenance, selection, e.g., Harmonics, Pergo, Shaw, Mannington - you name it, we are talking about it. Join us at http://laminateflooring.oncloud8.com .

timlaminate@yahoo.com