Laminate Floor Buying Guide

Laminate flooring comes in a variety of styles and colors, making it easy to find the perfect match for your lifestyle and taste. Most laminate flooring is designed to resemble another type of floor, such as wood, ceramic or stone.

Advantages of Laminate

Outstanding durability - Laminate flooring will not stain or fade. It also resists burns and dents.

Low maintenance - Laminate keeps its beauty without a lot of work. Regular vacuuming and occasional damp mopping are generally all it takes to maintain the floor. Spills wipe up easily with a damp cloth.

Versatility - Laminate flooring's durability, ease of installation, low maintenance and resistance to stains and moisture make it ideal for almost any room, especially:

• High-traffic areas like kitchens
• Bathrooms and laundry rooms
• Foyers, entryways and mudrooms
• Recreation and playrooms
• Bedrooms, especially for those with allergies

Reproduces the natural beauty of wood - Laminate flooring is crafted to create the color and grain of various types of wood, including oak, birch, walnut, cherry and maple.

Provides the decorative patterns of tile - Laminate flooring offers a real alternative to ceramic and natural stone tile, and it costs less. Laminate mimics the look of tile, right down to such details as grout joints. In fact, its patterns and textures are so realistic that only careful examination reveals the truth. And laminate installs faster than tile, saving you time and money.

Fast, easy installation - Laminate flooring installs easily over most common surfaces, including vinyl, tile, concrete and wood subfloors. Most laminate flooring is constructed with self-locking, tongue-and-groove joints, making it a snap to install without adhesives. Laminates don't need to be stained, finished or cured, so you can walk on your floor as soon as it's installed.