Do-It-Yourself Laminate Flooring Issues

People who like to do their own flooring may be going for a natural timber appearance. However, it can get annoying to have to frequently sand and finish the flooring. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a grainy floor appearance without needing to acclimatize the floor material after it’s installed? Perhaps you want an organic bronze colour without having to spend a lot of money on the authentic version.

There are so many flooring options to choose from. If you are not sure what to choose, then choose laminate flooring. It is a safe and reliable option which is simple to install because of the latest fabrication methods and modernized laminating machinery. You probably don’t realize that certain technology exists which lets you replicate the aesthetics of a hardwood floor. The best part is that it costs a fraction of the price of the real thing.

The main dilemma when it comes to laminate flooring is choosing the best type. Several flooring types and suppliers exist in the Australian market. One notable supplier is Laminex, which is known for its decorative surfaces and benchtops. They created the attractive Essastone benchtops, which many Australians love. In addition, they’re also laminating floors now too under the Formica range. Since they’re experts in designing state-of-the-art cabinetry surfaces, it wasn’t hard for them to create floors that were equally amazing. Their European based laminate flooring is produced with quality Austrian products. They offer a 30-year warranty for flooring in residences and a 7-year warranty for flooring in commercial properties.

Formica Laminate Flooring resembles natural timber, even though it is not natural. But their laminate flooring provides the same benefits as a real natural timber floor. The only difference is the installation and maintenance are a lot easier. In fact, you can perform the laminate flooring installation yourself. As for cleaning the floors, it only requires a simple mop and vacuum. No professional cleaners are necessary.

The laminate floor surfaces are digitally printed to look like wood. They can replicate the timber grains of the wood perfectly. Every small detail, including the wood patterns and colours, are captured in the laminated prints. Then a textured finish is added on top of the surface to create an even more realistic appearance.

As great as this sounds, there are some concerns over using this laminate technology on your flooring. When you consider the chemical components of the laminate flooring, they could potentially be dangerous for people to be around. Some reports suggest that flooring companies are using a lot of formaldehyde and other carcinogenic substances in their laminate chemical composition.

Fortunately, the Formica products which come from Europe are committed to promoting healthier air quality indoors. That is why they’ve received a GREENGUARD Environmental Institute certification for having low levels of formaldehyde and other VOC emissions. The components of Formica products contain 60% recycled fibres and 30% wood scrap. That means if you use Formica’s laminate flooring products, you won’t have to worry about any dangerous chemical substances being in them. This is great news for people with respiratory issues who want to breathe better and save their health.

Hollow sounds are another problem that can happen when laminating your own floors. Why do these sounds occur? Well, first, you must understand how the floors were originally installed. Underlayment is usually installed on top of a property’s subfloor. The underlayment is a thin layer that covers the floor prior to the lamination process. It is supposed to help guarantee a flat surface on the floor first. In between the subfloor and laminate cover is a small gap. When you step on the surface, the gap causes a hollow sound to be made. If you want to stop this sound, consider the underlayment type which is there and consider replacing it. For instance, an acoustic silent underlayment by Hush Platinum is a good choice. It contains high-density polyethylene that is BCA Code compliant regarding the transmission of sound. Alternatively, you can use Formica’s 12mm plank range, which has a silent underlay under the plank, to reduce sound.

Lastly, do-it-yourself laminate floors have refinishing limitations. But still, it is better than having to deal with authentic hardwood flooring. Think about all the work and money involved in sanding, varnishing, and waxing the hardwood. It’ll cost you about $50 per square meter on average. Also, once you’re done sanding, you’ll need to clean up all those microscopic dust particles which are spread on the floor and in the air. As for varnishing, that’ll force you to stay out of the home for a couple of days.

Why put up with these problems when you can just laminate the flooring and avoid them all? Even though the refinish options are limited, you’ll save a lot of money by using laminate flooring. It is also much faster to install laminate flooring too. You could place 35 square metres down each day of laminate flooring if you really know what you’re doing. But if you are not experienced at placing laminate flooring, then a professional could always do it faster for you. It depends on your confidence level, despite how easy laminate flooring installations can be.

No matter who installs the flooring, you can be sure that laminate flooring is growing in popularity in Perth WA. An increasing number of suppliers are trying to get in on the action by offering better and safer flooring options. You’ll want to choose a supplier which offers all these things in addition to attractive aesthetics. Then you can be sure your laminate flooring will turn out just right.  Or you can contact a professional Tiling and Flooring service in Perth .

Source: Men Behaving Handy – Handyman Perth

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