More and more home decorators are moving away from the wall-to-wall carpeting trend and towards the use of one of the many different types of stylish and practical flooring we now have to choose from.
In addition to the traditional floor coverings of years gone by, we now have a choice of materials that have only been made possible by modern technology.
In fact, many of today's manufacturing techniques give us synthetic floor coverings that have the combined desirable properties of good looks and durability, but they are also easy-care, as well as being easy on the pocket!
Flooring Options for Your Home
But still many of us love the thought of natural stone or wood to adorn our homes with. There is no doubt that flooring made of natural resources does have a certain something that synthetic material can never acquire! Wood in particular can impart a great deal of atmosphere to our surroundings.
However, picking the right type of flooring for your home involves asking some questions and giving some honest answers. You need to pick what's right for you, your finances and your lifestyle. Finding a floor covering that is suitable for every aspect of your circumstances is key to getting the equation right.
Popularity of Wood Flooring
Wood is perennially popular with homeowners everywhere. As well as adding atmosphere to your home, you will find that it copes with the structural movement so common in older homes pretty well (whereas tile or slate would crack), and it is pretty resistant to a great deal of family traffic.
The drawbacks of a real wood floor are that it can take some looking after, and may be affected by a very damp atmosphere. If you live somewhere that's frequently exposed to flooding, or any other type of moisture, you may not want to go for the expense of installing hardwood flooring only to find you have to replace it after the first flood!
Slate tile is another natural flooring material. It's more hardwearing than wood, although it can be porous. In addition, slate can be spoiled by oil if there is a spillage. Also, if you drop anything heavy on a slate floor it will likely crack or chip. However, it is highly moisture resistant and so makes a good choice for a kitchen or bathroom. Linoleum, ceramic tile and marble are also popular choices for a bathroom because they are moisture resistant.
Easy-Care Floor Coverings
If you lead a busy lifestyle, there really isn't much point in going for flooring that's going to require a lot of cleaning and care. Easy-care floor coverings should be the order of the day for you. No need to skimp on style and beauty; as we've already mentioned, many of the new easy-care synthetic floor coverings are uniquely stylish and very beautiful!
Choosing flooring for a kitchen requires particular care and thought. The best choices include ceramic tile (highly washable), linoleum (very affordable) and wood.
Remember that oil can mark your wood floor if it is not very carefully sealed. Linoleum is a good choice for many people. It can be ripped out and replaced in very short order if you decide on a change of decor, it's very inexpensive, and a quick wipe will keep it looking perfect. This is one example of a great modern flooring innovation!
Back to Carpet!
For some of us, wall-to-wall carpet is still the only practical choice for a living room which is used by small children as well as adults, especially in cooler areas. Carpet can make a room much more cozy in the winter months. As a final thought, unless you're preparing a building for sale and hoping to add to its value as well as its attraction, it's probably not worth picking really expensive flooring for a home you're not planning to stay in! Save your lifetime choices for the home of your dreams, once you find it!Laminate Flooring
Even if the wood you use comes from managed forests, there are still some serious questions whether using exotic hardwoods is a responsible option right now.
Environmentally Responsible Laminated Flooring
No such dilemmas with laminated flooring. It's produced from synthetic materials that are not on the verge of becoming extinct. But it has a number of other qualities that we're sure you'll be interested in.
To begin with if taking care of hardwood to protect it from natural pests and rot and mold are daunting to you (as they are to most people), it will be refreshing to note that laminated floors need absolutely no pest control whatsoever. Any bug taking a bite out of a laminated floor would have toothache indeed. Laminated flooring is just so easy to take care of, homeowners can't do anything but love it.
A quick wipe over from time to time is all it needs. No oiling and no scrubbing are needed. As well as being very cheap to buy, especially when compared with any kind of solid wood, laminated floors are much quicker and cheaper to install too. In fact, for someone with a power saw, or jig saw, an average sized room can be covered with laminated flooring in less than a day.
Installing a laminated floor does take a little experience though. If you've never done it before, do enlist the help of a professional, or at least an experienced amateur. There are different kinds of laminated flooring design. Some laminates slot together, like tongue and groove, and others need to be glued in place. Consumers seem to prefer the glue-less laminate options, saying that they last better and are much easier to install. Eliminating the chemicals and smell that come with commercial adhesives would be a definite plus in my book.
Laminated Flooring and Compromise
When you pick laminated flooring you can enjoy the choice of every exotic hardwood floor effect that every existed, and a lot more besides. You won't ever find that what you've chosen is unavailable.
Or that its unsuitable for your needs for some reason! Just in case you're undecided because you really can tell the difference between laminate and wood, take a look at some of the new types of laminated flooring that make use of veneers of real hardwoods on top of a laminated fabric. This can be a happy compromise between wood and totally synthetic laminates.
Then again, if nothing but the real thing will do for you, an engineered hardwood floor that's made up of laminated layers of real hardwood might be the answer. Engineered hardwood floors are not cheap. But they do look beautiful. They are also harder wearing and longer lasting that solid hardwood because they "give" slightly and are therefore less prone to shock damage. Laminated flooring comes in an overwhelming array of colors. You'll be absolutely spoiled for choice.
Of course, like anything else, there are names that you should look for in laminated floors. They include Kronotex, Pergo, Wilsonart, Uniclic, Mannington and Formica.
Durability is the name of the game with flooring laminates. They are virtually indestructible. This is just one of the important considerations that is making so many people turn to the possibilities of laminates instead of real wood. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can install a beautiful, stylish floor with laminated products. It is truly gratifying.
Pergo Flooring
There are arguments for--and against--laminate flooring. The points are good on both sides. If you're considering new floors, it's important to take a look at your aesthetic, performance, and value needs--for now, and the future. The flooring you buy will be on view for a long, long time. It's vital to make a decision based on the needs of your household, not someone else's.
The Case for Wood
Most of the arguments against laminate flooring have to do with the fact that it's not wood. Laminate floors are guaranteed for at least 25 years, and can actually last much longer. On the other hand, quality hardwood flooring can, with excellent care, last hundreds of years.
If you actually manage to damage your laminate floor, the damaged section needs to be excised and replaced. If you damage a hardwood floor, you can call it "character", or refinish it. Because laminates are not actually wood, but well-protected, sturdily-built pictures of wood, refinishing is impossible.
The image would be scraped right off. Finally, there is the argument of long-term value. Many times, costly improvements and purchases are referred to "investments." In the case of hardwood floors, this is actually true. Quality hardwood floors are expensive, but its installation will add value to a home. Laminate flooring, even if of the highest quality, will add no more value than would fine carpeting. In fact, some in the industry actually refer to laminate flooring as "hard wall-to-wall."
The Case for Laminate Floors
Now, all that said, there are many excellent reasons to consider laminate floors. First, long term issues: If you're not planning to live in the place you're in now for more than 25 years, then you don't need to worry about what to do with your flooring in the future.
If you're renting or leasing your space, then you don't have to worry about resale value. Next, there's that point about how "damaged sections of laminated floors have to be replaced." Well, if you were clever when you purchased your laminate flooring, and bought the 10 percent more as you were advised at the time, then "clicking" out a damaged piece isn't much of a headache. And since Pergo floors have a 25 year warranty against color fading, the new piece will match the old pieces just fine. Then there's the well known advantages of laminate floors, in general, and Pergo products in particular: Pergo floors are much less expensive than hardwoods.
Pergo floors offer more designs than any other laminate floor company, and their finishes look impressively real. Pergo offers impressive 25 year warranties on every product they manufacture. They've received the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. They win major, coveted design and technology awards every year.
Pergo Floors: I Should Look So Good in 25 Years
And then, the real stuff, the advantages that actually affect your life after the installers are gone: Pergo floors are notoriously resistant to minor scuffs and dents. Pergo floors are a lot easier to clean than hardwood floors. Because of their high, hard finish, dirt and stuff just can't get into the grooves. A gentle sweeping and spot cleaning with a damp mop is pretty much all that's required. Plus, the smooth finish actually provides a more sanitary surface, making them excellent floors in food prep environments--or any part of the house in which babies may be crawling.
Pergo laminated floors are actually "softer" than hardwood floors--cushioning bare feet, and making inevitable drops of cups, glasses, or, again, little baby stumbles, minor events, instead of minor emergencies. Oh, and they look good, too.
For Flooring solutions, please contact PT Nikifour, a construction company that has flooring solution especially in Epoxy. If you're located near KIIC Suryacipta KIM karawang, visit us. Or see our portofolio at: https://nikifour.co.id.
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