Wood floors are beautiful — there’s no doubt about it. However, they are a real pain to install. Once they’ve been installed, they must be maintained if you want them to look their best. This means using a floor machine on a regular basis and waxing often. Eventually, wood floors need refinished to make them look as good as new. Laminate floors, on the other hand, look first-day new years after installation. Laminate floors retain their shine thanks to space age coatings that not only add sheen but protect against damage. Tags: Traffic Master Laminate Flooring

The first step when installing your laminate floor is preparing the subfloor. The subfloor is the floor on top of which the laminate floor will be installed. You can place laminate flooring on top of most any surface including concrete, tile, wood, stone or even carpet with flat pile. When installing laminate floors on top of concrete, always put a vinyl sheet down before installing the underlayment. Underlayment refers to the foam padding that goes under the flooring. Tags: Cutting Laminate Flooring

The first step when installing hardwood floors is to gather all the necessary tools. You will need a pry bar, rubber mallet, tape measure, fine tooth saw, duct tape and foam underlayment. If you are installing the floor over top of concrete, you will also need vinyl sheeting which goes underneath the foam padding. Some laminate floors include the underlayment as part of the flooring. Others do not. Even if you have a brand that includes the underlayment you may want to lay down foam for extra insulation. Tags: Install Glueless Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring comes in many different styles. You will find laminate that looks like square vinyl tile such as is common in a kitchen or bathroom area. Then you will find laminate that looks exactly like hardwood. The warmth of wood can turn a cold, unfriendly space into a welcoming haven. As a general rule, darker woods are perfect for larger spaces while lighter woods are better for smaller spaces. Because many basements are dark as it is, a light colored laminate floor like beech or bamboo style can really spruce things up. Tags: Basement Laminate Flooring