…and what to do in certain areas

Home entrances Laminate Floors are water resistant, not waterproof, but that doesn’t mean that they cannot be placed at a doorway. We just need to keep any tracked in rain, snow, and the salt that can come with snow from resting on that floor, so make sure you have a mat right inside the door, and maybe even another one to use as a place for shoes. A spare cut of carpet can be excellent for the latter. Then just be sure to wipe up any excess water you catch accumulating on particularly wet days.

Kitchens It’s a liquid active area, the kitchen, but properly handled, a laminate floor can do fine there. Just clean up any spills quickly using paper towels, and for general cleaning, use a dry mop, or one that is at most damp, rather than wet. “Sopping” wet is right out. We don’t want to give the water any time to slip into the seams, you see.

High Sunlight Areas Here’s an easy one. What to do in high sunlight areas? Install your laminate floor and enjoy your life. There is nothing special to do, because laminate flooring does not fade in sunlight. This is a difference from hardwood. For example, in hardwood the species Jatoba is known for its changing color over about a three month period. People actually plan on that, but it is still an organic change, and therefore not perfectly predictable. If you want to know the look of your floor exactly, then laminate is your good friend, because the color it is when you install it is the color it will be ten years later. Unless you paint it.

Furnished Rooms

Laminate flooring comes in a variety of durability ratings, called “AC Ratings”. You should be able to find any color in any AC rating, so make sure you get the durability level you need. AC3 is considered the highest for home use, and AC4 the beginning of commercial levels of flooring. If you’re in that range or higher, you ought to do well. Still, it is wise to put furniture protector pads under the feet of tables, chairs, couches and the like to keep them from scuffing, or with higher pressure even scratching, your floor.

Offices Areas

Here is an area where a single chair may go back and forth many times in a day. In addition to paying attention to your AC rating, consider that office stores have special mats, plastic or vinyl, that one can place at a desk. They can enable a chair to roll on an otherwise roll-unfriendly surface, but they can also protect your laminate flooring, roll-worthy though it may already be, from excessive use in a single spot.

Stairs

While there are specifics to the installation method, most laminates can be installed on your stairs.

Radiant Heat Most laminates can be installed over radiant heating as well. Just make sure to consult the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you can’t find them online, have your customer service person get this information for you.

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David has written and made videos about flooring products and installation since 2011 at Floors To Your Home (.com), where he is also the PPC Manager, a Researcher, a Website & Marketing Strategy Team member, Videographer, Social Strategist, Photographer and all around Resource Jito. In my spare time I shoot and edit video, put together a podcast, explore film history, and mix music (as in ‘play with Beatles multi-tracks’). Connect with  W. David Lichty

 

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