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.
Once you have determined what type of laminate you require you can then select from one of the many colors and styles available. There are finishes which range in color from the pale grey of oak to the warm reddish hue of hickory. Effects like a marble-like finish or fashionable parquet can be achieved quite easily with the right choice of product.
Many of the products on offer require special cork or fleece underlay to even out any bumps in your existing floor. Both these underlays will help with noise proofing and heat insulation too. Laminates are available that have their own built in underlay so a separate one is not needed. These may not be suitable if your floor is too uneven so check before purchasing.
You are able to buy flooring from various places including high street stores or from one of the may web based suppliers. Buying from a store is useful as can carefully examine your purchases and get some advice from the store workers. If you want to buy more conveniently then online shopping is the better option. You should be mindful that when you buy online you will have to pay shipping costs and you should check the suppliers return and exchange policy.
Once you have purchased your new floor you will need to prepare the area prior to laying it. Most products will come with instructions regarding fitting and if you are confident with DIY you should be able to easily complete the job with just a few basic tools. However, if your room has many corners, odd shapes or pipes then it is worth getting in a contractor to do the work for you.
Locating a local contractor is best done by recommendation, but the internet can also be useful for this. Your local store where you bought your laminate may also be able to recommend a contractor or supply a fitter themselves. Whether you fit it yourself or hire a fitter, you will be the proud owner of a lovely, warm, hard-wearing and long lasting natural floor.
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.
Once you have determined what type of laminate you require you can then select from one of the many colors and styles available. There are finishes which range in color from the pale grey of oak to the warm reddish hue of hickory. Effects like a marble-like finish or fashionable parquet can be achieved quite easily with the right choice of product.
Many of the products on offer require special cork or fleece underlay to even out any bumps in your existing floor. Both these underlays will help with noise proofing and heat insulation too. Laminates are available that have their own built in underlay so a separate one is not needed. These may not be suitable if your floor is too uneven so check before purchasing.
You are able to buy flooring from various places including high street stores or from one of the may web based suppliers. Buying from a store is useful as can carefully examine your purchases and get some advice from the store workers. If you want to buy more conveniently then online shopping is the better option. You should be mindful that when you buy online you will have to pay shipping costs and you should check the suppliers return and exchange policy.
Once you have purchased your new floor you will need to prepare the area prior to laying it. Most products will come with instructions regarding fitting and if you are confident with DIY you should be able to easily complete the job with just a few basic tools. However, if your room has many corners, odd shapes or pipes then it is worth getting in a contractor to do the work for you.
Locating a local contractor is best done by recommendation, but the internet can also be useful for this. Your local store where you bought your laminate may also be able to recommend a contractor or supply a fitter themselves. Whether you fit it yourself or hire a fitter, you will be the proud owner of a lovely, warm, hard-wearing and long lasting natural floor.
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You can find a summary of the benefits you get when you use laminate wood flooring installation services at http://www.snsfloorsurfacing.com/hardwood-floor-installation.html right now.
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