Laminated flooring

Laminate Flooring:

Do you like the look of wood but are concerned that your lifestyle might be too hard for hardwood? Then laminate, might be just the right choice for you. Laminate Flooring is the hottest flooring being sold today and laminate floors represent the most significant flooring entry in the past 25 years. Three important attributes - durability, design and installation ease continue to propel the popularity of laminate floors. If you want flooring for active lifestyles, flooring which is durable and easy to clean, then laminate floors may be exactly what you are searching for. The laminate floor panels simply click together and rest on top of a padding (floating installation).
There are wide variety of laminate flooring all capable of standing up to even the liveliest of lifestyles. For instance, in addition to being very scratch resistant, spills that would spell disaster for other flooring surfaces can be wiped up, easy-as-pie, from laminate.
Laminate can also be used to reproduce distressed, rare and extinct woods for a one of- a-kind look. Plus, this versatile material can go where other flooring shouldn't--like in basements where moisture could wreak havoc on hardwood.

Buying Tips for Laminate Flooring:

A new laminate floor can dramatically improve the look of any room. But keep in mind, your new flooring isn't going into an empty room. The style of your home, the size of the room, your existing furniture and even wallpaper can impact what kind of laminate you end up selecting.

Room size.
If your room is small, choosing a lighter color laminate will actually make the room appear to be larger. A larger pattern on the floor can also expand the room visually. If you're working with a very large room, using rich, darker tones will absorb available light--and create a warmer, more intimate environment for you.

Existing furniture & cabinets.
Depending upon the look you're trying to achieve, there are two very differing schools of thought. If you want a very cohesive, comforting feel, select flooring that coordinates closely with your current furnishings and cabinetry. If you're looking for something a little more dramatic, choose flooring that contrasts instead. If your furniture or cabinets are mostly brown hues, we'd recommend staying with brown rather than flooring with red or gray tones. White or almond cabinets look great with virtually any floor. And painted cabinets can often pick up an accent color in your floor pattern.

Color.
Darker wood tones usually have a more formal or traditional look, while lighter floors lend themselves to more casual or contemporary styles.

Light sources.
How any floor will look in your home will be greatly influenced by the amount and kind of light you get. The size of your windows, what direction they face, and the kind of artificial light you have in your home will all play an important role in how your new floor will look. It is always best to view your flooring selection in the same lighting that will be used in your home.

Scale and pattern.
Coordinating your new floor with your existing wallpaper isn't as hard as it might seem. If the wallpaper or fabric used in the room is large scale, select a small-scale design or board on the floor, and vice versa. If you plan to use several floor patterns in the room, our experience is that you'll get the best results by using one small, one medium and one large pattern. That way your design won't be too overwhelming or too busy.

Design.
Again, your flooring isn't going into a vacuum; it's going into a room with its own style and flair. Consequently, the floor you select should complement rather than dominate the other design elements in the room. If the design of the room is simple, you might want to consider accenting it with a stronger-patterned floor. If you've already created more of a distinctive style, though, a wise choice would be to pick a floor that picks up on the existing colors and patterns in the room.