Laminate flooring is one of the most versatile and easy-to-maintain floor coverings on the market today. like authentic hardwood, stone, tile, and other materials in a wide range of styles and colors. Along with beautiful looks, laminate is highly durable, which is a great feature for active families and families with pets. Before you shop for a laminate floor, take a look at the top questions that homeowners typically ask about this popular flooring Laminate has a 4-layered construction for long-lasting durability. Wear layer – the top layer protects the floor from stains and fading and resists scuffs and scratches. Design Layer – displays a photographic image of wood, stone, or other visual that is glued to the inner core. Inner Core – HydraCore™/HydraCore Plus is a moisture resistant HDF (High Density Fiberboard) to provide stability, durability, moisture resistance, and sound absorption. Backing – the bottom layer creates a moisture barrier that protects the floor from warping.

Laminate flooring can be installed almost anywhere in your home, as long as you have a structurally sound, clean, dry, andYou can also install laminate over existing floors made of wood, concrete, ceramic tile, vinyl sheet, or even carpet (Carpet must be fully adhered and no more than 1/4" thick over suspended wood subfloors.).Installing laminate floors is a weekend DIY project you can do by yourself or with the help of a few friends. Armstrong’s exclusive Lock&Fold® installation technology makes it all snap together with interlocking pieces. Laminate flooring is a great option for households with pets. It's highly durable and designed to withstand scratches and scuffs, but as a precaution, it’s a good idea to keep your dog or cat's nails trimmed and wipe up spills from their water bowl as soon as soon as they happen. The beauty of laminate is that if something happens to a plank or tile, it’s easy to While laminate flooring is extremely durable, no floor is indestructible.

You can easily repair nicks or scratches with a color-matched kit, such as Armstrong’s Laminate Floor Touch-Up Kit. Look for it at your local flooring retailer. area is large, you can replace the individual planks affected. For major repairs, however, it’s best to consult with a flooring Start with the basics: your design style and your room. First, your design style. Find the colors and patterns that match your design style. Best Way To Fix Hot Tub LeakHow is it used - living room, playroom, bedroom,Italian Classic Bedroom Set For SaleNow make a list of your design choices and functional needs. Where To Buy Grow Lights DenverYou might want to consider using an online design organizer that lets you capture your decorating ideas and create a project list and estimates.

In a floating installation, the laminate floor simply rests on the top of the subfloor without being fastened down by glueA specially designed interlocking system (one of the key advantages of laminate flooring) holds the pieces together while the entire floor “floats” over the subfloor. To maintain your beautiful laminate floor, just sweep and use a microfiber mop, along with a cleaning product recommended for laminate, such as Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner. Guard against scratches by placing mats at outside entrances to collect excess moisture, sand, and grit. Use felt floor protectors under furniture and appliances. Yes, Armstrong offers a line of coordinated trim and molding pieces, so you can complete your laminate floor installation. These include t-molding, threshold, and reducer strip transitions; and stair nose, quarter round, and base moldings. First, know that your Armstrong laminate floor will be guaranteed against defects.

Warranties on Armstrong laminate floors typically range from 20 to 30 years. How long your laminate floor will last depends on how you maintain it and the degree of wear placed on it.We’ve listed alphabetically all of the flooring types available so that you can easily determine whether you can install laminate over that specific flooring type. Remember that laminate flooring, like American Concepts, is a floating floor; it will expand and contract as temperature and other conditions change. This means that the choice of subfloor, i.e., what you install laminate over, needs to provide the right support and meets the specifications listed above.Even with a brick floor in excellent condition, there is the potential for too much surface deviance that could stress the laminate-flooring locking system. And if the floor is below grade, moisture migration will be too difficult to control.Carpet, its padding, and all its staples must be completely removed — down to the subfloor — before you install laminate flooring.

Carpeting, commercial or needle-bond: No. Some types and styles of commercial or “indoor/outdoor” carpeting may look harmless, but it and any adhesive used to glue it down must be removed before installing a laminate floor.Everything has to go. Only the subfloor may remain when you install laminate.Again, provided the surface of the floor is flat and level (per our laminate subfloor specifications) and the condition of the floor is good. The tiles themselves must be smooth. You must use padding. Check for cracked or loose tiles and grout — these could be signs of a poor floor condition caused by settling that could cause problems for your laminate floor. Concrete slab (above grade): Yes. An above-grade concrete floor will most likely be in a commercial building. If that’s the case, and you’re not the building owner, you’d better check first. If the building is new construction, the concrete must be completely cured for a minimum of 90 days before installation. We would still recommend a 6-mil vapor barrier and, of course, underlayment padding before installing laminate flooring.

Concrete-slab (below grade): Yes, but be careful. These are usually found in residential basements and you must be careful about moisture migration from the ground through the concrete. We recommend several ways to test this and steps you can take to control it. And, the concrete must be completely cured a minimum of 90 days. You must use a 6-mil vapor barrier and, of course, underlayment padding. Drains of any kind, French or otherwise, are clear indicators that this concrete floor is not acceptable for laminate installation.But just because it’s a cork floor doesn’t mean you can skip the underlayment. You’ll still need that before installing your laminate floor. Engineered-wood: Not recommended under floating floors.Keep in mind that in many older homes (40 to 50 or more years old), the planks may be in poor condition, warped, etc. Inconsistencies in levelness and flatness of the floor surface could create stress points for locking joints and that will cause problems later on.

Laminate: Not recommended under floating floors. Instead, take up all of the old laminate flooring. You may reuse the underlayment for your new floor, providing it’s in good shape. Linoleum: Yes, provided the surface is flat and level (per our subfloor specifications) and the condition of the floor is good. You must use padding. LVT Floor (tiles or planks): Yes. The surface must be flat and level (per our subfloor specifications) and the condition of the floor good. Some LVT products are floating systems or “loose-lay” and are easy to remove (preferable). If the floor is glued down, be sure you remove all of the adhesive before installing laminate flooring. Natural stone (marble, travertine, etc.): It depends. if completely smooth and above ground, then yes; if textured or rough, no. Outdoor floors, porches, patios or decking of any kind: Never. Laminate flooring is indoor flooring for controlled environments.OSB (oriented-strand board) is sometimes used as a subfloor in construction.