One of the most provocative questions that many face is whether or not to use a laminate kitchen floor. This is not readily acceptable as it is considered undesirable in most scenarios. However, the answer is: kitchen floors can be laminated without any problem and there is nothing wrong with doing it. There are many horror stories from people who have laminate flooring in their kitchen. But that was in the earlier time. Nowadays, the process of material production has grown a lot.
Some problems of laminated kitchen floors:
Problems encountered with this include the tiles curling up when water is spilled and the tiles starting to curl inward, affecting the overall ambiance of the kitchen. Another complication that can occur is delamination, where the liquids can cause the adhesives present in the floor to loosen and the floor to break apart completely. Apart from that, the lifespan of laminate kitchens is not very high. The service life depends on the layer thickness and the foot traffic on the construction site. Replacing them is not a viable option and is quite expensive. It cannot be reworked.
Advantages of using laminated kitchen floor:
Any type of soil is prone to problems caused by waterlogging. The supposedly water-resistant ceramic and porcelain floors are also prone to problems from water as their absorption is limited. When water penetrates through ceramic tiles, it easily penetrates the seams. The only solution to this is to use a laminate kitchen floor as it is non-porous. Also, installation is easy as nowadays they are equipped with a click lock mechanism. The surface is comparatively more durable because, unlike wood, the floor covering does not have any dents or scratches. The “wear layer” of the laminate floor protects the underlying photo layer. Therefore, it is easy to clean and no floor waxing is required.
What to look out for:
We need to make sure we don’t slip on a laminate floor, so choosing a surface that offers grip is imperative. It also sometimes feels very artificial and the use of formaldehyde in the manufacture of the laminates can cause the material to release carbon dioxide, which is an environmental issue. Also, make sure there is a warranty before making a purchase. In general, higher quality laminates carry higher warranties. Another point to consider before installing a laminated kitchen floor is the underlay, which is nothing more than the sheet of material that acts as an underlay and provides basic support to the flooring.