Laminate Flooring

Laminate is an affordable flooring option for homeowners who prefer an alternative to carpet but want to avoid the cost of hardwood or tiles.

The floors consist of a particleboard wood base topped by wood or tile photo beneath a clear plastic protective layer. This flooring is very DIY-friendly, and laminate offers a multitude of texture and color options. The average cost for installed laminate flooring is $3 to $7 per square foot.

Laminate flooring is the perfect option for the price conscious floor shopper who still wants to impress their guests and is looking for little cleaning effort. Choose from gorgeous styles like oak laminate flooring or tile laminate to get the look that fits in with your home’s style.

Laminate is a floor covering that appears similar to hardwood but is made with a plywood or medium density fiberboard (“MDF”) core with a plastic laminate top layer. HDF laminate consists of high density fiberboard topped by one or more layers of decorative paper and a transparent protective layer. Laminate may be more durable than hardwood, but cannot be refinished like hardwood. Laminate flooring is available in many different patterns which can resemble different woods or even ceramic tile. It usually locks or taps together. Underlayment is required for laminate flooring to provide moisture and noise control.

The common installation method for laminate flooring is a floating installation, which means the floor connects to each other to form interlocked flooring system and is not attached to the sub-floor which means it is free to “float” over a variety of sub-floors. This includes existing flooring like ceramic tile and hardwood floors. It is the most versatile installation method because it can be put over any substrate that is flat.

Pros ; Inexpensive compared to wood, Easy to clean, Scratch-resistant, DIY-friendly, Many styles and colors available

Cons ; Susceptible to moisture damage, Chips easily, Does not look and feel like wood, Has a hollow sound underfoot.