Laminate Flooring: the Advantages and Disadvantages

Laminate is a popular flooring choice. It’s a material you should definitely consider if you want a new floor.

But before you make any decisions, it’s important to know the facts. To help you out, we’ve come up with everything you need to know about laminate flooring.

What’s laminate flooring?

Laminate flooring is usually made of composite wood. It includes a layer of high-density fibreboard, which gives it structure and strength. This is covered by a decorative layer, which has design printed on. A clear layer goes over the top to protect the decorative layer from damage.

Laminate comes in boards and is usually fairly easy to slot together.

The advantages of laminate flooring

Affordable

A big advantage to laminate flooring is that it’s affordable. It costs on average about half the price of solid wood flooring.

Durable

Another benefit to laminate flooring is that it’s easy to clean. It doesn’t stain easily and usually just needs regular vacuuming to keep it in good condition. Good quality laminate is also long-lasting and resists wear and tear.

Versatile

People also choose laminate flooring because it’s versatile. It’s available in a wide range of effects and colours. So whether you want flooring that looks like natural stone, wood or ceramic, you should be able to find a type of laminate that’s right for the job.

Laminate flooring disadvantages

Can look and feel fake

Although you can get laminate in lots of different looks, these aren’t always convincing. It often doesn’t look like the real deal, which can make it seem cheap and substandard. Plus, laminate doesn’t feel like the material that it looks like either.

Difficult to repair

Another downside to laminate flooring is that it’s difficult to repair. In most cases, you won’t be able to repair your laminate and will have to replace it instead. And even if your laminate comes in individual pieces that join together it can be difficult to find replacements that match your current flooring. If your flooring has aged then the new piece(s) can look very obvious.

So there are several reasons to use laminate flooring but it also has its downsides. To find a professional for advice or help fitting a laminate floor, click ‘Start my project’ and complete our online form. We’ll connect you with up to 4 flooring professionals in your area.