Are the food spills and kids’ tramping in the kitchen bothering you? Are you looking for a durability in your kitchen flooring? Well, in that case, laminate flooring is just the perfect solution for you. Set at a low price tag, it gives you the feel of hardwood and any stains and scratches are repelled by its surface. This makes cleaning quick and easy.
A major advantage it has over wood is that its surface resists scratches and stains, which make maintenance a lot easier. However, in today’s world, with the blooming market of high-end options, it is quite difficult to decide which one would be the best choice for your kitchen flooring.
Things You Must Know About Laminate
A few things, you should be aware of before considering laminate flooring for the kitchen and these are:
- The Rundown: Four layers of material are fused together to construct a laminate. These layers are – a high-resolution photo, a melamine wear layer, a melamine backing layer, and a dense core board.
- Toughness: It has great durability and can resist cooking spills, pets’ paws, and heavy traffic. This is something that makes it a valuable investment with maximum ROI.
- Cleaning: Though, the laminate floor is resistant to spills, you must wipe them right away. In addition, regular dusting or sweeping should be accompanied with occasional wiping with a damp cloth or moping. If you wish to increase the life of your kitchen floor, relying entirely on its durability is not enough. Take extreme care that no sand or dirt gets on the floor, as the surface can be scratched with prolonged dirt and sand. While vacuuming the floor, keep a watch for the separation between boards, as you may find sand particles stuck there.
- Underlayment: A moisture barrier is required for laminate floors and underlayment serves this purpose. It also muzzles the sound. If you want a complete hardwood like feeling with the durability of a laminate flooring, you can get specially designed underlayment and your laminate will sound like hardwood when you walk on it.
How to Choose the Ideal Laminate Flooring for the Kitchen?
Not every type of laminate flooring is the same. They differ in terms of their manufacturing process, texture, finish, shape, color, and many more aspects, which should be considered when you are choosing the suitable laminate flooring for your kitchen.
Color
You can find a variety of colors when choosing a wood-like laminate. These colors range from blond to black. If you are looking for a more authentic look, you can go for tile-look laminate, which comes in a variety of earthy neutrals.
Texture
The growing market for laminate implies advanced manufacturing. This, in turn, produces realistic textures. A popular texture for hardwood is the distressed appearance, which you will get with wood-look laminate.
Shape
You can go all in to try different looks with laminate as it comes in strips, tiles, and planks. You can also install it in different orientations if you wish to sport a unique look.
Finish
There is a variety of glossy or matte surfaces to choose from. If you are wondering making the laminate fancier would affect its durability, then you should know, it is not the case. The finish doesn’t affect the durability of the laminate. Installation of the laminate is easy and for those who want to DIY (do-it-yourself), glueless installation will make things much easier for you, as it is mess-free and quick.
Another amazing feature about laminate flooring is that it’s eco-friendly and recycled material is being used in the manufacturing. With no oiling or waxing required for years, the laminate is the best low maintenance flooring option for your kitchen.
