If you’ve renovated your home before, then you probably know that flooring can make or break the property. But that does not necessarily mean going for the most expensive option! Laminate flooring is a great alternative to wood flooring and can look as good as the real thing! In fact, with today’s advanced technologies you even won’t be able to tell the difference! But what laminate flooring really is? Can it be used in every room? And is it really easy to lay laminate flooring yourself?
As we’re about to embark on our biggest renovation project yet, new flooring is pretty much on the agenda right now. And as much as I would love to have real wooden floors, our budget just doesn’t stretch that far. Therefore my attention went all on laminate flooring. It is not just more affordable option but it’s also easier to install yourself (and that means double savings here).
But let’s start with a little bit of explanation…
What is laminate flooring?
Laminate flooring is made from HDF (High Density Fibreboard) with a high-resolution photo that features the design and a resin top layer with a texture that follows the design underneath. That top layer makes laminate exceptionally tough and easy to look after.
In terms of look, the photo layer is versatile and can be printed in many colours and styles recreating often very expensive genuine wood flooring. And if you choose laminate with bevelled edges they will give more definition between planks and help the floor look more realistic.
Apart from the look you can choose between different thickness, widths and lengths. It all depends on your budget and your personal preferences.
Where can I use laminate flooring?
With such an array of styles and colours laminate flooring is a perfect choice for almost every room in the house, like living and dining rooms, bedrooms and studies.
It also makes a good choice for hallways and landings as it is very easy to maintain.
And because of its splash and stain proof properties it can also be used in the kitchens and in an open plan areas.
Some of the specialist products can be used in the bathrooms and utility rooms (but make sure to check specifications or ask a specialist before laying laminate flooring in these areas)
Can I install laminate floors myself?
As I mentioned before we decided to lay our new flooring ourselves. We’re definitely not the most advanced DIYers, neither do we think it is easy. It actually requires some intermediate level of DIY skills and a little bit of preparation. Floors Direct have got an easy to follow step by step laminate flooring installation guide which seems to have all the answers and handy tips, as well as a handy guide to laying your laminate flooring yourself. I highly recommend you check it out before you start on a project. It could save you from making some costly mistakes. Plus it tells you which underlay you should choose, so you don’t have to waste time looking for an answer somewhere else.
How to make the most of your laminate flooring?
With so many laminate flooring to choose from it is easy to feel a little bit overwhelmed and perhaps a bit lost. But by remembering few simple rules you will be able to make a quick decision:
If the room doesn’t have much natural light go for light flooring as it will help bounce off the light and make the room appear bigger and brighter.
For rooms that feel a bit cold and stark try floors in more natural wood tones. This will bring a bit of warmth to the room.
If you want your wood effect laminate look more realistic choose planks that have bevelled edges (preferably on both sides).
If you have a dog or a cat avoid floors in a contrasting colour to your pet. It may seem silly, but trust me, white dog’s hair don’t look attractive on a dark floor.
Although it is recommended to lay the floors in a direction of the windows, the true is that it is only up to you how you do it. If your room is rectangular shape you can visually change the proportions of the room by having the floors laid along the shorter wall.
You can make your house look bigger by having the same floors laid across all the rooms (or al least in a similar style and colour). If you have two different types of flooring, join them with a metal, plastic or rubber strip, but make sure it is in a similar colour to your floors.
Extra tip!
Good flooring is not just money well spent, but it can actually increase the value of your home. So you should take your time when choosing floors and definitely don’t rush any decisions. Always order and compare samples first. The best way to do it is by laying them all on the floor of your home. Try it in the daylight as well as with your artificial light. By doing so you will know exactly how they will look day and night!
If you still can’t decide on a type of flooring you want for your home try Houzz website for even more great ideas !
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*This post is written in collaboration with Floors Direct but as always all opinions are my own!
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Choice Furniture Superstore
December 15, 2017Great post. This is such an informative post. Thanks for sharing.
Anonymous
December 15, 2017Thank you so much ?
Caro | The Twinkle Diaries
November 25, 2017Such fab tips Anne Marie! Laminate has come such a long way since we fitted some in our first flat!! We’ve got a fab grey oak laminate flooring in our caravan and also in my she-shed!! Goes to show that it can be used in so many places other than the home 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up lovely! Cx #HomeEtc
Anonymous
November 26, 2017Thank you lovely for your nice comments. And it’s my pleasure, love linking up with #HomeEtc ?
Natalie Holden
November 23, 2017Great informational blog with useful tips! Laminate flooring is great; I used a nice walnut colour with a bevelled edge in my own home and I installed my skirting boards afterwards so I didn’t need to use a beading around the edge.
Anonymous
November 23, 2017Laminate is a great choice for many reasons and bevelled edges make them look like real wood ?
Meera
November 23, 2017Great post Anne Marie! Good quality laminate can look absolutely amazing and it scores high on practicality, durability and cost, so I’m going to be looking at laminate options when we renovate. Hope your renovation goes smoothly 🙂 xx
Anonymous
November 23, 2017Laminate flooring has gone a long way in the last few years and it’s no longer just a low budget alternative to wood flooring but it’s actually it’s equal competitor ?
Ricky Vann
November 20, 2017I did not know that laminate was a high-res image printed on the surface! That is so cool! Great post, thank you for sharing ?
Anonymous
November 21, 2017Oh, you’re very welcome? And thank you for comments ?
JENNY KAKOUDAKIS
November 19, 2017laminate flooring has come a very long way. I recently visited a friend’s home and was told, no heels as they had recently fitted natural wood and I was thinking, why do you invite people over and then tell them how to dress… urghh. So laminate is scratch resistant and at 12mm it is as good as natural wood. I really like the Quick Step Impressive Ultra Concrete Wood Light Grey Laminate Flooring from Floors direct.
Anonymous
November 21, 2017Exactly, as much as I love natural wood, It Is not always as practical as people think. And I do too love that Quick step concrete wood flooring ? It’s beautiful ?
Fiona
November 19, 2017That is a really comprehensive guide and some great tips here. Like you I don’t believe it is always right to lay in the direction of the windows. It really does depend on the room.
Anonymous
November 21, 2017I’m glad you think the same because that means it must be true ??
Donna
November 19, 2017Great tips esp the pet hair one. And also like with paint, fabric etc. samples are a must to see how it behaves with the lighting in the space. Thanks!
Anonymous
November 24, 2017I’ve accumulated so many samples in the past couple of weeks that I had a real problem with choosing just one 🙂 But definitely checking them in my own home helped a lot!
Fawn Interiors Studio
November 19, 2017This is a great post full of lots of useful tips, especially about the light and shape of a room. The pets’ hair colour tip is the best!
Anonymous
November 19, 2017I don’t actually have a pet, but my hair is just all over the place and I was considering matching the floors to my head ???
Juan Sandiego
November 19, 2017I like the tips, Anne Marie. Unfortunately, my laminate flooring was chosen by the previous owners and it’s too dark for the space. So I have to own it and deal with it. Interesting advice regarding how to lay it. You’re right, it’s not just about the position of the window, it’s about the shape of the room.
Anonymous
November 19, 2017Thank you Juan. I think long gone are the days when we had to do things in a certain way, and that is especially true when it comes to interior design ?
Caroline
November 18, 2017Great tips, thank you! We’re going to be replacing the flooring in our conservatory soon, so perfect timing. I’ll be checking out the flooring direct installation guide as we’ll be doing it ourselves. Good luck with your project : )
Anonymous
November 18, 2017Thank you Caroline. We’re doing it ourselves and I found their guide very helpful ?