Laminate Flooring - Furniture & Carpet Source, Akron Ohio

Laminate Flooring

Furniture & Carpet Source carries the major laminate flooring lines:

Laminate flooring is one of the fastest growing flooring categories. This type of flooring has been used widely in Europe for over 20 years. Laminate floors are related to laminate counter tops, such as Formica., but do not let that fact deceive you. Laminate floors are incredibly durable and are available in many wood or tile looks.

Stop by Furniture & Carpet Source for a look at the latest laminate flooring styles!

What is Laminate Flooring?

Laminate flooring is a tongue and groove interlocking flooring system that floats on top of an existing subfloor. The subfloor could be wood, a concrete slab, an existing vinyl floor or many other existing flooring types. The word "floating" means the laminate floor is not attached to the floor underneath. Specially formulated glues are used to hold the planks together. A special polyurethane padding is laid down prior to the laminate flooring being installed, which prevents the glue from sticking to the substrate.

Laminate flooring is made up of a hard core material that is laminated between a top printed layer and a special backing. The boards are saturated in plastic-type resins. Laminate floors are quite similar to "Formica" type counter tops. What makes this a great flooring system is the extremely tough melamine resins in the wearlayer combined with the floating installation method.

Some laminate manufacturers boast a hardness 10 times that of traditional wood floors. The resin-filled wearlayer is so dense that it becomes extremely difficult to stain, scratch, or even burn with a cigarette. It is possible to scratch any of the floors but you really need to try hard. Many laminate floors have a wood grain appearance. Newer more abstract designs are coming to the market, such as sandstone, marble, and accents. Although most of the laminate floors are made in long rectangular shaped planks there are some square tiles also made.

A unique aspect about this process is that the printed film technology used can create an extremely realistic looking hardwood floor in any hardwood species. This allows for a unique visual look. Because laminate floors are so dense, they are easy to keep clean. All that is really required is vacuuming, dust mopping, and maybe a damp towel. Most laminate floors have a 10 to 25 year residential warranty against staining, wearing, and fading.

Laminate Flooring Installation Tips

Every laminate flooring manufacturer has their own installation procedures. One must always follow these installation procedures precisely. This is important in order to not void any warranty. In general the boards are glued together with a specific adhesive applied to a certain part of each plank. But first you must have a level, no bounce sub floor to lay the planks over. Before installation the laminate flooring should also be allowed to acclimate to its final surroundings for 2 to 3 days prior to the job installation.

Furniture & Carpet Source recommends a professional installation. There are many little details that require a certain amount of experience for a good installation. For example, applying too much glue to planks will actually act as a barrier not allowing the tongue to be fully inserted into the groove. This can lead to unwanted open seams. Too little glue will not allow the boards to be secured properly and will not seal.

If you wish to try a Do It Yourself installation, most manufacturer's have detailed installation information.

Generally all that is required for laminate floors is vacuuming, dust mopping, and occasionally a damp towel. Consult the manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedures for further details. Some manufacturers offer special cleaning and touch-up solutions.