Kitchen laminate flooring is perhaps the most common use of the material. The durability, long life and ease of maintenance make it an ideal material for the room. The frequent footfalls of people using the space mean that the flooring needs to be tough, while it must also deal with all sorts of things accidentally being dropped on it, from hard utensils and porcelain to water and things that may make a mess.
The durability of laminate and the ease by which it can be cleaned both make the material highly suitable for such an environment, meaning you can have it in your kitchen and enjoy its benefits for many years without having to work too hard to keep it looking good.
The grade of laminate that is normally used is AC3 or AC4, with most of the products available being in the latter category. AC3 is made by Special Offer Flooring, Pergo and Elka, while in addition to these three companies, Alloc, Florence, Quick-Step and Uniclic Loc also make AC4 grade laminate.
Such material is made for home usage, with warranties varying between ten and 25 years. Part of the difference in guarantees depends on the thickness of the material, with the products available being at least 7 mm thick, while the thickest are 10.5 mm.
There are over 200 laminate floors available in these two grades, ensuring that you can enjoy a very wide range of designs and colours. Among these are numerous wood types with the most popular being oak and walnut, but others including maple, merbau, wenge, pine, cherry and beech, among others.
In addition to the various wood types, there are various different styles of wood, so for example oak can be a bleached near-white colour, darkened brown, charcoal black or a more traditional blonde shade. There are also variations with other woods.
As well as wood, stone and tile-effect products can also be enjoyed, these coming in a range of colours and mimicking the effects of slate and stone.
There are also a number of styles and designs that can be enjoyed, from plank to tile, from smooth and plain floors to a ship-deck design. One common feature is that of [three] three-strip planking, where each plank is made up of a series of three slats, each having a slightly different wooden shade an overlapping alignment like bricks in a wall, right across the floor.
Another style choice is that between flat edged and beveled planks. Flat-edged planking means each side is smooth and joins seamlessly with its neighbour, producing a smooth and even effect across the floor. On the other hand, beveled edges have angled edges known as v-grooves, as this is the shape of the dip between planks where two join together. This produces a more pronounced join for a modern and dynamic look.
Whichever design you choose for your kitchen laminate floor, the good news is that you will have an easy assembly system that requires no expertise or any adhesive, ensuring that you can put your floor together with little difficulty and enjoy the benefits of a sturdy and attractive floor for many years to come.
