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Purchasing And Installing Laminate Wood Flooring

By Brenda Martin


When you are renovating your home or moving to a new property, one of the very first things you might consider changing is the floor covering. Carpets can become tatty and stained, tiles chipped and dirty and vinyl floors scratched. A beautiful, hard-wearing and easy to clean alternative is laminate wood flooring.

Prior to selecting from the vast range that are on offer you need to consider where the laminated floor will be laid. Kitchens and bathrooms obviously have water so resistance to water is key. A hallway or passage will get heavy foot traffic so needs to be durable. You may have downstairs neighbors that are noisy, so perhaps insulation is priority. Kids and animals can easily damage floors and cause a lot of mess so maintenance and scratch resistance might be foremost.

High quality laminates will be water resistant and extremely durable. Sharp animal claws and kids toys can damage normal coverings but laminates will cope with this abuse. Modern laminates are also safer than surfaces such as ceramics which are easy to slip on when the floor is wet causing injury.

After determining the qualities you need from your laminate, you can choose from the colors and patterns which are available in that range. There are so many different grains and textures with colors to compliment your home. Light oak, dark ash, red hickory; the list is almost endless. Patterns can resemble traditional parquet or even a marbled effect.

A lot of products will need some type of underlay to be fitted so that a good finish can be achieved. Laying a good quality underlay is beneficial and it will keep out some noise and provide decent insulation. Some of the laminates are already backed with underlay which may save you some money.

Checking online or through local advertisements, you should easily be able to locate stores near you which stock many types of laminates so you can go to see for yourself the texture and quality. If there is not a store locally, there are plenty of websites offering a large selection available for delivery. Be sure to check the cost of shipping and returns policy just in case you do not like it once it arrives.

When you have your new floor covering it will have to be properly fitted. Some people will fit their own covering by following the directions that come with the product. If you are reasonably handy and good at DIY then fitting laminates is fairly straightforward. If you do not have the necessary skills you are able to hire a trained fitter to do the job for you.

Finding a contractor can be done online or local advertisements but a recommendation from a friend who has had work done is also a good option. The store where you purchased your laminated wood flooring might have their own fitters and the fitting can be negotiated as part of the price. Whichever option you choose you will have a beautiful, hard-wearing, warm, water-resistant, natural floor covering which will last and last.




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By Brenda Martin


When you are renovating your home or moving to a new property, one of the very first things you might consider changing is the floor covering. Carpets can become tatty and stained, tiles chipped and dirty and vinyl floors scratched. A beautiful, hard-wearing and easy to clean alternative is laminate wood flooring.

Prior to selecting from the vast range that are on offer you need to consider where the laminated floor will be laid. Kitchens and bathrooms obviously have water so resistance to water is key. A hallway or passage will get heavy foot traffic so needs to be durable. You may have downstairs neighbors that are noisy, so perhaps insulation is priority. Kids and animals can easily damage floors and cause a lot of mess so maintenance and scratch resistance might be foremost.

High quality laminates will be water resistant and extremely durable. Sharp animal claws and kids toys can damage normal coverings but laminates will cope with this abuse. Modern laminates are also safer than surfaces such as ceramics which are easy to slip on when the floor is wet causing injury.

After determining the qualities you need from your laminate, you can choose from the colors and patterns which are available in that range. There are so many different grains and textures with colors to compliment your home. Light oak, dark ash, red hickory; the list is almost endless. Patterns can resemble traditional parquet or even a marbled effect.

A lot of products will need some type of underlay to be fitted so that a good finish can be achieved. Laying a good quality underlay is beneficial and it will keep out some noise and provide decent insulation. Some of the laminates are already backed with underlay which may save you some money.

Checking online or through local advertisements, you should easily be able to locate stores near you which stock many types of laminates so you can go to see for yourself the texture and quality. If there is not a store locally, there are plenty of websites offering a large selection available for delivery. Be sure to check the cost of shipping and returns policy just in case you do not like it once it arrives.

When you have your new floor covering it will have to be properly fitted. Some people will fit their own covering by following the directions that come with the product. If you are reasonably handy and good at DIY then fitting laminates is fairly straightforward. If you do not have the necessary skills you are able to hire a trained fitter to do the job for you.

Finding a contractor can be done online or local advertisements but a recommendation from a friend who has had work done is also a good option. The store where you purchased your laminated wood flooring might have their own fitters and the fitting can be negotiated as part of the price. Whichever option you choose you will have a beautiful, hard-wearing, warm, water-resistant, natural floor covering which will last and last.




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