The post Laminate Vs. Vinyl: Characteristics, Similarities and Differences appeared first on KateBeckin Sale Gallery.
]]>Laminate and vinyl floors are two of the most valued and demanded options by customers in recent years. However, the differences, similarities and drawbacks of both types of soil are not always clear.
Laminate floors are a type of floor covering made up of several layers, the main one being a high-density wood fiber board. It also has an external plastic layer (overlay) that protects the whole, then a melamine paper printed with the design, and under the fiber board a final layer that gives stability to the whole.
All the parts as well as slats is machined to join together with others until they cover the whole surface area.
There are different types of vinyl flooring: roll, plank, self-adhesive or floating. The type with which we are going to make the comparison is the one that has more to do with laminate flooring, that is, in strips and with a click system for floating installations. This type of vinyl flooring is known in English-speaking areas as Luxury Vinyl Flooring.
This type of flooring is composed of plastic materials, sometimes combined with wood fibers (WPC) and lately with limestone dust (SPC).
The installation is floating , that is, it is not fixed by means of adhesives, nails or screws to the pre-existing floor. This has several explanations:
Maintenance. Both types of floor coverings are very easy to maintain and care for. Sweep and vacuum regularly, and mop periodically. In this sense, perhaps you have to be a little more careful with the laminate.
Repairs. No repairs can be made beyond concealing a small scratch. If any piece or slat were to break, it would have to be replaced with a new one.
Designs. Both materials offer a wide range of designs and increasing realism. However, the possibilities in this sense are superior today with laminate flooring, both in realism and in general design quality.
Expansion joints. All materials undergo contractions and expansions due to environmental changes, mainly temperature and humidity. Therefore we must respect these distances or separations as indicated by the manufacturers.
The difference lies in the fact that wood, and therefore laminate flooring, expands more than other materials. This means that in a laminate floor installation, expansion joints have a special relevance and that they will be necessary every few meters of what a vinyl floor may require.
Moisture resistance. In this sense there is a clear winner, vinyl floors.
Abrasion resistance. Vinyl floors are also above in this regard, although not as much as it may seem. Today most quality laminates offer AC5-AC6 resistance, while AC6 is the industry standard for vinyl. In both cases it is more than enough for use in domestic and even commercial environments.
Price. Cost for laminate flooring installation have a lower price than vinyl of this type, although this difference has been diminishing for years. In both cases we are facing very competitive prices.
Durability. Both options have been improving over the years, to the point that many manufacturers speak of decades regarding guarantees. However, vinyl has a longer shelf life.
Wood is a 100% renewable material. Therefore, laminates are a more ecological and respectful product with the environment. In addition, the manufacturing process requires less energy consumption.
The post Laminate Vs. Vinyl: Characteristics, Similarities and Differences appeared first on KateBeckin Sale Gallery.
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