The tradition of hardwood floors dates back hundreds of years, their beauty and warmth have downed the halls of castles and brought elegance to many a modern day dining room. Whether it’s casual or formal, the natural beauty of hardwood can bring warmth and character to any room and suit any décor. Hardwood floors are however porous, resulting in a weakened structure that is both easy to stain and scratch. This in part has lead to the invention of laminate flooring.

While capturing all the beauty and elegance of hardwoods, laminate flooring is both durable and easy to maintain. Its machine made construction will not stain, warp or buckle and the Aluminum Oxide coated surface gives it a high degree of scratch resistance that is perfectly suited to heavy foot traffic. Unlike hardwood, laminate floors have water resistant cores and wax impregnated edges making them resistant to topical water spills, and allowing for installation in kitchens and bathrooms.

The allure of laminate flooring lies not only in its representation of real hardwood and its incredible durability, but also in the ease with which these floors are installed and maintained. The introduction of glueless laminates has revolutionized flooring, opening the door to the DIY market and weekend enthusiast. No prior experience, specialized knowledge or tools are required. Simply place on the floor, cut the odd piece, click, and your floors are ready to be walked on. The work is time consuming and hard on the knees, but with savings of up to 40% of total job cost, it just might be worth the hardship.

Laminate flooring is highly stain resistant and requires very little routine care and maintenance, freeing up your time to relax by the pool. Simply sweep the floor daily with a soft bristled brush and damp mop as required. As a precautionary measure, place foot mats at external doorways, thus preventing the tracking in of dirt, and furniture pads under the feet of furniture in order to prevent scuffing and scratching.

Laminate flooring is available in a plethora of styles and designs. Each wood species displays its own unique characteristics, each lending itself to a different design aspect. Choose the grainy appearance of Oak to add charm to any rustic interior, or utilize the grain-less consistent landscape of Maple to bring continuity to modern décor. Remember to use light colors to visually expand a room, while adding dark color for a more intimate feel.

This flooring article was written by Barry H. Get more tips and techniques at: Online Laminate Flooring Resources

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