The Trendy Laminated Style: Elevating Your Look with Glossy Chic

This   concept which mimics the wood, stone and tile flooring was very popular in   Europe and has now become extremely popular in the United States. One cannot   easily make out the difference between the laminated and the wooden floor. A   laminated floor is a laminated detailed image of the original material. The   lamination is done with a long lasting plastic laminate.

The process involved

The process includes the amalgamation of melamine or aluminum   oxide and fiberboard- usually an MDF board. A supporting layer is added to   prevent seeping in of moisture as this could cause severe   harm.

Manufactures and Installation

There are numerous manufacturers and each of them gives their own   set of installation instructions which have to be followed diligently for apt   look. Installing the laminates is relatively simple and needs to be glued on   to the plywood or concrete floor. The floor has to be flat. While installing,   ensure that the cut pieces are perpendicular to doors and windows so that the   joints are not highlighted by the light streaming in.  Gradually,   scratches might appear on the surface due to the dust and grime.  So it   is absolutely essential to keep the surface dust and grime free. This can be   done with the help of a vacuum cleaner or a mop. Refrain from using soap   powder and wax on the surface also, ensure that water does not stagnate as   moisture could seep in causing damage to the floor.

Cost effectiveness and availability  

Laminated flooring is extremely cost effective and pocket friendly   when compared to solid wood and engineered wooden flooring. It costs less   than 50% of the total cost incurred in the installation of the wooden floor.   The laminates are available in square tiles of 15 x15 and 24x 24 inches or 8x   47 inch dove- tail planks which interlock. Some of them are provided with a   foam pad. This helps in protecting from moisture and providing a cushioned   effect. While installing the laminate flooring it is not just the cost of the   laminates that needs to be considered. The installation cost included the   removal of the old flooring, moving furniture, repairs to the base or   subfloor if any.  Along with the flooring it is necessary to install   threshold and base molding. Laminate floors are not sound proof and therefore   the sound of traffic would filter into the house. To prevent this a bit of   sound proofing has to be done. With all this it would still cost a lot lesser   than the actual wooden flooring.

[PS in this article the dimensions mentioned could be thrown as   plagiarism. These are standard dimensions. Hence I have included them without   conversions.]