Is Laminate Flooring a Good Choice for Your Home?

If you're having a new home built or are renovating your existing home, you may consider changing your flooring to laminate. Laminate floors are an economical and attractive alternative to hardwood. Made to be more durable and able to withstand greater amounts of abuse, laminate flooring is becoming more and more popular among homeowners.

Before you rush off to choose the colour and style of laminate flooring for your project, there are some things that you should consider before making your decision. Laminate flooring may be the perfect type of flooring for you, or it may be an absolute nightmare. There are several things to consider when making a decision on whether or not to use this type of flooring as opposed to real hardwood, or even carpet.

First of all, you need to consider the positive aspects of making the choice to place laminate flooring in your home. One major positive reason to choose laminate flooring is the fact that it can add an immense amount of beauty and value to your home. It's also super easy to put down yourself, so you save a great deal of money. You could finance a totally separate project with the money that you save by putting down the laminate yourself. This type of flooring is also very versatile, as the natural tones will go well with any type of decor that you choose. So, if you like to change your decor often, this will not be a problem, since the flooring will always look great. For those who suffer from allergies, laminate will give you a break from all the sneezing and distress that carpet can cause.

Despite the many positive aspects of laminate flooring, there certainly are negative facets as well. One especially annoying aspect is the fact that it's quite difficult to clean because of its tendency to streak. You have to use cleansers that are specifically designed for laminate if you wish to avoid this problem and have a shiny, beautiful floor at all times. Once you clean laminate flooring, it is often difficult to keep it that way. Dust, lint and other particles are easily collected on this type of flooring. Furthermore, if you have small children, laminate flooring may not be a good idea. Scratches, dents and other common damage are not easily repaired like hardwood flooring would be.

So, as you see, there are many things to consider when deciding what type of flooring to help beautify your home. Obviously laminate flooring isn't the preferred choice of every homeowner, but many people swear by it. If you're on a budget and are looking for a simple and inexpensive way to redecorate your home, then using laminate flooring may be a great idea. On the other hand, if your home has a great deal of traffic and you don't have the time to keep your flooring looking its best, perhaps another type of flooring would better fit your needs, whether you choose carpet, hardwood, or some other kind.