Choosing Laminate floors for a living room
For some years now, Laminate has offered homeowners an attractive and affordable alternative to hardwood flooring for their living rooms. Laminate's ability to mimic the look of natural materials such as wood, make it a great option for homeowners who want wood flooring in their living room, but find the price of real hardwood out of reach.
Laminate flooring has several other advantages that make it suitable for living rooms. It’s durable and can withstand heavy living room furniture without denting, and it is resistant to scratches and fading. This makes it well adapted for living rooms that experience high foot traffic or that have exposure to a lot of natural light. Laminate is also easy to install and to maintain.
Benefits of Laminate flooring in living rooms
Pros of using Laminate flooring in living rooms
• Easy to install
• Affordable
• Durable
• Available in many designs and styles
Easy to install – At Tarkett, our Laminate floors come with a new profile that makes them fast and easy to install. This new locking system allows a smooth and flexible installation and offers the possibility to choose the way that suits you the best: plank-by-plank, row-by-row, tapping.
Affordable – Laminate is cheaper than alternative living room flooring options such as solid and engineered wood, making it an attractive option for homeowners looking to install living room flooring on a budget.
Durable – the highly resistant protective surface makes Laminate resistant to protect the surface against scuffs, scratches, stains and fading. This durability makes it an excellent choice for living rooms with high foot traffic and families with pets. At Tarkett, we guarantee our Laminate floors up to 25 years, depending on the product.
Available in many designs and styles – Laminate comes in a range of designs that mimic wood. It also comes in a range of styles and plank sizes, all of which play an important part in creating your overall living room impression.
Drawbacks of Laminate flooring in living rooms
Cons of using Laminate flooring in living rooms
• Hard underfoot
• No sound insulation properties
• Difficult to repair
Hard underfoot – Laminate flooring is relatively hard underfoot. No sound insulation properties – Laminate floors don't offer sound protection in the same way that carpet does. Also, the hard surface tends to be noisy underfoot. However, a good quality underlayment will help to absorb the sound. Area rugs can also be used to add warmth and sound insulation.
Difficult to repair – Hardwood floors can be sanded back and refinished several times over the course of their lifespan, however Laminate flooring cannot be refinished. If the floors in your living room become damaged or worn, the damaged Laminate planks will need to be removed and replaced. And since it's difficult to remove individual planks without disturbing the integrity of the locking system, in most cases the entire living room floor needs to be removed and replaced.
Laminate
Laminate