It is not always easy to choose a floor covering for your home or office. There are a lot of proposals and options, from floor tiles and linoleum to parquet and laminate. More often for living rooms, they still choose from the last two options, so parquet or laminate, which is better?
To determine this issue, you need to separately disassemble the characteristics laminate flooring pros and cons its composition and features of use.
The composition of the laminated floorboard is a four-layer compressed “sandwich” of the following components:
- outer layer - a high-strength film made of special resins, protects the product from external influences;
- the second layer is decorative, contains a drawing;
- third layer - high mechanical strength fiberboard;
- the fourth layer is a stabilizing layer.
Based on the characteristics of the composition of the laminate, we can note its indisputable advantages:
- the ability to withstand severe mechanical stress;
- resistant to ultraviolet radiation;
- has heat resistance;
- abrasion resistance;
- does not react with household chemicals;
- suitable for floor heating;
- ease of installation;
- a wide range of colors and structures;
- easy to care for and clean;
- affordable price.
The result is a rather extensive list of advantages of laminate, but also disadvantages also do not forget:
- low sound insulation (for additional "damping" it is necessary to use a "backing");
- the coating is pretty cool;
- service life no more than ten years;
- it is impossible to carry out restoration work.
Compared, pluses and minuses of parquet are more obvious, but they also need to be listed to make the comparison complete.
The composition of the parquet is less multilayer than the laminate. Parquet is a solid wood board covered with several layers of special varnish for protection.
Pros and cons of parquet.
Pros:
- "warm" coating, retains heat;
- high sound insulation;
- hypoallergenic;
- parquet flooring can be used for more than twenty-five years, it all depends on the quality of the material and laying;
- wood does not attract dust.
Of the minuses, it is worth noting:
- subject to external mechanical influences (scratches, dents);
- reacts to temperature changes and high humidity (swelling, cracks);
- special care is important for long-term use;
- high price.
Asking the question parquet or laminate which is better, you need to more accurately define the question for yourself. For what exactly it is planned to use the coating, in which room, for how long, what funds are you willing to invest. Choosing, laminate pros and cons, which is now more understandable, you definitely save, you get the opportunity to change the coating without regret after a short time, with the next repair.
Pros and cons of parquet imply a long period of use, so it is worth choosing parquet when you, firstly, have such an opportunity, and secondly, you plan to operate the premises for many years.
Based on the above, ask parquet or laminate which is better, it doesn't make sense, these are two different coatings in different price segments.