Many of us at least once in our life have encountered repairs in an apartment or in a private house. And if the repair concerned the floor, then the question arose of replacing the flooring. Someone is laying linoleum or carpet on the floor, someone is laying parquet or laminate. Naturally, there is no ideal flooring, each material has its own strengths and weaknesses. The choice of flooring is currently huge, and it is impossible to describe all the coatings in one article. Therefore, in this article we will consider the two most commonly used materials: linoleum and laminate.
Which is better: linoleum or laminate? Surely, many will immediately be able to confidently answer this question. But if you ask a person to argue their answer, there will be no clear explanation. Many believe that the laminate is definitely better than linoleum, because it is more expensive and modern. But linoleum, whose characteristics are not inferior, but in some ways even surpass the properties of a laminate, also has a right to exist. Let's look at the pros and cons of these two coatings in more detail, so that everyone can decide which is better, linoleum or laminate.
Advantages and disadvantages of the laminate.
What is laminate flooring? Quite often, a laminate is confused with parquet, believing that a laminate is a type of parquet. But this is not at all true, laminate flooring and parquet are completely different materials. Laminate is usually an artificial coating having a multilayer structure. The topmost layer is responsible for the wear resistance of the laminate and consists of either various resins or a special protective film. Under the protective layer is a decorative coating that externally mimics various materials, such as parquet, stone or old boards. Next comes the thickest layer, which is often made of special MDF. Well, the bottom layer is polymer.
The main advantage of the laminate is its resistance to ultraviolet radiation, which allows it to maintain its original color and shade throughout the entire service life. You can rearrange furniture or remodel the carpet as many times as you like and you will not notice any changes in the shade of the floor covering. Laminate coating is heat resistant. For example, a fallen cigarette will not leave a burnt mark on the floor. The legs of cabinets, armchairs, tables, as well as the stilettos of women's shoes are not at all afraid of the laminate. Caring for a laminate is quite simple and will not cause you any difficulties. Laying the laminate is possible without dismantling the old coating. Laminate can be laid, for example, on wooden boards or carpet. Of course, this is undesirable, but possible. If you plan to install a warm floor, then it can also be successfully placed under the laminate.
Despite the fact that the laminate is so good, this coating also has disadvantages. When they say that the laminate coating is wear-resistant, this does not mean that it is eternal. Of course, everything once becomes worthless. So with the laminate, laying it, say in the corridor or in the kitchen, get ready after some time to replace the flooring in these rooms. Laminate is not recommended to be laid in rooms with high humidity and passability of people. Laminate is able to withstand the pressure of heavy objects for a long time, but is not able to withstand shock. So if you drop something on such a floor, then the coating may be damaged. As already mentioned, care for the laminate is simple, but requires the use of only high-quality detergents. If too aggressive cleaning agents are used for cleaning, the coating may become stained, which cannot be removed. Laminate does not tolerate the hands of laymen when laying, since the seams between the laminate panels are the most vulnerable spot of this coating. Poor installation and frequent subsequent cleaning will quickly render the entire coating unusable.
Advantages and disadvantages of linoleum.
Unlike laminate, linoleum is much cheaper and this is an important advantage for many. Laminate flooring can never boast such a wide range of colors and a variety of design, like linoleum. Almost every linoleum can lay, without any training for this. What could be simpler than laying linoleum on the floor and cutting off if necessary. But, of course, it is better to entrust this operation to professionals. If you are wondering if linoleum or laminate is better in terms of thermal conductivity and sound absorption, then here, the laminate is an outsider. Linoleum is warm and has excellent sound absorbing properties. In addition, linoleum may have a special anti-slip coating. PVC coating is completely not afraid of water, so you can wash linoleum as much as you like and with anything.
The disadvantages of linoleum include the fact that over time, the color of the coating becomes less saturated. Linoleum is not able to withstand long local heating of the surface. It is difficult to set fire to high-quality linoleum, but the same fallen cigarette will leave a lifelong imprint on the coating. If you chose linoleum as a flooring, then before arranging the furniture, you should think carefully about what and where it will stand. This is due to the fact that furniture legs push linoleum and leave noticeable prints on it. Before laying linoleum, you need to carefully prepare the floor surface. Eliminate all bumps, protruding nails and the like. If you lay linoleum on a wooden floor, then it should be perfectly even and the boards should not "walk" relative to each other. If you do not comply with these requirements, then in places where there are bumps and slight differences in height, linoleum will very quickly begin to crack and tear.
As you can see, it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of which is better, linoleum or laminate. Before choosing a coverage, you need to consider all the individual nuances of the premises and compare everything with your financial capabilities. Laminate is undoubtedly a modern and fashionable material, but the cost of such a coating scares many away. Linoleum, of course, has drawbacks, but after reading this article, it will probably be easier for you to make the right decision in choosing the flooring you need.