Although laminate flooring may look almost exactly like a real hardwood floor, there are several differences between the two. It's difficult to tell the difference at a first glance, but looking closely you will notice repeated features throughout your laminate flooring, such as the same knots and grain. While this can provide a more uniform look, some people prefer more variations in the pattern of their flooring.
The biggest difference between laminate flooring and hardwood is probably the price. Laminate flooring can save you about 20-25% when compared to real hardwood floors; however hardwood floors may increase the resale value of your home and be better for you in the long run if you don't plan on living there long-term.
Another important difference to note is the longevity of your flooring. Laminate flooring can stand the test of time much better than hardwood, which can be subject to sun and water damage as well as wear-and-tear caused by traffic. Some people consider this fact of hardwood floors appealing, as "weathering" can give a floor (and in turn, a room) more "character". However, laminate flooring can withstand the heavy traffic of a modern family home without as much weathering or damage a whole lot better.
The cost of maintenance and upkeep of your floor is also something to consider when you are choosing between genuine wood or laminate flooring. Hardwood floors can require a lot of time, money and effort to keep in top condition, and you can expect to re-sand and refinish real hardwood floors periodically. With laminate flooring, on the other hand, your floor will need much less maintenance and remain gorgeous for a fairly long time with minimal upkeep.
Laminate flooring is created by bonding many layers of various fibres together, treated in several ways to protect your floor against weathering and wear. Your floor can keep the same colour for years, unaffected by sunlight and moisture. This makes it easy to replace a single damaged tile and maintain the uniform colour and pattern of your floor. With hardwood however, replacing a single plank after years of wear can be impossible without contrast to the surrounding boards. If one area becomes stained or damaged, it's often necessary to replace the flooring of the entire room.
Installation is also a topic to discuss before you decide whether to buy real hardwood or laminate. If you choose hardwood, you can expect to pay experienced professionals to complete the installation perfectly. Doing this job yourself as a homeowner is not in any way fail-safe and there are many risks involved with taking on such a big project. It would take time, effort and extensive knowledge to install real hardwood floors correctly.
The installation of laminate is much simpler. You actually have a few different options for installation, but it's far more reasonable to install laminate flooring without professional help. You can choose flooring that comes pre-glued, that you must glue yourself, or even laminate flooring that requires no glue at all. It's also unnecessary to remove your old flooring when you install laminate tiles or planks; they can usually be installed on top of your existing floor.
Choosing between laminate and hardwood flooring is a personal decision. You want to consider your family lifestyle and pick appropriate flooring based on affordability and durability, as well as style. There are many options however, so you can easily find the perfect flooring for your home.
Advantages Of Using Quickstep Flooring
There are many different types of flooring available on the market today, one very popular type being Quick Step. There are many advantages of using Quick step, one important one being that it is environmentally friendly; this means that the wood being used for the flooring has been stamped with the PEFC (Pan-European Forest Certification). When trees are cut down for the wood, smaller trees are replanted as soon as it is possible.
Everyone wants their wooden floors to have a professional finish. By using Quick Step you can get this finish, along with the colour that will match your personality, as well as your home. The colours you can choose between consist of; Oak, Beech, Cherry, Pearwood, Walnut, Maple and Tropical Wood. For a more natural look then you may be interested in the Natural stone designs.
Installing your Quick Step Flooring
Installation is very easy and you can do it yourself using the no glue Uniclic system. By the time you are finished you are guaranteed to have a truly beautiful true to nature appearance in any room of the house. You can even place the Quick Step laminate flooring in different shapes and sizes, or add more than one colour together, or several colours, making your flooring truly unique.
One idea that may appeal to you or may not, is by measuring your floor space to find out how many square feet of flooring that you will need, and instead of having the floor in the kitchen all one colour, make blocks of all the colours. The snap together tiles will make this possible to do.
Accessories
There are many accessories available that you can purchase for your Quick Step Laminate flooring. These include; fitting kits, wood underlay's and door profiles. Such as Quick Step Combi, which combines a 2mm polyfoam and a 1mm of damp proof.
Or the Quick Step Uniclic Combifloor Plus, this underlay offers better heat and sound insulation, and it is much greater in protecting the floor from dampness. It has a 3-layer structure that will maximise the comfort of your new Quick Step Laminate Flooring, which also helps stabilise and level the new floor. It is also good to help reduce upstairs noise.
Quick Step offers DPM Screen, Uniclic and Softboard, which comes in a pack size of 10.1 square meters. It is 6mm, which will need to be used with a DPM screen and a standard uniclic underlay, which will need to be purchased separately.
You can also purchase the Quick Step Transit Sound Underlay; this combines a damp proof membrane that has soundproof qualities.
Of course, you will need to purchase the tools that you will need to install your new Quick Step Floor, such as cutting blades and a utility knife, sheers or napping sheers, a trimmer and tack hammer. You might also need to purchase a door trimmer to fit the new floor under the door jam. A chalk line will also help keep the tiles in perfect line.
Once your new floor is installed, you will want to clean it and Quick Step offers a variety of cleaning products especially for the Quick Step Laminate Floors. These include; a cleaner spray, a special Laminate floor-cleaning product, and a Quick Step Mop, or you can purchase the Quick Step Laminate Floor cleaning kit which will include all you need to ensure your floor is cleaned thoroughly.
Everyone wants their wooden floors to have a professional finish. By using Quick Step you can get this finish, along with the colour that will match your personality, as well as your home. The colours you can choose between consist of; Oak, Beech, Cherry, Pearwood, Walnut, Maple and Tropical Wood. For a more natural look then you may be interested in the Natural stone designs.
Installing your Quick Step Flooring
Installation is very easy and you can do it yourself using the no glue Uniclic system. By the time you are finished you are guaranteed to have a truly beautiful true to nature appearance in any room of the house. You can even place the Quick Step laminate flooring in different shapes and sizes, or add more than one colour together, or several colours, making your flooring truly unique.
One idea that may appeal to you or may not, is by measuring your floor space to find out how many square feet of flooring that you will need, and instead of having the floor in the kitchen all one colour, make blocks of all the colours. The snap together tiles will make this possible to do.
Accessories
There are many accessories available that you can purchase for your Quick Step Laminate flooring. These include; fitting kits, wood underlay's and door profiles. Such as Quick Step Combi, which combines a 2mm polyfoam and a 1mm of damp proof.
Or the Quick Step Uniclic Combifloor Plus, this underlay offers better heat and sound insulation, and it is much greater in protecting the floor from dampness. It has a 3-layer structure that will maximise the comfort of your new Quick Step Laminate Flooring, which also helps stabilise and level the new floor. It is also good to help reduce upstairs noise.
Quick Step offers DPM Screen, Uniclic and Softboard, which comes in a pack size of 10.1 square meters. It is 6mm, which will need to be used with a DPM screen and a standard uniclic underlay, which will need to be purchased separately.
You can also purchase the Quick Step Transit Sound Underlay; this combines a damp proof membrane that has soundproof qualities.
Of course, you will need to purchase the tools that you will need to install your new Quick Step Floor, such as cutting blades and a utility knife, sheers or napping sheers, a trimmer and tack hammer. You might also need to purchase a door trimmer to fit the new floor under the door jam. A chalk line will also help keep the tiles in perfect line.
Once your new floor is installed, you will want to clean it and Quick Step offers a variety of cleaning products especially for the Quick Step Laminate Floors. These include; a cleaner spray, a special Laminate floor-cleaning product, and a Quick Step Mop, or you can purchase the Quick Step Laminate Floor cleaning kit which will include all you need to ensure your floor is cleaned thoroughly.
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