Parquet board or laminate - what to choose

Regardless of how much you plan to spend on repairs, it is necessary to approach the choice of flooring very seriously and carefully. This is not an easy task, not only because the quality of the floor depends on the comfort of the tenants, but also because it sets the character of the entire interior and shapes its perception. It has long been proven that people often look under their feet, rather than up, so you need to make sure that your guests have more than to admire under your feet. But the task is to choose a parquet or a laminate, because both coatings are quite beautiful. ..

laminate Parquet and laminate - general characteristics

The modern building materials market offers a variety of flooring options, excellentby characteristics, texture and color. But today we are only interested in one question: "What is better - a parquet board or a laminate?".Nevertheless, these two species also have a variety of "varieties," which also differ and require knowledge of the matter. Faced with such a variety, you can easily get confused and make the wrong decision. It will help to understand the situation one simple detail - the appointment of the future premises.

Depending on the operating load of the room, the appropriate finishing materials should be selected. So, for the bathroom suitable moisture-repellent hard floor, which can not be said about the expensive wooden parquet. For the kitchen requirements are similar, only there on the floor will constantly fall food, drip accidentally spilled tea, coffee or sauces. .. Not all wood will withstand such a "barbarous" treatment.

So, let's figure out for which rooms the parquet board is suitable? Traditionally, the parquet is decorated with living rooms, study rooms and home libraries - it fits perfectly into a similar interior and creates the right atmosphere where you can equally relax well or concentrate on studying folios. Parquet board looks great in a room decorated with natural wood, or furnished with wooden furniture. If you want to put parquet in the hallway, note that this is a sector with high traffic, so a frequent wet cleaning will be required, and the boards will lose their original appearance quite quickly. For this reason, it is best to use a laminate in the hall.

If you want to transform a children's room, you should understand that here you need to focus on heat and wear resistance. It is possible that the baby will want to paint on the floor, pour out the juice, smear it with paint, etc. With these tasks, the laminate will perform perfectly, provided that there is a carpet or any other warm covering on top of it in the playing area. It is also possible to make warm underfloor heating, but this is another topic.

The bedroom must have a special floor covering, which would protect from cold and extraneous noise. Ideally, for this purpose, the floor was approached from the wood of the cork tree, but this pleasure is not available to everyone. As an optimal alternative for spacious premises, you can put a laminate. As for a more modest quadrature, it is better to do with a parquet board that simulates a piece of parquet, provided that it will be in harmony with furniture and decoration.

Parquet board - characteristics of

Parquet board consists of many thin layers of wood glued together with special glue and located perpendicular to each other. Thus, an incredible strength and stability of the material to changes in geometry is achieved. The uppermost( facial) layer is represented by some valuable and expensive wood. Its minimum thickness can reach 0.5 mm, and the maximum - 6 mm. Basically in the market you can find products with a thickness of "valuable" layer of 4 mm.

There is a special classification of the parquet board according to the number of dies:

1. Single-strip - looks like an ordinary wooden board and looks good in large rooms. It is worthwhile, however, such an "ordinary" board is quite expensive, because it is made from wide strips of expensive wood. The standard width of such a board is 137 mm. You can also find single-lane boards with chamfers at the edges. This allows you to create a simulation of the seams and the feeling that the floor is covered with an expensive coating of a massive board.
2. Two-way - is a pair of wide strips, laid in solid strips or divided into modules. Because of the large width of the product, the room acquires a solemn, if not pompous, look, so two-lane boards are suitable for classical interiors.
3. Three-way - the most popular option, which can be found in ordinary houses and apartments. The parquet board consists of three strips arranged parallel to each other. As a rule, the slats are divided into small pieces, rather than stacked in continuous long strips. Using a three-lane board, you can create an imitation of a parquet pattern "deck", which fits perfectly into any room.
4. Four-strip - a parquet board, which is made from waste wood. Characterized by too narrow stripes, because of what it looks quite colorful. This parquet is suitable for decorating a country house - it creates a cozy home atmosphere.

To have an idea of ​​the advantages and distinctive features of a parquet and to understand what a parquet board is better than a laminate, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between the types of wood from which the most important "face" layer of the material is made:

• oak is a classic variant for decorating rooms. Characterized by pleasant "warm" shades from yellowish-coffee to dark-brown. It is characterized by high strength, and if damaged, it is easy to restore;
  
• ash is an elastic and durable tree of various shades( light yellow, dark brown or black).The kernel is often irregular in shape, so ash is often chosen for its interesting design;
  
• cherry - a parquet board of amazing beauty with a pinkish tinge. One of the main advantages of this wood is a uniform velvety texture;
  
• beech - solid wood of reddish yellow color. The peculiarity is that under the influence of direct sunlight the beech slightly changes color, becoming more brownish;
  
• jatoba - exotic wood, mined in the valleys of the Amazon. Its strength is so high that it takes a lot of effort to process it. Parquet board made of wood jatoba is very durable and has a warm tint;
  
• wenge is a very popular material in African countries. It is heavy wood of dark brown color, having high resistance to pressure and not afraid of moisture. Not afraid of pests. Perhaps, parquet from wenge could be put even in the bathroom.
  

Summing up, you can identify the following advantages of a parquet board:

• natural;
• environmentally friendly material;
• high strength;
• possibility of repeated grinding( updating);
• easy installation without gaps;
• the base can be any;
• thermal insulation;
• noise insulation( depending on the wood species).

Unfortunately, the parquet has its drawbacks:

• high cost;
• environmental factor - a product made of natural wood requires a large amount of raw materials, hence, deforestation of forests and rare species is increasing;
• features of care for the coating - dregs only with special means for parquet;
• risk of scratching;
• is afraid of moisture( if the apartment is flooded by the neighbors, it is necessary to restore such a floor "from zero").

Laminate

The word "laminate" is translated as "multilayered coating", thereby completely justifying its nature. The upper layer of the laminate is made of special polymeric substances that create a transparent high-strength protective environment and allow the wood to remain beautiful and unharmed for a long time. The second layer is decorative. It is made in a special printing house, where a variety of drawings are created, often repeating the texture of valuable species of wood. Then lies the main layer of hydrophobic fiberboard and water-repellent kraft paper.

Laminate can be divided into three types according to the degree of loading:

1. High - for public and residential premises.
2. Medium - living rooms, libraries, children's rooms.
3. Easy - cabinets, bedrooms.

For each of the types of laminate has its own decorative layer. The most common option is imitation of a wooden surface. Such a laminate is more like high-quality expensive parquet with a clear pattern and properly placed wood pores. Its surface resembles a tree lacquered or waxed.

There is also a textured laminate, on the surface of which there are specially provided irregularities in the type of natural wood fibers. This kind is very similar to parquet because of the synchronously executed drawing. The relief laminate is characterized by symmetrically executed longitudinal irregularities that do not repeat the pattern.

Today a special kind of laminate with a large smooth relief that is mimicking a tree hand-worked is gaining popularity. This coverage will look great in a country house or emphasize the eco-style in the interior.

Advantages of the laminate:

• conservation of forests - for the production of laminate used waste( wood shavings);
• is protected from parasites, putrefaction;
• is resistant to moisture( you can put in the kitchen);
• is not scratched;
• does not crack;
• does not require a cycle;
• easy to clean( can be washed by any means);
• large selection of drawings and textures;
• is UV-resistant;
• reasonable cost.

By the way about the cost - it can differ depending on the strength of the product. So, there is an incredibly strong laminate that can last you almost forever, without leaving a scratch on the surface. Therefore, the cost can be considered a "floating" advantage, since it is difficult to choose between expensive laminate and parquet board from a rare tree species.

Lack of laminate:

• if still managed to put a scratch, then it will not be possible to seal it - it is necessary to change the segment;
• for coverage below grade 31 requires protection from damage by furniture - on the legs of cabinets, tables and beds you need to install special protective "socks".

Here, perhaps, and all the disadvantages of laminate. It is clear that this is a more modern material, but nothing compares to natural wood, even the best imitation.

Judging by the reviews, laminate and parquet board gain almost the same number of adherents, but recently more and more people are inclined to choose a laminate. The fact is that the ecology of the earth is declining, raw material prices are rising, and people need more practical and universal things that would serve more than one year. However, the choice is yours - prefer luxury classics or bet on practicality.