When planning a renovation that involves changing the floor covering, people often face a difficult choice among all the variety of options offered. The naturalness of wood materials does not cause doubts in ecological compatibility, but all the same it is necessary to think what to choose - a parquet or a laminate. And to determine what is best, you need to know the distinctive features of materials, their advantages and disadvantages.
It should be understood that there is no unambiguous answer to the question what is better - parquet or laminate, as much depends on the type of premises, its atmosphere, as well as on the tastes and finances of the consumer.
Parquet board or laminate?
Parquet board - this is several layers of natural wood, glued together. The top layer, which is a valuable wood species, is patterned, which makes it externally attractive. The bottom layer is a thin layer of plywood, and in the middle there are narrow pine or spruce boards running across, which makes the construction very durable.
Of the advantages of parquet can be called its full naturalness, ease of installation due to the lock mechanism, unpretentious care, the possibility of restoration by grinding, a long service life.
The disadvantages of parquet coating include its low resistance to moisture, loss of color in the sun, odor absorption and instability to mechanical damage.
Laminate also consists of several layers. The top is covered with a furniture foil or a film. And it is the coloring of the upper layer that determines the appearance of the product. Laminate can imitate not only parquet, but also ceramic tile or stone.
The hardness and stability of the structure is attached to the lower layer of moisture-proof paper impregnated with resins. The middle layer is a wood-shaving or fibreboard.
Among the advantages of the laminate - the simplicity of laying, the ability to withstand high temperatures, fire safety, the absence of harmful emissions, resistance to burnout and mechanical influences, great moisture resistance.
And of the disadvantages, it should be mentioned that laminate flooring is quite a noisy covering, so you will need additional soundproof layers under it. In addition, it has rather brittle edges, and restoration is impossible, so that the damaged laminate can only be replaced.
Parquet or laminate - we focus on the appointment of the room
Depending on the expected patency of the room, you need to choose between parquet and laminate. And for rooms with high cross-country traffic, it is preferable to choose a laminate, since it is more resistant and resistant to abrasion.
For the house you can buy a parquet, but if you have pets, remember that for a long time to retain its attractive appearance under the influence of their claws, he can not. However, it can always be opened with a new layer of varnish. But the parquet looks much more solid than the laminate.