Laminate or parquet: what to choose?

Contents

1. Comparison of Laminatesto humidity and temperature differences
2. . Appearance of laminate and parquet.
3. . Care of laminate and parquet flooring.
4. . Price for laminate.parquet
5. not true of laminate and parquet


comparing characteristics of laminate and parquet

sometimes gets quite a difficult choice in the landlord, what kind of flooring to choose: parquet or laminate? Among the many options that are presented in the modern construction market, you can very easily get into a dead end, not knowing which option is preferable. Both flooring have their own advantages and disadvantages. After all, the parquet is made of natural wood material and looks very attractive, in addition, it is durable and reliable, which gives a very long service life. Laminate flooring is also quite attractive, and is easy to maintain and install, which will affect the repair budget, since it is known that parquet flooring is more expensive. To determine the choice, let's look at all the pros and cons of each floor more. This will help come to a clear understanding of what kind of sex to make yourself.

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Advantages and disadvantages of

laminate flooring A laminate flooring consists of several layers.

• The main is a wood fiber substrate that creates strength and makes it resistant to physical pressure.
• Another layer is kraft paper , which creates a decorative look of the coating. This is mainly an imitation of wood of various breeds and textures, but there may be a type of natural stone or another interesting imitation. The layers are connected by polymers, which gives additional strength.
• The top decorative layer of the is particularly resistant to abrasion, as it must withstand the loads that will be applied to it and also have a high wear resistance class to withstand heavy loads during use. For example, laying laminate in an office where high permeability requires the use of a class with a rating not lower than 32.

The main layer of fiberboard allows the flooring to withstand environmental changes, that is, not to deform at high humidity and not to dry at high temperature.
The layer under the main layer of hardboard is a coating of plastic or paper impregnated with a special resin-based compound. This layer protects against moisture that may form under the laminate coating and will not allow it to deteriorate or deform.
Distinguish laminate according to the degree of load that can assume. There are different degrees - these are small, medium and large; the higher the marking class, the more wear resistance the flooring has. In order to choose a laminate of appropriate labeling, it is necessary to understand what kind of load will affect it in this or that room. For example, in the kitchen you should put a laminate more durable than in the nursery, since the permeability in this room is higher than in other rooms. In the bedroom fit flooring class lower.

Pros laminate

• Laminate maintenance is quite simple, it is enough to clean the floor with a damp cloth( the laminate does not tolerate a large amount of moisture, it is impossible to fill the floor with water) and the floor will shine clean. Laminated coating does not attract dust, which is a significant plus, as it does not collect dirt on the floor.
• Laminate flooring is a durable flooring and is highly resistant to shocks and other physical effects. Slowly wear out and has good durability. The strongest laminates are those that have a strength class of 31, 32, 33. This flooring can be used in the office or in the workplace. For an apartment, the floor covering of class 21, 22, 23 will completely fit, as it does not require high strength to wear.
• Laminate flooring will not be damaged if furniture is installed on it( of course, most laminates do not tolerate female studs), due to the durable and flexible basis of fiberboard. It is not susceptible to direct sunlight of light, and also has good heat resistance. In addition, the laminated flooring is neutral to chemical-based products that are used for cleaning.
• The warranty period for using laminate starts from 5 years, which is a pretty good indicator. Replacement for damage, any panel is not difficult, and the budget for such repairs will be small. The choice of different colors and textures will also please and give a lot of opportunities to solve any design problem.

Cons Laminate

• laminate flooring is not recommended for use in rooms where has a high moisture content. From intense moisture laminate is deformed and deteriorate, which is fraught with additional costs for the replacement of laminated panels. Although there is a moisture resistant laminate that can withstand a fairly high level of moisture, but this floor is quite expensive.
• The laminate has a fairly low noise insulation , which requires a special substrate for the panels to create adequate protection from external noise. This is an inconsequential negative, but for some people it is quite important to know this negative feature.
• The disadvantage of the laminate flooring is that if the surface of such a floor is damaged and there are deep scratches or other defects, cannot restore the laminate .Only replacement of the part where the damage occurred.
• Also a minus is that the laminate coating is easy to recognize. At first glance, you can understand that floor is not natural , but laminated. This is a matter of taste, if it is important for a person that only natural materials are used in the decoration of a room, then one should pay attention to the parquet.

The advantages and disadvantages of parquet flooring

Now let's look at the parquet flooring, which is made entirely of wood and is 100% natural material. Parquet also has a multilayer structure, which consists of thin plates glued together perpendicularly. Of course, this is a completely different composition, which is not afraid of significant physical effects and without problems withstand heavy blows and other loads.

Let's take a closer look at the multi-layered structure of parquet, , which begins with the top layer of - a special varnish. It is applied in several layers and provides protection against external influences and abrasion.

Under the varnish are valuable species of various wood .It can be pine, oak, ash or beech, which have an attractive texture and give the parquet a special beauty. The thickness of this layer is from 3 to 6 millimeters. This is the face layer that forms the appearance of the future floor covering.

The next layer is , which is called “slats”.It is made of pine or spruce and forms the central layer of the parquet flooring. This layer is made specifically to create a groove-spike, fastening between each other parquet planks. This layer is performed perpendicular to the previous one in order to achieve adequate strength.

The bottom layer of , which requires maximum stability of the whole structure, is also made of spruce or pine. Its thickness is small and is 1-2 millimeters, and the direction of the wood fibers is the same as in the layer of precious wood.

Parquet has high strength and longevity, which is not available to the laminate, but the cost of the floorboard is much higher. With significant damage to the lacquered surface will have to completely remove the varnish and restore the surface, and this is fraught with significant financial expenditure.

The advantages of the parquet

• As well as the laminate, parquet floor does not attract dust and thus facilitates cleaning the room. The soundproofing of the parquet is significantly higher than that of the laminated floor, as it is made of natural wood, which is a good absorber of any noise.
• There is no formaldehyde in the parquet, even in the top layer of lacquer, which classifies the parquet flooring to the highest class of environmental safety, which cannot be said of the laminate, which under certain conditions, for example, with strong heating, releases harmful substances.
• The next advantage is the possibility of restoring the parquet, even after considerable accidental damage. This is done by sanding the floor surface with special equipment. It should be noted that the thicker the layer of valuable wood species, the more times you can do polishing.
• Laying modern parquet is also quite simple , but nevertheless, requires special knowledge of an laying specialist, therefore, work on creating a parquet floor will be more expensive. Self-laying parquet, without any experience will be quite a costly exercise.
• The durability of the parquet is beyond doubt. Any manufacturer of parquet flooring will give a guarantee on their products for at least 10 years. Expensive parquet can have even greater durability, which reaches 50-100 years. But this is a very expensive floor, which is not available to everyone.

Parquet Cons

• The main disadvantage of the parquet floor is the sensitivity to high humidity , parquet absolutely does not tolerate it. For rooms such as a bathroom or other similar room, the use of such a wooden floor is not suitable.
• The protective lacquer layer is erased and cracks much faster than it does with the top protective layer of the laminate. Restoration of varnish will be quite expensive, so this floor is not a budget and requires a significant investment in such cases.
• The parquet requires a special microclimate in the room, which should be strictly observed, otherwise there is a risk of spoiling the flooring that will result in unwanted floor repair.

Comparison of the parameters of parquet and laminate

. Finally, to understand the difference between these two floor coverings, and which one is better to choose for your own apartment or house, let's analyze these finishing flooring materials. From the above, we realized that it combines both floors with a multi-layer. But these layers are completely different, so you should be attentive to this moment.

Properties to withstand shocks and loads

This indicator wins the laminate floor, as it is quite difficult to scratch it with shoes or a leg of a table or chair. But it is provided that the laminate has a high class of strength, that is, no less than the 31st.

The weight of the floor laminate coating withstands quite significant too. This coating will withstand even if you drag furniture across the sky. You can not say about the flooring, which is easily scratched with a slight pressure on the surface of the foot cabinet or other similar object. It can be seen from this that for rooms where there is a high throughput and many factors that can scratch the floor it is better to use a laminated flooring.

Resistance to changes in humidity and temperature

Parquet floor is very sensitive to temperature and high humidity, therefore, requires special attention to these points. If the air is too dry, the parquet board cracks and deforms, and when high humidity swells. This can be noticed in the winter, when the beginning of the heating season, the air in the room becomes dry and may cause gaps between tightly fitted parquet planks. Laminate flooring will not react in this way, which is why it is more practical in this respect floor covering.

Laminate flooring was created as a replacement for parquet, which is free from the disadvantages of this natural wood floor. Therefore, when such a practical alternative to parquet flooring appeared, not everyone could afford laminate, as it cost more at the beginning of its appearance than parquet. When the production of laminated flooring has grown to a large scale, the material has dropped significantly and now it is quite affordable for most buyers. Modern laminate has high strength due to the use of new technologies and materials such as HDF, which is used as the basis for the laminate. This base expands slowly and evenly, which eliminates the appearance of cracks.

The appearance of laminate and parquet

In the design of the apartment when selecting the floor covering should take into account such moments as the style of the room. If the interior is made in a classic style, it is better to use the floorboard, which will emphasize and make the room more beautiful. For example, if there is a fireplace in the room, made of marble or other decorative stone, as well as elements of limestone, gilding, paintings and other similar elements of the interior, parquet is best suited.

When designing an apartment in a modern style such as high-tech, modern or eco-style, laminated flooring is better suited. Moreover, the laminate has a lot of colors, textures, drawings and other designs that will give the opportunity to create a unique interior design.

Caring for laminate flooring and parquet

A very important point when choosing a parquet or laminate floor is caring for the flooring. Laminated flooring is not as sensitive to intense moisture as parquet, which should be protected from too intense water on the surface. Laminate can be safely wiped with a damp cloth daily and not be afraid of damage. Of course, pouring buckets of water onto such a floor is not worth it, but moderate humidity will not damage the laminated coating. Some laminate manufacturers produce a 100% moisture-resistant product, so if you need such a floor, ask the seller in the building supermarket.

Parquet is quite sensitive to moisture and when wet cleaning it is desirable to squeeze a floor cloth well. It can be vacuumed, but at the same time make sure that the nozzle was of the appropriate softness, so as not to scratch the varnished surface of the parquet. In addition, the parquet floor should be treated with a special compound that is designed to care for the tree. Also, do not use chemical products, only those which indicate that they can only be used for parquet flooring. Laminate has excellent resistance to chemical detergents. From the above it can be seen that laminated coating is more practical in this regard.

The price of laminate and parquet

In this matter it should be understood that, like laminate, and parquet can be of different quality and different manufacturers. There are very good ones, mainly, these are foreign manufacturers, who have high quality products. The higher the strength class of the laminate, the higher the cost. Sometimes a good quality laminate is more expensive than parquet. It all depends on which manufacturer and level of strength you choose.

Parquet board can be quite affordable and not much different in cost from the laminate, but if you carefully evaluate the products, you will certainly find the disadvantages of cheap parquet. These are knots and not uniform pattern, as well as other similar disadvantages. The top layer of a valuable tree may have a small thickness. If the parquet from the world brand, where wood looks 100% perfect, then such a parquet floor would be a very expensive treat.

Not true about laminate and parquet

• It is often possible to hear about the absolute environmental safety of the parquet, and vice versa they say about laminate. This is a misconception that sellers in building stores advertise intentionally or unknowingly in order to attract more attention to more expensive flooring. By European standards, laminate meets all environmental standards( apply to European manufacturers).Adhesive chemical compounds are also present on the floor, therefore, to say that the parquet of the ideal ecology is a bit wrong.
• There is also the opinion that the , when striking a laminate, produces the echoing sound , which is absent in the parquet. In part, this is so, but the problem is solved by laying a special substrate under the laminated floor. After that, the boom disappears and the laminate floor is no different from parquet in this regard.
• What flooring is better in that it can be restored , but the laminate is not. The fact is that the restoration of the parquet is quite a costly business and even after sanding the flooring will not look the same as it was at the very beginning. Laminate flooring can be replaced at no extra cost. That is, separate parts that are easily removed and in their place are installed new solid panels.