subject: Picking The Right Discount Laminate Flooring [print this page] Purchasers should think about the source of the discount laminate flooring and their popularity of selling top quality products at lower rates. For instance, a company which sells flooring without a fancy showroom or that purchases in large quantities to reduce the wholesale price, might be able to offer prices lower that its competition.
Some people equate quality and durability with cost and therefore will shy away from using discount laminate flooring for any goal. Sometimes, more affordable flooring might make good financial sense, if it is being used to remodel and seldom used room and the lack of activity in that room will allow the flooring to last as long as costlier products.
A lot of factors influence the cost of laminate materials and most flooring will have at least five layers of materials laminated together to create the base. An image is then laminated to the top surface, which is the image seen after installation. Some of the most inexpensive discount laminate flooring will have the five layers, but will use more affordable laminate glue to hold it all together that can also cause the layers to separate. However, even the right laminate flooring will curl and buckle if the room's humidity level is too high or the installation was not done perfectly.
Proper Installation Extends Life of Laminate Flooring
Regardless of the cost of the discount laminate flooring how it is installed and maintained can help determine how long it lasts. A lot of times laminate flooring is installed without allowing for temperature or humidity changes that are going to happen in nearly every home. As the wood in the materials expands, if not enough room was allowed during the installation, the flooring can buckle.
Another side of the scale, if the discount laminate flooring was installed with too much space, during the colder, dryer time of the year the boards can separate, leaving gaps, which likely will form humps when the floor expands back to its original size. The gaps that are needed can vary, but typically only need about one-fourth to one-half-inch that can be hidden under the trim on the edges of the room. This problem is not unique to discount laminate flooring, as it can affect flooring of all qualities and prices.