A Home Owner's Guide to the Pros and Cons of Laminate Flooring

The Advantages of Laminate Flooring

The benefits of laminate flooring are many. Some of the most prominent of these benefits include the following. 

Laminate Flooring Is Easy to Install

If you're looking to install your flooring on your own, laminate might be the perfect choice for you. This material snaps together. It doesn't need to be nailed down in any way. 



Sure, you could still hire someone to install it for you, but there's no reason that you shouldn't be able to install it on your own. That can be hugely beneficial if you're attempting to save money. 

Laminate Flooring Is Easy to Maintain

When it comes to purchasing flooring, you must consider the amount of maintenance it requires. Some flooring materials (like carpet) demand tons of maintenance. Others (like laminate) can be maintained in passing and rarely — if ever — require intensive maintenance measures. 

Let's say you spill juice on a carpeted floor. In order for you to clean it effectively, you would have to get the carpet steam cleaned. But if you spill juice on a laminate floor, you can quite simply wipe it up with a towel; it's that simple. 



In addition, unlike wood, laminate doesn't require any sealing or staining. You can let it lay for 20 years without any worries. It's the most low-maintenance flooring material in existence.

Laminate Flooring Is Available in a Variety of Styles

One of the great things about laminate flooring is that it's available in a variety of styles. It's synthetic and so can be made to look like a number of other materials. 

For instance, do you like the look of hardwood flooring? You can find laminate flooring that mimics it, and in a number of colors to boot.

Do you like the look of stone flooring? Again, there is laminate flooring available that looks just like it. It's not hard like stone flooring is but is aesthetically very similar. 

You can also find laminate flooring that's adorned with intricate designs. For instance, if you want polka dots or alternating colors, or symmetrical figures (or asymmetrical, for that matter), you can find laminate flooring that provides it. 



There is essentially no end to the variety of designs that laminate flooring can provide to you. Come check out our many options at 615 W Deer Valley Rd, Phoenix, AZ. 

Laminate Flooring Maintains Its Color

As time passes, many flooring materials tend to fade. Their colors lose some of their brightness and, quite frankly, they don't look as good. 



This is not true of laminate flooring. Laminate flooring maintains its color for the duration of its existence. It will always structurally deteriorate before it aesthetically deteriorates. 

Laminate Flooring Is Soft

Have kids or animals in your home? If so, you'd probably prefer to have a relatively soft floor. After all, kids and animals spend a lot of time on the ground, and you don't want that ground to cause harm. 



Fortunately, compared to other flooring materials, laminate flooring is quite soft. No, it's not as soft as carpet, but it's much softer than hardwood and ceramic. It offers a slightly spongy consistency and provides a little give with every step that's taken. 

Laminate Flooring Is Warm

When winter comes rolling around, it can cause a residential floor to become fairly cold. This is particularly true of flooring materials like hardwood or cement. 



Note, though, that laminate is hardly affected by the cold. It maintains a good standard of warmth all year long. In other words, with laminate in your home, you can walk the floors sock-free. 

Laminate Flooring Is Quiet

One of the biggest issues you'll face with hardwood flooring is its volume. Every time you take a step on it, a loud thud follows. 



This isn't true of laminate flooring. Because laminate flooring has some "give," it absorbs impact and creates very little noise. As such, after you've installed laminate flooring, you won't be distracted by people stomping around the house. 

The Disadvantages of Laminate Flooring

Though laminate flooring has more than a few advantages, it's not without its disadvantages. These disadvantages include the following. 

Laminate Flooring Lacks Durability 

Though it's not the least durable flooring material (that title belongs to carpet), laminate flooring does lack durability. Generally speaking, it will thrive for between 20 and 25 years. That's certainly not bad, but it's not as great as, say, hardwood (100 years) or porcelain (50 years). 



That said, for its price, it offers good bang for its buck. And when you take into account that it needs almost no maintenance, it's really a good deal. 

Laminate Flooring Is Susceptible to Water

Another con of laminate flooring is that it's susceptible to water. Though a temporary spill won't do anything to hurt it, standing water or high humidity will. As such, laminate flooring isn't great for bathrooms or basements. 



It's fine for kitchens, provided that you wipe up spills as they occur. Don't allow laminate flooring to be exposed to liquid for any longer than 30 minutes. 

Need Laminate Flooring in Phoenix?

What do you say? Is laminate flooring the right type of flooring for you? Do you need laminate flooring in Phoenix? If so, we here at Eagle Flooring West are the people to see. 

We offer a wide variety of laminate flooring and can suit any style preference. Regardless of the look you're hoping to achieve, we can accommodate you. 

Contact us now to discuss your needs!