The Best Buys for Laminate Floors

What to Seek

• When shopping for laminate floor, you should first make a decision about installing the flooring yourself or hiring a contractor to install it for you. If you intend to install the laminate floors on your own and you do not have much experience laying floors, consider purchasing laminate floors with a glueless locking mechanism. Glueless laminate floorboards connect easily and do not require special tools if you need to cut the boards to size.

  Take into consideration where you want to install the laminate flooring. If you want to install the flooring in a bathroom or kitchen, for example, seek laminate floors with thick cores treated with a water repellent and have the joints treated with wax. Warranties on floors are beneficial if you are installing laminate floors in a home you just purchased or do not have plans to move in the near future. Warranties can last up to 15 years.

Common Pitfalls

• Laminates have a special wear layer on their surface to protect the boards from wear. On occasion, bargain hunters purchase laminate with a thinner wear layer and end up reinstall new flooring earlier than anticipated. It is best to purchase laminate flooring with a thick wear layer for high-traffic areas of a home. Consumers sometimes fail to examine the core of the laminate samples received. You can see if the core of a floorboard is dense or soft by scratching its edge, in the center, with a fingernail or knife. Floorboards with dense cores tend to last longer.

Cost

• According to the website Floor Facts, there are two main types of laminate floors: high pressure laminates and direct pressure laminates. High pressure laminate floors tend to be more expensive because the production method costs more, the floorboards have a longer life and they tend to have a better locking system. Direct pressure laminates are cheaper to produce because the process of fusing the flooring components is simpler and the waterproofing treatment is less effective. The warranty on laminate flooring can also affect the cost.

Insider Tips

• When shopping for laminate flooring, plan for the future. If you know you are going to move in the near future, it may be more cost effective to purchase laminate flooring that is not expensive. The customer service a laminate flooring vendor offers may also be important, particularly if you do not have flooring experience. The best companies are those that offer advice and assistance before, during and after your flooring purchase.