Enjoy The Beauty Of Hardwood With The Endurance Of Laminate Flooring

Everyone likes the beautiful, timeless look of hardwood floors. Elegant, yet simple, hardwood is stunning. But take a closer look. Is that hardwood scratched and dented? Are those stains and fade marks that you see there? Maybe that hardwood floor is not as nice as you originally thought.

If you like the look and the timeless appearance of hardwood floors but not want the scratches, dents and fade marks that will come with it than laminate flooring is a good option for you. Besides the fact that laminate is much more durable than traditional hardwood flooring, it is much cheaper as well.

What Is Laminate Flooring?

Laminate flooring is a composite product that looks like a wood product; however, you can care for it as if you would your laminate countertop. Laminate flooring is made of a high-density core with an image placed on the top layer and sealed with a laminate covering. Laminate flooring has a water repellent placed on it and good quality floors are infused with water repellent throughout the core.

What Kind Of Laminate Floor Should I Get?

When you are choosing your laminate floor you will need to take a few things into consideration. The first thing that you need to look at is where you are going to put the floor. Are you looking at a high traffic area that will see a lot of use? Alternatively, is the area that you are covering a smaller, low traffic area? If you are looking at covering a low traffic area, you will probably be able to get away with a laminate flooring that has a smaller core.

The core sizes of laminate flooring vary from around 6mm to 12 mm. The thicker the core in the flooring, the better the stability is. In addition, if you have a thicker core it will stand up better to wear and tear is likely to last you longer than a thinner core.

If you are thinking of moving to a different home in the next few years, you may want to go with a lesser quality of laminate flooring as well. Usually when people purchase a home, the flooring is the first thing that they change so there is no point spending a lot of money on a floor when you are going to move homes.

Most laminate floor come with warranties starting around ten years long. Generally, the more expensive floor types will come with longer warranties. Be sure to read your warranties very carefully however, as some warranties may not cover floor placement in the kitchen or bathroom.

Can I do It Myself?

One of the biggest appeals of laminate flooring is that most people can install them by themselves. You can install most laminate coverings over sheet vinyl, concrete slabs, plywood underlay, existing hardwood or any other flat and level surface.

The glue less Pergo flooring is a very popular choice because it does not require any glue to install properly or any other special tools of any kind. Therefore, anyone can do it himself or herself without any special training. Even if you have never installed a floor before, or do not have a lot of home renovation experience, laminate flooring is easily installed.

One of the biggest benefits to installing the floor yourself is that you can save thousands of dollars on installation fees. Unlike hardwood floors that are already very pricy, and need to be installed professionally, laminate is quick and easy, even for the beginner.

What About In The Kitchen?

Laminate flooring is a good choice for the kitchen and bathroom because it is water repellent. The core of laminate floors have been infused with water repellent to protect from everyday spills that happen. However if you are looking at installing your floor in the kitchen or bathroom you may want to look at purchasing a floor that has been infused with a paraffin wax in the joints in order to further repel water and avoid swelling.

Unlike hardwood floors, laminate is a much better choice for kitchens or bathrooms. Because we all know that spills happen. Water and food spills can stain traditional hardwood floors, and with laminate, you simply wipe them up and it is all taken care of.

Choose The Right Floor

Laminate flooring is available in many different styles, colors and patterns. There is something to suit everyone no matter what your style preference may be. When you go shopping for laminate flooring, you will encounter many different brands such as Pergo, Armstrong and Bruce. Since laminate was introduced in 1982, its market share has been growing in leaps and bounds. You will be able to find laminate in many price ranges, so there is something to suit everyone and everyone's budget.

© 2005 http://www.laminate-flooring-now.com

Kevin Brown is successful author and publisher of many informative websites including http://www.laminate-flooring-now.com . His websites offer tips and advice on a wide array of topics including laminate flooring, hardwood floors, bamboo floors and more.

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Israeli Armored Personal Carriers drive to the Gaza Strip, near Israel's border with Gaza, southern Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009.  Israeli tanks, infantry and aircraft hammered dozens of Hamas targets overnight Wednesday as Israel's leaders discussed whether to expand the 12-day operation meant to stop rocket fire into Israel. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)AP - Israel resumed its Gaza offensive Wednesday, bombing heavily around suspected smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt after a three-hour lull to allow in humanitarian aid. Hamas responded with a rocket barrage. Despite the heavy fighting, strides were made on the diplomatic front with the U.S. throwing its weight behind a deal being brokered by France and Egypt.



President-elect Barack Obama gestures during a news conference at his transition office in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, where he introduced Nancy Killefer, not shown, to the newly created position of chief performance officer. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)AP - Pointing with concern to "red ink as far as the eye can see," President-elect Barack Obama pledged Wednesday to tackle out-of-control Social Security and Medicare spending and named a special watchdog to clamp down on other federal programs — even as he campaigned anew to spend the largest pile of taxpayer money in history to revive the sinking economy.



Illinois U.S. Senate Appointee Roland Burris, left, meets with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)AP - Senate Democrats beat a hasty retreat Wednesday from their rejection of Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's successor, yielding to pressure from Obama himself and from senators irked that the standoff was draining attention and putting them in a bad light. Burris said with a smile he expected to join them "very shortly."



Workers put bullet proof glass on President-elect Barack Obama's Inaugural Reviewing Stand on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)AP - The upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama is an attractive target for international and domestic terrorists, but U.S. intelligence officials have no information about specific threats to the Jan. 20 event.



President George W. Bush, center, poses with President-elect Barack Obama, and former presidents, from left, George H.W. Bush, left, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, right, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)AP - Confronting a grim economy and a Middle East on fire, Barack Obama turned Wednesday to perhaps the only people on the planet who understand what he's in for: the four living members of the U.S. presidents' club.



Rescue workers evacuate residents from a flooded neighborhood along  McCutcheon Rd. near Orting, Wash. Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. The rapidly rising Puyallup River forced hundreds of people in the area from their homes. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)AP - Rain and high winds lashed Washington state Wednesday, causing widespread avalanches, mudslides, flooding and road closures as the heavy snowfall that has buried parts of the state began to rapidly melt.



AP - You've heard of making cheese from goats' milk, but prescription drugs? In what would be a scientific first, an anti-clotting drug made from the milk of genetically engineered goats moved closer to government approval Wednesday after experts at the Food and Drug Administration reported that the medication works and its safety is acceptable.

In this Nov. 23, 2008 file photo, singer and actress Queen Latifah poses on the press line at the 2008 American Music Awards in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, file)AP - "The Dark Knight" could soar away with several trophies Wednesday night at the 35th annual People's Choice Awards. The Batman film will vie for awards in such categories as favorite cast, action movie, on-screen matchup and superhero.



AP - An eastern Pennsylvania man may face up to 37 years in prison for tearing open a neighbor's door with a chain saw. Police say 34-year-old Robert Kane began sawing through the front door of Jamie Zaleski's apartment in Scranton while Zaleski and several friends ran out the back.

In this Nov. 30, 2008 file photo, New York Jets coach Eric Mangini looks up at the scoreboard during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Cleveland Browns have agreed to hire Eric Mangini as their head coach, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)AP - Eric Mangini is the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, a week after being fired by the New York Jets. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Mangini will be introduced Thursday at a news conference at the team's headquarters in Berea.



An Israeli soldier stands atop a vehicle after crossing into Israel from the northern Gaza Strip January 7, 2009. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)Reuters - Israeli aircraft and tanks pounded the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and troops battled Palestinian guerrillas on the ground as U.S. backing for a proposed truce raised expectations of an end to the 12-day-old offensive.



President Bush greets President-elect Barack Obama at the White House, November 10, 2008. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)Reuters - The U.S. budget deficit will swell to a record $1.186 trillion in fiscal 2009, congressional forecasters said on Wednesday, the result of an economic recession that has cut tax receipts and caused massive government bailouts of banks and automakers.



Senate-designate Roland Burris talks with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as Senator Richard Durbin sits in Reid's office on Capitol Hill, January 7, 2009. (Larry Downing/Reuters)Reuters - In an abrupt switch, Democratic leaders began talks on Wednesday to swear in Roland Burris, appointed by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.



United Auto Workers (UAW) President Ron Gettelfinger (C) addresses the media as UAW Vice-Presidents listen at the UAW Solidarity House in Detroit, Michigan December 12, 2008. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)Reuters - United Auto Workers bargaining teams are arriving this week in Detroit as the union gears up for negotiations with General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC, which are mandated to cut labor costs under a $17.4 billion federal bailout.



Reuters - U.S. cities are vulnerable to an attack like the gun-and-grenade assault that terrorized Mumbai for three days and killed 179 people, the White House homeland security adviser said on Wednesday.

Reuters - The case of Ali al-Marri, accused of being an al Qaeda "sleeper" agent and held for 5-1/2 years at a U.S. military prison in South Carolina, will be an early test for President-elect Barack Obama.

Eggs are stacked up at an egg farm in San Diego County, July 29, 2008. (Mike Blake/Reuters)Reuters - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.



Bernard Madoff is escorted in a vehicle from Federal Court in New York, January 5, 2009. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)Reuters - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff should be jailed for violating a court order by mailing $1 million worth of diamonds, watches and other jewelry to friends and family, U.S. prosecutors told a court on Wednesday.



Smoke billows following an Israel air strike in Rafah near the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt. Israel on Wednesday approved an even tougher war on Hamas, warning residents to flee southern Gaza ahead of planned bombing of cross-border tunnels, as the Palestinian death toll passed 700.(AFP/Said Khatib)AFP - Israel on Wednesday approved an even tougher war on Hamas, warning residents to flee southern Gaza ahead of planned bombing of cross-border tunnels, as the Palestinian death toll passed 700.



A local worker controls a gas valve and the gas pressure at the gas-main center of FGSZ Natural Gas, in Vecses, Hungary. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday laid down terms for a resumption of Russian gas shipments via Ukraine to Europe as tens of thousands of Europeans suffered heating cuts amid freezing weather.(AFP/Attila Kisbenedek)AFP - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday laid down terms for a resumption of Russian gas shipments via Ukraine to Europe as tens of thousands of Europeans suffered heating cuts amid freezing weather.




Choosing a Furnace Humidifier

While everyone longs for a white winter, the problems associated with dry... Read More

How to Deal With Contractors

Not everyone is aware of how to deal with contractors. Imagine that... Read More

The Advantages of Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings

Steel is a remarkable material that has been steadily increasing in popularity... Read More

Buying Replacement Windows

While most buyers of double glazing are looking for replacement windows to... Read More

Kitchen Remodeling Costs

It is important to prepare a budget for your kitchen remodeling plan... Read More

Electric Radiant Floor Heating

Electric radiant floor heating systems are heating systems designed for use under... Read More

Creating Your Joyful Home: Inspiration to Make a Home Planning Journal

If you are planning a home makeover or remodeling project, here are... Read More

Do You Know How To Use Window Coverings?

Window coverings serve an important role in your home, giving you privacy... Read More

Hidden Causes of Water Damage in the Home

In addition to causing destruction, water damage also has an adverse affect... Read More

Easy Renovations for Your Home

Renovating should be a fun and exciting process (really!). The key is... Read More

Installing Vinyl Replacement Sliding Glass Doors

Last week I told you how to remove your old sliding glass... Read More

The Benefits Of Wooden Flooring

They're affordable and come in a wide variety of styles and colors.... Read More

Conventional Steam Saunas vs. Infrared Saunas

The health benefits of steam saunas have been recognized for centuries, beginning... Read More

Wallpaper Doesnt Just Cover...It Defines The Room

Wallpaper is often overlooked as a key part of an attractive home.... Read More

A Beautiful Carpet Sets The Mood Of Any Room

The first discovered carpet dates back to 1480 BC in the form... Read More

At Last You Can Customize Your Pegboard As Much As You Want

Customizable metal pegboard is set to revolutionise utensil storage. For forty years... Read More

Electrical Savings System; Save up to 40% on Your Electric Bill Every Month

Once a month there's an electric bill coming in the mail with... Read More

Dual Pane Window Glass Repair

For the past few weeks, I have been explaining how to repair... Read More

How to Replace the Rollers on Your Patio Sliding Glass Glass Door

Hiring a professional to replace your rollers could cost you around $100... Read More

Different Materials Used for Roofing and Determining the Cost of Each One

There is never a structure you will find that lacks a roof;... Read More

Installing Vinyl Siding - Making It Simple

Installing vinyl siding can be a very rewarding process that could dramatically... Read More

Kitchen Remodeling Guide

A kitchen can make or ruin a family life. A badly designed,... Read More

Create a Joyful Home with Living Accessories: Houseplants

Houseplants can be soothing because of their visual impact. Besides being naturally... Read More

Decorating Ideas to Make Your Living Room more Livable

Above all else, the furniture in the living-room should make it livable.... Read More

An Introduction to Waterproofing Systems

Many homeowners find it necessary to invest in a waterproofing system for... Read More

Planning Permission Tips UK - How to Avoid Boundary Disputes when Extending or Redeveloping a Site

The quest for more living space these days means making more efficient... Read More

From Toss Out to Sensational Keeper - Lamp Re-Make

When the old lamp from my children's room was turning decidedly "trash-worthy",... Read More

Bamboo Flooring for the 21st Century

Bamboo flooring has emerged as a new material for the commercial design... Read More

Electrical Safety and Power Tools

Power tools are one of the greatest conveniences for getting handyman jobs... Read More

The Motors Best Friend

The starting current of motor can become 3 to 6 times the... Read More

Spring Deck Prep Tips

It's finally spring! Time to move out the patio furniture and get... Read More

Building Your Dream Home ? Part 2

Razing the CottageWith new house plans and permits in hand, subcontractors hired... Read More

How to Remodel A Small Bathroom

Not all bathrooms can be lavish spaces with whirlpool tubs and two... Read More

Planning Permission Tips UK - Permitted Development Allowances - Not the Golden Goose You Imagine

There is a perception amongst most folk that every house is allowed... Read More

Ideas For Interior Design

Ideas for interior design are a dime a dozen these days. In... Read More

Pre-drawn House plans the Benefits and Styles

Pre-drawn house plans are those that are drawn by architects or home... Read More

Single Pane Window Glass Repair in an Aluminum Frame

Let's suppose you still have those old aluminum single pane windows in... Read More

Tips and Suggestions To Help You Plan and Build Your Own Log Home

Log Cabin Homes: They have come a long way. Here are some... Read More

Finishing Your Basement Can be Very Rewarding

Transforming your home's basement into a finished space can prove to be... Read More

Choosing The Right Window

When you have reached the decision to purchase new windows for your... Read More

Flooring: Installing Ceramic Tile

Ceramic Tile brings a texture, richness and color to a room that... Read More

Power Tools and HAV - Hand Arm Vibration - Prevention is Better Than Cure

Power tools are some of the most useful devices ever invented, but... Read More

Interior Design For Children

Interior design for children is one of the most fun, delightful aspects... Read More

Home Inspection: A Doctor Visit for Your Home

Has your house had a check up yet?Home inspection is like a... Read More

Daydreaming About Your Home Makeover Projects

Most of us enjoy daydreaming about our perfect home. Do you ever... Read More

A Guide to Home Dehumidifiers

It can be difficult to choose from among the countless home dehumidifiers... Read More

Traditional Interior Design

Traditional interior design encompasses a great variety of elements in a home.... Read More