Waterproof
Laminate Flooring
The nearest product to a hardwood floor is a laminate floor. Made of compressed wood fibers and resin, laminate construction makes an extremely sturdy and durable pressed wood board. Although it acts and feels like hardwood, it can be more than half the price – often less expensive than even carpet. Laminate won't fade in the sun, the upper wear layer of melamine withstands scratching, and it will even resist stains. Best of all, the tongue and groove edge construction makes laminate flooring installation easier than installing hardwood. Since laminate is considered a floating floor and doesn't need to be physically attached to a subfloor, no glue, mastic, nails or screws are needed either. If a laminate floor is damaged, the repair is as simple as swapping the damaged board for a new one.
Warehouse Direct Flooring has a huge selection of laminate flooring patterns to choose from, including discontinued and overstock laminate products. Our project managers will help you to decide if laminate flooring is right for your needs, and you can count on our in-house installation experts to get the job done right. Please see our portfolio for some of the many laminate installation jobs we have completed.
Benefits
Laminate Flooring
Although it is not real hardwood flooring, laminate does share a lot of benefits with hardwood as well with LVP and vinyl.
Laminate Flooring Disadvantages
Laminate flooring isn't right for everyone, so here are some things to consider when choosing:
Unnatural
Many types of flooring attempt to mimic natural hardwoods in appearance as well as performance. Laminates do perhaps the best job in the appearance category, but upon close inspection it still becomes obvious that it is a man-made replication.
VOC’s
Laminate flooring contains higher VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) than other flooring options like hardwood and linoleum. Laminates can release these fumes into the air.
Still Not 100% Waterproof
Even with recent technological advancements, Laminate floors are still not as waterproof as their vinyl counterparts. It is best practice to clean up spills on laminate as soon as you notice them.
Replacement Only
Once the wear layer has worn through, a laminate floor cannot be refinished, it must be replaced. Because of the nature of the tongue and groove edges, this can be a tedious and time consuming job.
Laminate flooring is one of the first modern flooring options; it is still one of the core products on the flooring market today. For questions about styles, specs, or installation, please contact us at Warehouse Direct Flooring. Our project managers are well-versed on all things laminate and will happily answer any questions. Warehouse Direct Flooring has been serving the Monterey Bay and Silicon Valley areas for nearly 40 years – and our product knowledge, project management experience, and installation expertise are second to none.
Is Laminate Flooring Right For You?
Budget is typically the biggest factor when it comes to deciding on laminate flooring. Laminate provides many of the same advantages of hardwood floors – it looks good, cleaning is hassle free, and if properly taken care of it will last decades. If you have kids or pets, laminate flooring will resist scratching or gouging more effectively than wood flooring will. It will most likely resist water damage better too. If you are in the market for wood flooring, a modern laminate floor will look nearly as good at a fraction of the cost.
