What is Laminate floor?

Durability, affordability and design

Laminate floor is a hybrid floor covering consisting of a particleboard wood base topped by an image layer and a transparent wear layer. It’s been around for about 50 years and most of the time it’s designed to look like wood but not always. The laminate we use is made of residue of the forestry and wood industry, which makes it a sustainable choice. This is the only floor compatible with our infrared underfloor heating.

PROS & CONS By being affordable and more cost effective than, for example, natural lumber, laminate flooring is a great option for those on a budget. Laminate flooring can run about half the price of wood flooring but, as with wood, you’ll find a range of varying quality. Some look more realistic than others, while others may not be as thick as you might require and thus making them more likely to wear out sooner than a higher-quality product.

Laminate floors are made of wood fibers and wood pulp, so basically paper. And since wood is a sustainable and renewable resource, laminate flooring is environ- mentally friendly. One could say that in many cases it already is a recycled product since the production process does not only include logs but also wood waste. Due to developments in the processing technology the difference between natural materials and laminate is hard to distinguish. Also, there are tons of unique embossing that mimics the appearances of a wide variety of wood which looks extremely good. There is basically a design for any style that you might like. And besides being pretty to look at it has great resilience against scratches. It protects against heavy traffic, playing kids and beloved pet’s claws for example. While on the subject of kids and pets – laminate flooring is really easy to keep clean. Maintenance is simply not a big issue at all. Spills and marks can be wiped away with a soft microfiber cloth and it’s easy to get rid off any dirt or dust.

The thing though, is that natural timber flooring can be refinished after years of use and this can make them look like brand new again. This is not the case with laminate flooring. Its top layer is designed to protect against wear but it can’t be sanded down and refinished since you may reach the image layer and thus destroy it and its resilience. So, natural wood flooring can last for decades since it can be revived and refinished multiple times while laminate flooring can’t. However. It is a highly durable material and it’s made to resist heavy wear, dents, scratches and even sun fading. Also, if something happens to a laminate floor board it is usually possible to replace it with a new one. Its life expectancy is around 15- 25 years and by that time you might want a new floor anyways. But in the long term a natural wood floor might be a better investment.

If you are looking for durability, affordability and design, laminate flooring is a great choice. It is, as previously mentioned, also the only floor compatible with our infrared underfloor heating.