Gotta love laminate! (Laminate Flooring)

Member Name: D-RAY2000

Product:	Laminate Flooring
Date:	21/08/08 (1079 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: looks good and cleans easy!

Disadvantages: Is there any??

Once kids come along there is no better floor covering than the easy clean covering that is laminate flooring. In saying that I hate to see houses that have the cheapest light coloured flooring from front door to back and in every room on the way.

I personally have the cheaper laminate flooring in the hall where it gets the most abuse because if a few panels get damaged I just lift and replace.

In my living room and dining room I have very expensive dark wood laminate flooring which is so easy to keep clean but looks fantastic, it can be a bit bare and cold looking but I combat that with a white sheepskin rug in the centre of the living room.

On the stairs I have a carpet but again in the top hall I go back to light laminate flooring and in the bathroom we have wood look floor tiles. Our bedroom is the only room in the house with carpet; it is safe in there because the kids don't play there.

Our son's room has dark laminate flooring but not as dark as the living rooms and our daughters room has a pink laminate floor (she is pink mad)!!

We have linoleum in the kitchen and more laminate in the guest bedroom, so you can see we are big laminate fans. The main reason for the laminate is the ease of keeping it clean but I do also like the look and the fact that I have become very good at laying it so I can do it all myself whereas I am hopeless with carpet so would have to pay to have it laid.

I do have a huge rug in my sons room because he is only two and when he was very young we were worried about him falling and banging his head on the laminate. The rug takes up most of the play area on the floor which eliminates that worry!

B&Q, focus DIY, Homebase and tons of other places sell laminate flooring of many different prices and colours, there are even flooring stores now that sell nothing but laminate flooring and you can grab some really good deals.

Some laminate is very, very cheap but you do also get some very expensive ones. Our living room is around 15 x 17 ft and the laminate to cover it cost us nearly £900 so laminate is not always cheap!!

Summary: Laminate floors are easy to clean and can look good if you stay away from the cheap stuff!