Laminates

Two factors are responsible for driving the popularity of laminates: Pets & Cost.  People with pets always complain about pet accidents on floors. You get a floor that looks like wood or stone but  lower in price.  The ease of care and maintenance makes this floor appealing to  senior citizens and  people with small children and pets.  High quality laminates will last for 25 years or more.

Construction

The visible surface of a laminate floor is a high resolution picture of a genuine piece of wood or stone that has been sealed in with a high wear transparent layer. Laminate flooring is made up of a number of sections or layers:

• Wear-Layer – The top most layer that is exposed to traffic and all the hazards of the outside world. It is usually composed of a cellulose paper that is soaked in melamine plastic. 

• Design-Layer - This is the high resolution picture that was described above. It is protected from damage by the wear-layer so there is less chance of it fading with use. 

• Core-Layer – The supporting layer which is made of processed chip board. The strength of it depends on the board used.

• Stabilizing-Layer – This is the layer that is at the bottom and is responsible for keeping all the other layers in position. Some laminate floor types also have an additional layer to absorb sound and add padding. This is usually in the form of cork or foam,

There are two ways in which these layers are all combined – direct pressure and heat on all the layers at once or the top /bottom layers are treated first and then combined with the middle layer with high pressure. The final products are usually in the form of strips, planks and square tiles and can be glued down or floated (glue-less).

Pros: Easy and fast installation Durable, scratch and stain resistant Look of wood or stone at a lower cost Easy maintenance & cleaning It does not hold odors Extremely resistant to moisture and liquids Easy on the foot, not as cold as tiles The floor gives if you drop something. The item may bounce rather than break. This feature is specially appealing to senior citizens. Easy to replace and dispose

Cons: It's not the "real thing" It doesn't have the same sound quality as hardwoods Difficult to repair