laminate flooring is hard and scratch resistant due to the way that it’s made. It is one of the most versatile and durable choices you can make in picking your flooring. If you have kids or pets, or simply have a heavily trafficked home, you probably know that your floors can suffer from wear and tear over time. And scratches are one of the most common ways floors can be damaged.
How Laminate Flooring Is Made?
Laminate flooring is made up of four layers, each designed to add to the function and look of the floorboards.
At the bottom is a melamine backing, which creates a balance in weight so that the planks stay flat against the floor instead of developing peaks and valleys; this makes the laminate flooring considerably stronger than it otherwise would be. However, you can find laminate flooring that has an alternative paper backing, which is less supportive.
Benefits of Laminate Flooring
- Cheaper, easier installation than hardwood
- Can be installed on top of other floors without damaging them
- Easy to clean with a mop and water
- Very scratch-resistant due to the aluminum oxide coating
- Environmentally friendly due to the use of small amounts of recycled wood
- Can be painted any color
How to prevent scratches on laminate flooring
To prevent scratches or scrapes from occurring, there are ways to protect your flooring. Such as furniture pads, putting rugs down and trimming pet’s nails.
High heels
High heels can scratch laminate flooring, but this is easily avoidable. If you opt for laminate flooring in the hallway, add a runner or a doormat. This way, if someone arrives home in high heeled shoes there’s time to take them off indoors without the heel ever touching your laminate flooring. Laying a rug down over your flooring will not only protect the floor in high traffic areas, but they also add a per-sonal aesthetic to a room.
Pets
If you have pets, keep their nails trimmed. Little scratches may occur if a pet has long sharp nails. If this does happen you will need a repair kit.
