Not long ago, products such as laminate flooring were not available. All you had to choose from were hardwood, softwood, rock, linoleum, ceramic tile, carpet, and vinyl. With the addition of innovative hybrid flooring choices, laminate variations can be installed by yourself for half the cost of natural products without dealing with professional contractors always dragging in mud and dirt.
The problem is no longer which type of flooring to buy, unless you really are stuck back in the old days, but rather which kind of laminate to get. It is not as simple as walking into your nearest home improvement outlet store, picking the style that is on sale, and throwing it in place. In fact, if that is how you plan to approach your project, you may want to think again, or consider hiring a professional to do the job.
With that in mind, let’s go through a few easy factors you shouldn’t overlook when selecting laminate flooring. Do not feel too upset if you realize that you have already been guilty of bypassing a couple, because it is easy to do unless you have a list in front of you. So, before you move on, get a pen and paper so you can jot down a few notes.
Underlayment of laminate flooring
Don’t forget to install the underlayment first. The floor in the room getting the new hybrid flooring should have already been prepped and fixed, but if not, that needs to be completed first. You want to have the floor and underlayment as smooth and level as possible. If you need to replace some of the particle board that is down, or if you need to brace some of the joists, do it now. Once everything is ready, lay the underlayment out so it is smooth, and then tape the edges down.
Wide Planks
You also want to avoid using extra wide planks. Granted, they are easier to install and would cut your installation time in half, but unless your underlayment is perfect and your room is one hundred percent square, the big planks will end up being more of a pain in the neck than what they are worth. Plus, once they are installed, it will be possible to see the imperfections in the floor underneath through the planks in the hybrid flooring.
Lifestyle, Not Appeal
It may be very tempting to buy laminate flooring that looks good without putting much thought into its real-world application. That may end up working out for you, but most of the time, it will end up badly. Very badly. You must think about your needs over your wants. For example, if you have a couple of dogs that love to play outside in the mud, you may want to make sure you go with a laminate designed to withstand animal traffic and excessive amounts of mud and water.
One of the biggest pieces of advice that can be given to you when picking out laminate flooring is to go with what you know. In other words, before you get ready to buy anything, do your research. Find out what type of hybrid flooring would work best for you, and then pick a style from there.
You should never have to use glue for your new laminate flooring because most modern designs do not require its use. However, if you do end up with an older design that requires the laminated pieces to be glued in place, make sure you use the exact type of glue recommended in the directions. Do not try to save a buck by going with a different brand or type because it may not hold the planks in place.
Other than that, you should be ready to pick out the laminate flooring that will be covering your room for many years to come. Remember, this task should be enjoyable and should not be a chore, so if it is becoming more of a hassle than what it is worth, maybe you should consider going through a different sales platform before you may be getting the run around when it is completely unnecessary.
Photo by Spacejoy on Unsplash
