Parquet or laminate: it's better (reviews)

When it comes to the choice of material for the floor, it is often the question arises, what to choose for a particular room. In spite of the large assortment of all kinds of flooring, especially in demand among buyers enjoy the flooring or laminate. Their popularity is not surprising, because these materials have all the advantages, which should be inherent quality floor. Parquet is environmentally friendly, beautiful and able to transform any room. Laminate flooring is easy to maintain, durable and less attractive, and its price is lower.

Floor covering generally is placed at the last turn, when ready the walls and ceiling. Since this is a fairly costly affair, then before you buy stuff should all think carefully about. Trust only need a proven and well-known brands, having studied the reviews. Despite the large variety of decor surfaces in both floor coverings, it is still the question remains, what material to buy? To do this, it is important to know the difference in the characteristics of the parquet and laminate, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.

What coverage are appropriate in different rooms?

Before you buy a laminate parquet boards, linoleum or other material for the floor, you should decide to what room he would come and study reviews. For example, flooring perfectly fit into the interior living room or office. It will transform a room and make it more luxurious. Together with the floorboard is better to use in the decoration of rooms other natural materials: wood, stone, plaster, ceramics, etc.

For areas that require frequent cleaning or involving the increased air humidity and temperature differences (kitchen and hallway), It is better to buy linoleum or laminate. It is also beautiful and environmentally safe, but due to the special manufacturing technology can withstand regular wet cleaning, while maintaining its appearance in pristine condition.

The children's room is the perfect solution carpet, especially if the children spend most of the day playing on the floor. Laminate and linoleum are also relevant. And in the bedroom, you can buy a cork, but do not rule out the floorboard.

Budget option is linoleum, it may well be used for any room, especially where wet cleaning is necessary to keep the floor, that is, in the hallway, kitchen and loggia. Currently, the technology makes linoleum safe, as part of no harmful substances and can not be afraid to lay it in any room.

Laminate features, advantages and disadvantages

The design of the laminate board

Laminate Flooring - laminated flooring, which can mimic the surface of the wood, stone, ceramic tiles, etc. It consists of four layers:

1. Upper or protective. It is made of a transparent acrylic resin or melamine decorative layer and protects from damage.
2. Decorative or face. Typically, this plastic film with a textured image of wood or other surface. The range of decors the laminate under the floorboard is huge. It can even simulate granite, marble, carpet or tile. But the most popular are still wood surface: oak, cherry, walnut, and others.
3. The carrier or medium. It is a high strength plate fiberboard or chipboard. It is necessary to give the floor covering hardness and moisture resistance.
4. Lower. Usually consists of a thin plastic or kraft paper, and also aims to protect the coating from humidity. That lower layer is able to increase the life of the material.

Types of surface decorative laminate

A decorative laminate layer can also vary. Its surface is:

• Traditional. It looks like wood and has a smooth, smooth, shiny finish.
• Natural. It looks like the previous version, but has a form close to natural wood. Due to the better performance of a laminate close to the floorboard.
• Waxed. The surface is similar to the wooden covered with a thin layer of wax.
• Glossy. The decorative layer imitating wood surface coated with a layer of lacquer brilliant.
• Texture. The coating provides for irregularities similar to wood fibers. Such a laminate is very much like the floorboard.
• Oil. The surface looks as if the tree is processed oil. It is smooth, without texture and extra shine.

Pros and cons of laminate flooring

Like any other flooring, including linoleum, laminate has its own advantages and disadvantages. The positive qualities are:

• Ease of care. Laminate is unpretentious and does not require special care. In addition, it is resistant to injuries of various kinds. Not afraid of falling objects from a height, it remains on the surface traces of heavy solid furniture, and scratches from claws and he was not afraid of heels.
• Resistance to moisture and high temperatures. Due to the upper layer, the laminate does not absorb water, and, therefore, not deformed and does not swell. In addition, it is safe to set various heating devices such as oil coolers.
• Hypoallergenic. An important factor when choosing the material for the floor is its safety for health and the environment. The coating composition not harmful to the organism, resins and other components, which may cause an allergic reaction.
• Easy installation. Buy and laid laminate can be, even without the help of professionals, since its construction, mounting and stacking technology is extremely simple.
• Resistance to burnout. Laminate not afraid of sunlight, the brightness will not fade with time.

Despite a number of advantages, disadvantages laminate also present. Among them, an important point is the presence of noise when using the laminate.

With such a coating is best to walk home in slippers or barefoot, as any firm or sole, the heels will be more clearly heard in other rooms.

In addition, the laminate around the edges may crumble if the technology of its production takes place with violations, it is not subject to restoration. Therefore, in the case of visible defects, will have to buy a new coat. To decide what is best flooring laminate and linoleum, you must familiarize yourself with its features.

Characteristics of wood flooring, the advantages and disadvantages

The structure of the board

Parquet board has a much more complex structure than the laminate. It consists of several layers which are perpendicular to each other, giving the coating high strength.

1. The upper layer or valuable - veneer wood (beech, ash, oak), its thickness is from 2.2 to 6 mm.
2. Average. It consists of boards laid out in a row and made of pine or fir. This gives strength layer board.
3. Bottom layer. It is made from softwood and having a thickness of 1-2 mm.

Parquet board may differ from each other by the number of dice. For example, assign one, two, three and four lanes board. Price of the first well above the rest. It looks presentable and suitable for large premises. Three-way is the most popular among buyers, it is appropriate in different rooms and has kind of imitating parquet pattern "deck". Quad board is best to buy for country houses, as its texture is too variegated.

Advantages and disadvantages of wood flooring

The advantages of parquet, if you focus on reviews, include:

• Using natural materials. Natural wood is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also environmentally safe and hypoallergenic. Any room will look with her warm and comfortable.
• The possibility of restoration. If necessary, you can restore the floorboard that is not true of the linoleum and laminate. The material is able to withstand several cycles of the surface grinding.
• Easy installation. Installing the parquet can be made with your own hands, without the involvement of a specialist. This is accomplished by a simple tool joint.
• Good performance. Over the floor of the floorboard is simple enough to care. It allows you to wet cleaning from time to time needs to be treated special coating.

A significant disadvantage of the floorboard is a fear of a large amount of water.

Therefore, install a floor in the bathroom should not be. Furthermore, the material may fade in direct sunlight, it is possible and eventually delamination of the board. In contrast to the laminate and linoleum, wood flooring in not such a great selection of surface decoration.

Comparison of laminate and wood flooring

Based on the above characteristics of materials as well as their advantages and disadvantages, read responses can make a comparison and determine the laying of laminate or wood flooring. Laminate flooring as well as linoleum and has a wide variety of decoration, simulating a variety of materials. In the parquet it is not so much, but he repeats the texture of natural wood, and its price is more expensive. Each plate is unique, it is impossible to buy two absolutely identical slats.

Operation parquet should be cautious. He does not tolerate heavy and scratching the coating of furniture, afraid of changes in temperature and humidity. Laminate is considered to be more stable, it is quite possible to buy and assemble in the kitchen or hallway. But in contrast to the parquet, every knock on the floor or steps will be clearly audible in all rooms.

After analyzing the difference between the laminate from the floorboard, having studied the reviews about them, you can finally determine the choice in favor of one or another coating. Each material has its strengths and weaknesses, but they both can transform any room and make a bit of warmth and naturalness to the environment.