MJ Flooring Center & Design
Laminate Floors
Laminate flooring combines natural looking designs with a tough, durable finish and can be used in almost any area of the home. Laminate floors also offer realistic designs and can replicate the characteristics of the popular handscraped hardwood floors.
Laminate flooring is a multi-layer synthetic flooring product, fused together with a lamination process. Laminate flooring simulates wood (or stone, in some cases) with a photographic applique layer under a clear protective layer. The inner core layer is usually composed of melamine resin and fiber board materials. There is sometimes a glue backing for ease of installation. It has the advantages that it is durable, as compared with carpet, and attractive, at a lower cost as compared to natural floor materials.
Laminate flooring is a hybrid. It looks like hardwood but it's not. Yet it's not vinyl tiling and it's not engineered flooring. Some people love laminate flooring because it's easy to install--you can install several hundred square feet in a weekend. It's easy to clean, too. Laminate flooring is often known by its brand name, Pergo. Yet there are plenty of other manufacturers: Dupont, Mannington, Armstrong, and more. Laminate flooring is mainly manufactured by companies that make synthetic floor coverings.
Laminate Floor Care
It is important to keep laminate clean, as dust, dirt and sand particles may scratch the decorative surface over time in high-traffic areas. It is also important to keep laminate relatively dry, since sitting water/moisture can cause the planks to swell, warp, etc, though some brands are equipped with water-resistant coatings. Water spills aren't a problem if they're wiped up quickly, and not allowed to sit for a prolonged period of time. Adhesive felt pads are often placed on the feet of furniture on laminate floors to prevent scratching. Glueless laminate floors may gradually become separated, creating visible gaps between planks. It is important to "tap" the planks back together using the appropriate tool as you notice the gaps, otherwise dirt will fill the gaps making it difficult to close them later. |
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Laminate Floors Are Durable
Unlike hardwood, laminate floors will not stain, fade, dent and are far more scratch and water resistant. Entry level laminate wood flooring is designed for light traffic areas and come with warranties ranging from 10 to 15 years. Most people set their expectations too high and expect that entry level floors will perform under heavy traffic conditions and still look good for the duration of the warranty. This is however not the case, as an entry level floor subject to high traffic will start to show wear and tear within three to five years. |
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Laminate flooring are packaged as a number of tongue and groove planks - these can be clicked into one another. Installed laminate floors typically "float" over the sub-floor on top of a foam/film underlayment, which provides moisture and sound-reducing properties.
Featured to the right is QuickStep's Uniclic® which allows you simply snap the planks or tiles together - using either an angled or sliding motion. |
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MJ Flooring Center & Design provides laminate flooring from the following manufacturers: AJ Trading, Armstrong, Greenfield, Kaindl, Lamett, Mannington, Quick Step, Shaw, Wilson Art and more. Our laminate collections in San Diego are the best combination of quality and value in a wide range of colors, styles and designs; visit one of our San Diego show rooms today where an expert designer can help you turn your vision into reality. Our in-house installers have years of experience in dealing with laminate flooring and are bonded, licensed and insured..
