Sponsored Post
For many people the height of interior design comes with the elegance of wood flooring. Whether you prefer a contemporary style or a more traditional decor for your home, wooden wooden floors can make all the difference.
There's no denying though that buying wood flooring can be very expensive!
1. Laminate Flooring
Laminate is perhaps the most popular alternative to real wood flooring. Although just because it's cheaper, doesn't mean it lacks quality. In fact, laminate has many good qualities that make it many people's preferred choice over solid wood.
Rather than being made of one piece of wood, laminate is constructed from multiple layers of high density fibreboard (HDF). These layers give the flooring additional durability, whilst still allowing for flexibility and comfort. Then, to give the flooring its wood effect, the top layer is digitally printed with the wood style.
Because the wood is digitally printed using advanced photo technology, the range of designs is huge. It maybe printed but there's no doubting the high quality. Most laminate flooring even has authentic bevelling and knots engraved into the wood to give it a genuine look and feel that's like the real thing.
Laminate flooring often comes with a 'click' system fitting. Each board fits together perfectly and locks in place, meaning even novice DIYers can try their hand at fitting their flooring. If you do choose to use a professional the fitting time is greatly reduced when compared to solid wood. So, not only do you save on the flooring itself, you also save on installation costs too. Win-win!
2. Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl flooring is incredible popular when it comes to alternatives for wood flooring. Its versatility means it's a favourable alternative to everything from wood, to tiles, to stone.
Laid as one sheet, almost like carpet, vinyl flooring, come in a huge range of designs to fit with any decor. Printed design allows for massive variation in styles, with any type of wood available as well as 'out there' designs for those that fancy something a little different.
One of vinyl's biggest strengths is how easy it is to maintain. Because it's essentially one sheet, it can be mopped and dried incredibly easily. For regular day-to-day maintenance, a sweeping brush should clean up most messes without too much trouble. Easy cleaning makes it ideal for those with young families or pets.
Suitable for any room in the house, vinyl is water resistant. This means it's perfectly safe to use in bathrooms, whereas solid wood flooring is a definite no-go when it comes to moisture! For this reason vinyl is incredibly popular as an alternative to wood, along with the cheaper price tag!
3. Engineered Wood Flooring
When it comes to wood flooring alternatives, engineered wood is the closest you can get to the real thing. In a similar way to laminate, engineered wood is made up of multiple layers. Whilst the layers add extra durability, it still contains an element of solid wood in its top layer.
The top layer, often between 2 and 4 mm thick, gives you authentic wood grains and textures (as well as colour) for a lesser price. Because of the solid wood topping the flooring can be sanded and re-finished when it begins to look worn. This increases the flooring's lifespan, and even allows you to change up the style with a different finish if you're looking for something different.
Engineered woods composing layers make it less susceptible to fluctuating temperatures and moisture levels. This means its a popular choice for kitchens. Its also compatible with underfloor heating, where solid wood isn't, which scores another point for engineered!
When it comes to choosing your flooring you should ensure you're getting the most for your money. Most importantly though it needs to match your style. Flooring is a key component in your home's decor, so ensuring you're completely happy is vital.
If you're looking to save some money, then each of the three above options could be right for you!
Mummy Snowy Owl
xx
No comments:
Post a Comment