Laminate floors are probably the closest thing to a maintenance free floor. Resistant to dirt and dust because of the composition of melamine and aluminum oxide, laminate flooring come in different varieties and colors. Among them are the stone and wood finishing which have sub varieties in themselves such as natural stone and marble stone laminates and dark, light and bamboo laminates for the wood finishing. Laminate floors are designed for various reasons: attractiveness, good structural make up, practicality and usage. Each laminate layer is composed of the following items that enable laminates to maintain a high quality product. The wear layer is a resin based coating on each of the boards designed to resist many forms of abrasion. This is the layer that is made up of several coats of aluminum oxide or melamine. The décor layer is made to ape the surface of the natural material like stone, wood, and the like to adhere to the aesthetic tastes of the client. The core layer is the structural element of the layer that supports the weight and stress of the foot traffic. This layer is composed of particle board with high density fiberboard or medium density fiberboard. Finally the stabilizing layer is the provider of strength and stability to the laminate board as the bottom material.
Some laminate care and maintenance tips that you should be aware of are the following: Don’t flood the floor with water; don’t use soap or soap based detergents; don’t use steel wool or anything abrasive to clean; don’t wax, polish, lacquer or sand a laminate floor; doormats are a good first line of defense against dirt, grit, sand and other stuff like asphalt, oil and the like to hit your laminates; quickly remove all liquid spills; vacuuming and sweeping is good enough to keep the floor clean—cleaning with a terry hooded or micro fiber cloth or mop is also encouraged. For cases like candle wax and chewing gum, it is best to allow such materials to harden and then scrap off with a plastic scraper. For cigarette burns, paint, crayon, nail polish and the like, all you need to do is dampen a rag with alcohol or nail polish remover and spot clean.
When laminates were first introduced, it was mainly used for countertops, particularly those made by Formica, a name that is literally synonymous with laminate countertops. When seeking a surface which was water resistant, durable, and inexpensive, laminate as a material was a logical choice. Resistant to moisture and scratch proof, they are proven to be a very practical and low maintenance answer for mass produced surfaces utilized in homes and in businesses. As a flooring solution, the benefits of laminate countertops work for floors as well. The ability to withstand foot traffic without scratching and denting is an overt additional benefit. For these reasons, along with the cost savings of laminate flooring, this relatively new flooring material has earned an important and well deserved popularity. It also does it part in saving natural resources.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")