Laminate Kitchen Flooring: Using
A Laminate Is Easy On Your Budget

Enjoy the warm "wood-like" look that a laminate adds to your space with many choices and colors to go with your kitchen design ideas.

The wood planks are not real wood or tile, but rather a layered composite of several materials that are bonded together.

Durable

High-density fiberboard, combined with melamine resins, is the core material and is moisture resistant. The fiberboard is topped with Kraft paper and then a photo image of a wood grain or tile is applied.

The photo image is sealed with a very hard clear melamine resin finish that prevents scratching, fading, and stains although it can show wear in high traffic areas after many years of use.

Some versions of laminate kitchen flooring include an embossing to mimic a texture that makes it look more like real wood.

Laminate flooring planks are made in a tongue and groove that fit together making it easy to install. The planks are often laid as a floating floor and do not have to be nailed or glued to the subfloor. Noise absorbing underlayment can be put down first if desired.

Installation Options For Laminate Kitchen Flooring

There are three different ways the planks are installed:

• Glue-less floating floor that snaps together by the tongue and groove. Most kitchen laminate flooring is put down this way.

• Installer applies wood glue to the tongue and grove, creating a tight seal.

• The factory pre-glues the tongue and groove and the installer moistens the board and presses them together to seal.

However, if you do know how to use a circular saw and have basic carpentry skills, you can probably handle putting it down yourself.

Laminate kitchen flooring comes in various sized planks as well as many types of wood grains and stain colors. The planks also come in many lengths, making your floor look similar to the real thing. Some even come to look like distressed hardwood floors or hand scraped textures. Moldings are also available in a matching material to finish the space off.

If you love the look of tile, then you can get this type of product in squares that look like stone or ceramic. Textured patterns with colors that look like the real thing can be purchased in many sizes and finishes.

This product is often put down with tongue and groove sections that float, as mentioned, although, many tiles are available with a peel and stick backing.

Easy Care

One of the nicest benefits of laminate kitchen flooring is that it never needs to be resealed, waxed or refinished. Most laminate floor products come with a warranty of up to 15 years, some as long as 30 years.

The scratch resistant surface is easily cleaned with a damp mop, being careful not to use too much water. With proper care, laminate kitchen flooring will look like new for years with moderate traffic levels. You can get repair kits if you find any kind of chip or deep scratch.

There Are Better Choices

This is a great product for certain rooms in your home and many people are very happy with it although care should be taken in areas that are exposed to water.

Some folks simply do not like this material, as it does'nt have the rich look and sound of real products like solid hardwood or engineered hardwood floors. However, if your budget doesn't allow for real wood or tile, this may be a great choice for your new kitchen.

Check out all of the styles and colors that you can get by clicking here. Build Direct has low prices and great customer service and they will even send you free samples of certain products!

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