Wood Laminate Floors

Dec 10, 2006 @ 06:11 pm by rach

By Jimmy Sturo

The laminate flooring of today no longer features high-quality photographic paper with an image of wood. More and more often, this effective but not-quite-realistic material is being foregone in favor of very thin slices of real wood veneers. This is a new hybrid product coming up and is being used quite often.

Woods and laminates each have their own benefits as flooring material. Scratches on hardwoods, which may be the work of pets at home, can be quite easily repaired. Furthermore, imperfections on hardwood floor can be removed by sanding. Wood floors compete as the very best in looks and durability.

On the other hand, laminate flooring does not change color or fade by the sun, moisture, or other environmental forces. Neither does it require any waxing or polishing for restoration of gloss and beauty. Rooms whose floors get exposed to a lot of moisture cannot opt for hardwood. Wood-laminate floors are competitively priced and provide good value for the money too. They are very long lasting and might well never need any replacement. In fact, such flooring adds value to one’s home.

Such flooring is the most versatile too. They go well with most designs and styles of interior decoration. They are perfectly compatible with traditional and contemporary designing styles and are also befitting for various blends of these.

Water and wood do not mix together. Hence, one must keep a close watch on moisture. See to it that damp mopping of the floor is not carried out, and that water spilled on the floor is quickly removed by mopping whenever detected.

Laminate Floors provides detailed information on Discount Laminate Floors, Hardwood Laminate Floors, How To Clean Laminate Floors, How To Install Laminate Floors and more. Laminate Floors is affiliated with How To Install Laminate Flooring.
 

Laminate Floor Cleaning Tips

Sep 25, 2006 @ 05:29 pm by rach

By Vincent Platania

Laminate floors are quickly becoming the new fad with homeowners.  For those who are still unaware of what laminate flooring is, it is layers of materials compressed together to create flooring.  It is capable of taking on any effect and being any color desired.

You can purchase laminate flooring that looks like wood or stone tiles, in a variety of shapes.  Not only is laminate flooring easy to clean, it can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.  In fact, you don’t have to empty your savings account any longer to get that beautiful hardwood floor.  You can purchase a laminate look alike, which is just as durable as a wood floor if not more.  For these reasons and more, laminate flooring is gaining in popularity.

Cleaning Laminate Flooring

What is the best way to keep your laminate floors clean?  Due to the fact that laminates have several layers, the first layer or the surface protects the laminate floor.  With this protection, keeping your laminate floor clean has just become easier.  The best tip for cleaning your laminate floor is to purchase a cleaner that is safe for laminates. Do not use wax cleaners, polishes or abrasive cleaning products on your laminate flooring as they can damage the finish.

Along with using the proper cleaner, there are other tips to assist you in maintaining the natural beauty of your laminate flooring.  Unlike hardwood floors you can use warm water to clean your laminate flooring.  It is suggested to use a good mop  and ring the mop out twice as excessive water will damage your laminate flooring.  Do not allow spills to stand on your laminate flooring, wipe them up immediately to keep the quality of your laminate floors in tact.

Protecting Laminate Flooring
 
As with any hard flooring, using carpet rugs in high traffic areas is also a must with laminate floors.  You should also consider using rugs in areas of high use, such as in the kitchen and near all sinks.  Carpet rugs help to trap dirt and debris brought from outside your home.  Along with providing rugs, you should also sweep your laminate floors often.   If time permits, sweep your floors daily.  This will help to ensure that your laminate floors remain beautiful.

With so many choices in laminate flooring, it’s hard to go wrong when making laminate the floor of your choice.  With its easy maintenance and low cost, you’ve saved both time and money.  Remember, to keep those laminate floors looking beautiful, use a product designed to clean laminate floors.  If it doesn’t say “safe for laminate floors” then don’t purchase it.  Most laminate floor cleaners are cost effective and save time in the cleaning process.  Using a cleaner that is not designed for your laminate floor can lead to disaster.  Repairing or replacing a laminate floor takes much more time then reading the labels of the cleaning products available to you.

Author Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company.Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean.
Visit
http://www.fuller-brush-products.com

Laminate Floors

Jun 19, 2006 @ 03:57 pm by rach

By Jimmy Sturo

Laminate flooring has been very popular in Europe for quite some time. Now it is emerging in the United States as one of the most popularly used wood coverings for floors. The cause for its popularity can be attributed to the fact that it provides the hardwood look. Though it looks grand, hardwood flooring is expensive too. So, people often settle for laminate floors to get that effect at a lower price.

Moreover, laminate flooring is very durable. It can be suitably used in a variety of places - from a simple home bedroom to a showroom of automobiles. Laminate floors can be made upon just about any flat surface - be it plywood or concrete slab or hardwood flooring or sheet vinyl flooring.

Laminate floors are constructed of different layers. From the top downward as constructed, these layers are: the wear layer, the pattern or image layer, medium/high density fiber board (a processed wood core), and the balancing layer with a moisture barrier.

It may be noted that laminate is also widely used in kitchen work surfaces. However, the difference between laminate on floors and laminate on kitchen work surfaces lies in the capacity to take stress of people walking on them everyday.

A wide range of colors and patterns are available for laminate floors. The quality of these floors is also improving day by day. Laminate floors have become close imitations of real wood floors.

The dense laminate floors are not difficult to clean. They require the simplest maintenance - dust sweeping or vacuum cleaning or maybe light mopping is required. Even with minimum effort the floors look good for many, many years. A 10- to 25-year residential warranty is also often provided against staining, wearing and fading.

Laminate Floors provides detailed information on Discount Laminate Floors, Hardwood Laminate Floors, How To Clean Laminate Floors, How To Install Laminate Floors and more. Laminate Floors is affiliated with How To Install Laminate Flooring.

Wood Laminate Floors

Jun 19, 2006 @ 03:51 pm by rach

By Jimmy Sturo

The laminate flooring of today no longer features high-quality photographic paper with an image of wood. More and more often, this effective but not-quite-realistic material is being foregone in favor of very thin slices of real wood veneers. This is a new hybrid product coming up and is being used quite often.

Woods and laminates each have their own benefits as flooring material. Scratches on hardwoods, which may be the work of pets at home, can be quite easily repaired. Furthermore, imperfections on hardwood floor can be removed by sanding. Wood floors compete as the very best in looks and durability.

On the other hand, laminate flooring does not change color or fade by the sun, moisture, or other environmental forces. Neither does it require any waxing or polishing for restoration of gloss and beauty. Rooms whose floors get exposed to a lot of moisture cannot opt for hardwood. Wood-laminate floors are competitively priced and provide good value for the money too. They are very long lasting and might well never need any replacement. In fact, such flooring adds value to one’s home.

Such flooring is the most versatile too. They go well with most designs and styles of interior decoration. They are perfectly compatible with traditional and contemporary designing styles and are also befitting for various blends of these.

Water and wood do not mix together. Hence, one must keep a close watch on moisture. See to it that damp mopping of the floor is not carried out, and that water spilled on the floor is quickly removed by mopping whenever detected.

Laminate Floors provides detailed information on Discount Laminate Floors, Hardwood Laminate Floors, How To Clean Laminate Floors, How To Install Laminate Floors and more. Laminate Floors is affiliated with How To Install Laminate Flooring.

Laminate Wood Flooring

Jun 19, 2006 @ 03:42 pm by rach

By Jimmy Sturo

Wood floorings have always been very fashionable, but they are gaining more and more popularity even for offices and other formal rooms. This rise in popularity is because of their warm look, affordability, variety, eco-friendliness, ease of maintenance and high value.

Having originated in Europe, laminate wood floors are becoming a good alternative for hardwood in North America. They are available in various styles, sizes, designs and colors, just like wood floors. They can also be very stylish in patterns like tile, realistic stones and hardwood visuals.

Laminate wood flooring is a kind of flooring that enhances the natural look of wood with greater durability and toughness. This flooring is easy to install, innovative, cost-effective and very durable. The floors are also scratch resistant and low-maintenance. Laminate wood floors are very tough, and are thus ideal for all kinds of rooms—even those with high traffic like kitchens and offices—since they are resistant to stains, scratches, spills and burns. They are also available in an extensive variety of styles, species, cuts and types. Laminate floors are available in planks or tiles.

Laminate wood flooring is done using sophisticated technology for the designs. They can be installed on previous floors like plywood, concrete slabs and OSB by simply floating the tiles over them. These planks have tongue-and-groove edges that allow them to lock into each other. Hence, they do not need any glue to keep them in place. They are just placed over the previous floor. A special polyurethane underlay is laid on the previous floor before installing, to enable the laminate wood floor to float freely. These floors are therefore very easy to install. Some kinds of laminate floors are pre-glued and just have to be wiped with a wet sponge to reactivate the glue. There are also some kinds of glued-laminate wood floors available.

Maintenance for laminate wood floors is relatively easy. They should not be waxed or polished. Using felt pads or casters under the legs of the furniture would prevent scratching. The floor should be vacuumed regularly using soft brushes, and it should be wiped with a wet cloth or mop when required. Do not use any harsh cleaners or steel wool for cleaning. Do not refinish or sand the floor. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully for other maintenance tips. These precautions will make the floor last for years.

Some of the most popular manufacturers of laminate wood flooring are Mannington, Pergo, Mohawk, Wilsonart, Quick-Step, Shaw, Witex, Armstrong and Alloc.

Wood Flooring provides detailed information about wood flooring, laminate wood flooring, hard wood flooring, engineered wood flooring and more. Wood Flooring is the sister site of How To Clean Marble.