As a homeowner one of the most impressive upgrades you can make in your home is new flooring. Agonizing over what kind of flooring you want to select can be a painful process. Every family has their own set of individual needs that they will need to consider when choosing what type of flooring they want in their home. If you are ready for flooring you may have decided that laminate flooring is the best choice for your family. The durability and affordability of laminate flooring makes it an excellent choice for many families. What type of laminate flooring will you choose for your family?
 

How to Pick the Best Laminate Wood Flooring

There are many factors to consider when purchasing your laminate flooring. Before you can make the best choice for your family it may help to understand the composition of each layer of laminate flooring. The bottom layer of laminate flooring sometimes will be a pad that is attached to your flooring so that you do not have to lay a pad down underneath the laminate before installing it. Other laminate flooring will require a pad to be laid down underneath the laminate. If the pad is not attached, the bottom layer of the laminate will be the backer layer. This layer provides additional support and stability for your flooring. The layer right above the backer layer is the core layer. The core layer will vary in thickness. This layer is what gives your laminate resistance to dents. Above the core layer is the décor layer. The décor layer is a printed image that makes your laminate flooring look like wood, tile, or stone. On top of the décor layer there is a wear layer. The wear layer serves many purposes. This layer helps resist scratches from daily wear, makes your flooring easy to clean, and helps your laminate be fade and stain resistant.
 

Laminate Flooring Trends

Now that you know how your laminate is made, it may be easier to pick the best laminate for your home. One of the first things that will draw you to a particular style of laminate flooring is the way that it looks. Laminate flooring comes in many types of textures and finishes. Embossed laminate is a general, all-over texture, but not matching the image in the décor layer of the laminate. This provides some depth to your laminate. Some laminate is embossed in register. Embossed in register means that that texture of the laminate does match the layer of the décor layer. Laminate flooring cannot truly be handscraped, but it can be pressed to look like handscraped hardwood. You can also pick laminate that has a high gloss to it. The high gloss laminate has a mirror finish that helps resist scratches and dents. All of these styles of laminate will also come in a variety of colors.
 

Laminate Thickness Chart

Laminate comes in different thicknesses. Laminate flooring is typically available in 7-millimeter, 8-millimeter, 10-millimeter, and 12-millimeter thickness. Some manufacturers include the core and pad in the thickness of the laminate to increase the appearance of a higher thickness in their product. Make sure you clarify what they are measuring on this measurement. Though all laminates are dent resistant, thicker laminate resists bending caused by uneven areas in your subfloor better than thinner laminate. Thicker laminate also helps to reduce noise.
 

Professional Floor Cleaning & More in Valley Village, Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Simi Valley, Burbank, Calabasas, Beverly Hills, Thousand Oaks & Los Angeles California

Once you have made the decision about what laminate you will be purchasing, give Steam Green Carpet Cleaning a call to schedule your installation and cleaning. Contact us today.