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Choosing laminate flooring: what to know

There are so many flooring options these days, it can often be hard to know where to start. If you have your choices narrowed down to laminate, then you are in the right place. At Hessler Floor Covering, we know laminate. And we are going to help you get to know it a little better as well.

Even if you already know quite a bit about this flooring material, we hope this article helps you to better understand how to choose the best for your personal needs.

Laminate basics

One of the greatest improvements in home improvement in many years, laminate is durable, usually prefinished and inexpensive. It is simple to put together, in many cases not even requiring glue or special adhesives. Many kinds just snap together with ease.

In fact, the hardest part about laminate, is choosing the right look for you and your home décor.

Laminate comes in both engineered hardwood, with a real hardwood surface layer, and a plastic laminate, which contains a print film under the wear layer. The major difference between the two is that engineered hardwood is double the price. This is primarily because it can be refinished about three times before needing to be replaced. To some, it is worth it.

Important information about laminate

A foam underlayment is absolutely necessary when installing laminate flooring. If left out, the laminate will click against the subfloor every time you walk across it. This could get old in a hurry. The foam also makes the laminate feel a little softer underfoot.

When picking your own laminate, go for something that suits your lifestyle as much as your décor. Looks certainly aren’t everything, especially if you have children, pets or a lot of friends that stop by often. A quieter home is fine with the glossy grain pattern. However, busier homes would do better with a low gloss, hand-scraped look, which will last a lot longer and look a lot better doing it.

If your substrate is anything less than perfect, try to avoid using wide planks. Wide laminate is likely to be hard to lay; joints will not remain flush on the ends; and you will feel every gap between the laminate and subfloor as you walk on it. In situations like these, a narrower style of plank is the best option.

We have showrooms in Fort Myers, Naples and Punta Gorda, FL and would love the opportunity to have you visit. We can help you with all your laminate needs.