Laminate in the kitchen: all the pros and cons
The main advantages of the laminate in the kitchen:
• Appearance. Laminate can be selected for absolutely any type of interior. He successfully imitates all kinds of wood of wood, from dark to almost white. There is a high -quality laminate that repeats the structure of artificial stone and even tiles.
• Simplicity of laying. It takes more time to lay the laminate than to lay linoleum. However, if your floors are even, then styling will not take more than one day and will be quite simple.
• warmth. The laminate is characterized by a sufficiently high coefficient of thermal metabolism. Unlike ceramic tiles, if the apartment is warm, then the floor will not be cold. Having laid a laminate in the kitchen, you can refuse home slippers. And if there is a child in the apartment, you will not have to worry that the baby will freeze.
• strength. Unlike linoleum, there will be no dent from heavy furniture, traces of heels and other mechanical damage on a high -quality laminate. If, for example, to accidentally drop a plate on ceramic tiles, then it will smash to smithereens, and tiles can also break. And the laminate in this way is unlikely to be affected. Also the dishes will remain intact and safety.
The disadvantages of the laminate in the kitchen are considered:
• moisture instability. It is believed that the moisture laminate “does not like”, because this material is a combination of woody plate and paper. But in fact, he does not like stagnation of water. Pouring water into a laminate, it is advisable to immediately wipe it. You will also have to ensure that the water does not flow into the seams. Well, and the laminate cleaning the laminate with a detergent vacuum cleaner does not recommend. But the usual wet cleaning of a mop will not hurt in any way. By the way, against the background of the growth of the popularity of the laminate in the kitchen, a moisture -resistant laminate appeared and waterproof. But its price is much higher than the usual.
• Additional expenses. If your floors are uneven, you have to spend money on aligning the surface. If there is no desire or opportunity to put a laminate yourself, then also take into account the cost of laying work. You should also take into account the cost of the substrate. You can’t do without it.
• Doubtful environmental friendliness. Laminate only imitates natural materials. In terms of qualitative characteristics and life life, he, of course, is inferior to them. But, although laminate and artificial material, numerous tests have confirmed its security for human health. Nevertheless, when choosing a laminate manufacturer, you should pay attention to the corresponding certificates.
• Noise. The volume of the laminate can be reduced by a special soundproof substrate. Often a disadvantage of the laminate is called the creaks when walking. This defect most often occurs with poor -quality styling.
As you can see, the laminate in the kitchen may well become a worthy replacement of linoleum and an alternative to ceramic tiles. If you take into account all the subtleties of its operation and styling, and at the same time not really save on quality, the floor in your kitchen will delight you for many years.