Compared to hardwood, laminate flooring offers certain advantages like lower costs, a wider range to choose from - colors, patterns and finishes in terms of
design and thickness, moisture resistance and abrasion class in terms of structure. Laminate tiles and planks are lighter and easier to cut than stone tiles and most
importantly, this can be a DIY project that requires basic skills and simple tools that saves you from additional fees and added costs.
Keep in mind that there is really no perfect product in the market, what you should do in order to choose the best laminate flooring for your home is to assess
what’s already present in it. The colors of wall, lighting fixtures, furniture, and traffic. If you’re renovating or redesigning more than just a part of the house, you
might consider having a theme. It can be a theme for each room or a centralized theme for the entire house so you can consider the patterns and designs for each
room and the effect you want to achieve.
Homely Hues
Color is very important. This is what usually pulls the room together. Keep in mind that your laminate floor will cover every square inch of the room, pretty
much like the ceiling but unlike the ceiling, you’ll be walking in and out it. Color gives off the overall feel of a home or room.
Don’t just go with traditional whites and neutrals or the shades you grew up with. Nothing’s wrong with sticking to what you’re used to but remember: it’s
your home it should reflect your personality and preferences.
Before choosing a color, consider lighting fixtures. Softer, lighter tones will serve you better if there’s limited light coming into the room. However, if there is
ample natural light, we can throw in darker more dramatic hues. Also think of the actual size of the rooms as you can use colors to either shrink or expand space.
Existing furniture will also help a lot in considering which type of laminate is the best flooring for your home. If you have maple fixtures or redwood
furnishings, you can either choose something that goes with it for flare or something that goes against it for a bolder look then add a rug that will pull it all
together.
In general, most contemporary designers use lighter tones, darker ones for a more traditional feel and neutrals for a rustic touch.
Quality and Comfort
Most products in the market offers a money back guarantee but you pretty much don't want to go into that much trouble after you’ve installed the whole thing
right? So, how to choose the best laminate flooring in terms of quality?
Ask yourself how much traffic you expect on your floor. This way you’ll be able to choose from products with the appropriate AC rating as well as put some
thought into the material, thickness and process by which the laminates are made. Typically, product with an AC rating of 3 is recommended for heavy residential
or moderate commercial traffic. As for the material, wooden planks or tiles can be refinished after some years to restore its appearance. Newer tiles and planks are
also available in 12 and 15 mm thickness, a little thicker than usual to give the solid feel of wood.
Laminated floors are designed to be moisture resistant but its not waterproof so to make sure you make the most out of them, think where they will be
installed. Make sure you they are protected from subfloor moisture.
Aside from that, also check if your laminates are UV protected so that it wont fade from everyday light.
Priced Just Right?
Though we mentioned earlier that laminate floors and tiles costs less than hardwood, prices may vary depending on the material used, thickness, where you’re
buying them from and how many you’re getting.
You can get discount for bulk buying. You can use this to your advantage by being aware how much you need and scout stores where you can get extra perks
like free delivery, extra goods or expert advise and warranties.
Finally think installation: is it DIY or do I need to hire a pro?
Its your home, no one knows it better than you...
Try sourcing from your stores and re-sellers by bringing in photos of the room, or how you would like it to look like, color swatches, sketches and suggesting
items you want to highlight. Most online and physical stores, especially big ones offer discount for bulk purchases and have in-house design professionals who
can help you find the right product you need.
Big stores offer a try-me-out facility where you can mix and match colors in the room and see how it will look like as well as cost estimators given the size of
the room.
