In my last kitchen remodeling job, I looked at all of the flooring options. Since I had done an earlier kitchen project, the array of available flooring materials has exploded. Not least of these new materials is the laminate floor category. What began as a cheap (and cheap looking) alternative to hardwood strip flooring has evolved and improved to provide a durable and attractive option for cost conscious homeowners.
The range of color choices and patterns has expanded phenomenally in recent years. Realistic simulations of narrow strip flooring, ranging from bamboo, cherry knotty pine and many others plus products that look like slate or ceramic tiles are now common fare in the industry.
In addition to relatively low cost, many of the laminate floor systems come with good do-it-yourself instructions. Specialized tool kits are available to address some particular difficulties you can encounter in some installation conditions.
Most of the laminate floor products on the market offer various connecting designs to allow the attachment of floor panels to one another. Sometimes referred to as ‘click-lock’, when laid correctly, these designs facilitate what appears to be a nearly seamless installation.
The vast majority of laminate floor manufacturers have engineered systems that are referred to as “floating floors’. The floor panels are connected to one another with variations of tongue and groove joints along both the sides and ends of each panel, making for a tight, solid surface that is not directly attached to the sub-flooring below. Such flooring systems allow for the normal swelling and shrinkage of floor surfaces that occur with changing humidity levels without buckling or warping. Part of the installation includes the application of a thin closed-cell foam sheet being laid underneath the laminate sheets. This layer allows for a certain amount of ‘give’ in the finished floor also serves as a moisture barrier. The foam also allowed me to lay the new floor over an older, patterned linoleum floor, without having to remove the old material, saving a lot of labor and disposal costs.
The dark cherry-flooring pattern I chose for my kitchen is rich looking and has proven to be highly durable. The laminate product that I used cost just $1.50 per square foot for the materials (including the foam underlayment). It has stood up to repeated scrambling, toenail scratching crossings by Max, my 100-pound Yellow Labrador. He is not thrilled at having to cross the surface, sometimes requiring repeated efforts to coax him to venture onto the kitchen floor. This is because the surface of laminate floors is so hard that they can often be substantially more slippery than other flooring alternatives. As a result, it may not be the best choice for a home with skittish dogs, toddlers or older family members, who may find the slick surface to cause some unease.
For more on the laminate flooring, Realty Times has an article that includes informative links on the subject.
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