As long-time DIY-ers, we have installed laminate flooring in every home that we have owned and we love it! Having tried a variety of different types and makes at various price points, we now always go straight for Quickstep flooring. Let me tell you why.
First the Pros:
Simple & Cost-Effective DIY Install
Laminate flooring is very easy to install DIY, you simply need a hand saw and a special laminate flooring install tool. Laminate flooring is designed to ‘click’ together with special lip pieces on the edge of each board that snap together. It can sometimes take a bit of practice to get the technique, but once you’ve got it, it’s really quick and easy. Laminate flooring is also a floating floor, so it sits on top of a layer of underlay (you can different types of underlay depending on where you are laying the floor). So no messy glue is needed. Because it is so easy to do as a DIY installation, laminate flooring can also be incredibly cost-effective compared with other types of flooring.
the additional sturdiness and quality of Quickstep flooring means that the board ‘lip’ pieces that help the whole floor click together don’t damage or break easily. With other cheaper laminates, if you try to push the boards together too firmly they can start to peel up at the edges which ruins the overall look. Also, once the Quickstep boards are clicked into place, they tend not to come apart easily – which can sometimes happen with other laminates.
Laminate Flooring Is Very Durable
If you have a busy family home like ours, with dogs and children coming and going, laminate flooring is incredibly durable. Unlike hard-wood flooring, it doesn’t get scratched by dog’s claws or damaged by the heels of shoes etc. You can also get laminates that are fully waterproof or semi-waterproof, which is perfect for a kitchen where the odd spill is mostly wiped up quickly. In our own kitchen we have the Quickstep Impressive range of flooring, which is resistant to surface water. Keeping laminate flooring clean is as simple as giving it a quick wipe over with a spray mop and that’s all the maintenance it needs.
Environmentally Friendly
As it’s made of wood, laminate flooring is fully recyclable. Quickstep flooring comes with a 25 year guarantee – and having had some of our flooring down for over 10 years, I can safely say that it still looks great and is in really good condition even after a long time.
Quickstep Merbau laminate flooring in our previous home
There is a Huge Range To Choose From
There are hundreds of styles of laminate flooring to choose from – which means that you are able to find the exact right floor for your decor.
The Cons:
You Can’t Sand It Or Re-Stain It
Once the laminate is down, that’s it – you can’t change it as you could wood. Similarly if it does get chipped or damaged in some way, you can’t really fix it.
It’s Not Real Wood
It’s not real wood, it doesn’t sound or feel like real wood – but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t look great!
