When choosing a floor covering for his home, the owner wants it to be beautiful, practical and affordable at the same time. Among the budget materials for the floor, the first places are occupied by laminate and linoleum. In some characteristics, these coatings are similar, but both the laminate and linoleum have both advantages and disadvantages. It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of which laminate or linoleum is better. It is necessary to choose the material taking into account the individual characteristics of the room and other factors. In order not to make a mistake when buying, you need to have an idea about the characteristics of one and the other coating, about its "behavior" during operation.
Laminate Features: Pros and Cons
The scope of the laminate is very diverse, it is used for arranging floors in country cottages, in city apartments, in offices, sports and educational institutions. Due to the presence of cellulose fibers in the lamellas and the absence of formaldehyde components, the material is considered environmentally friendly. Here, a polymer resin acts as a binder.
A quality laminate is laminated. The base of MDF or HDF on the front and bottom sides is protected by a moisture-proof and wear-resistant polymer coating. The decorative layer with a pattern is under a strong film, which guarantees the material to maintain an attractive appearance throughout its entire life.
Laminate Benefits:
- for series 32, 33 and 34, water resistance is characteristic, such panels can be safely laid in a room with high humidity and high traffic;
- the coating consists of individual boards, which are interconnected by locks, which eliminates the occurrence of cracks;
- lamellas made by hot pressing have high strength and resistance to mechanical damage;
- the material is easy to install;
- the laminate floor is easy to keep clean;
- in a "floating" floor, you can always replace a damaged element;
- when using a laminate installation of a "heat-insulated floor" is possible;
- the coating does not transmit cold from the concrete base, so walking on this floor with bare feet does not cause discomfort, but only a pleasant sensation.
IMPORTANT! Laminated panels are resistant to ultraviolet rays, do not fade in the sun. Technological compensation gap left around the perimeter of the room during installation prevents the floor from swelling when the temperature and humidity in the room change.
Despite the large number of advantages, the laminate has its disadvantages:
- scratches from the claws of pets and heels are clearly visible on the coating;
- non-moisture resistant laminate is afraid of flooding, with prolonged exposure to moisture, pressed planks become soaked and deformed;
- cheap cover with low-quality locks can creak;
- hard panels do not muffle the sound of steps.
Features of linoleum: advantages and disadvantages
Unlike laminate, linoleum is a rolled material. In terms of moisture resistance and water resistance, linoleum has no equal. The whole canvas absolutely does not let water through even when flooding. The coating is not afraid of aggressive household products, it is easy to clean with soapy water or ordinary warm water. Leaking water under linoleum is possible only at the joints of paintings and in the area of baseboards. However, with proper installation, this risk is minimal.
Advantages of linoleum of different types:
- the flexibility of the rubber sheet allows it to be used on substrates with small differences in height (used in non-residential premises);
- nitrocellulose flooring is durable and very plastic at the same time;
- glyphtal (alkyd) fabric-based material provides excellent sound and heat insulation;
- even a layman can work with linoleum; installation does not require specific skills and the presence of a complex tool.
PVC is the most popular and inexpensive type of linoleum for flooring in residential and commercial premises. Such a coating may have a felt, fabric or foam base, or is available without a backing layer. Synthetic material is easy to install, easy to cut, has high wear resistance. The pattern and color of the coating is selected taking into account the stylistics of the interior, since the modern market for finishing materials abounds with roll coating of different sizes, prints and colors.
Minuses:
- inelastic linoleum on the base with height differences will very soon begin to break;
- PVC cloth is unstable to a sharp change in temperature;
- on a coating with a low density there are dents from the legs of chairs, heels;
- moving heavy furniture along the linoleum is fraught with stretching the canvas, as a result of which unattractive mounds appear on the floor;
- the damaged area cannot be restored - you have to change the whole strip or completely reposition the floor.
Where is it better to use a laminate in an apartment
In the apartment, the laminate flooring can be used everywhere except for the bathroom. In the living room, bedroom and nursery they buy any class of coating. For the kitchen and hallway, they choose series after 32 classes that are moisture and wear resistant. In the kitchen, it is recommended to buy a laminate without a chamfer, the presence of which complicates cleaning. Original chamfered lamellas are designed for living rooms and other rooms where there is no moisture, no crumbs and drops of fat.
Where is it better to lay linoleum in the house
Cheaper and more practical linoleum is laid in technical rooms:
- pantry;
- laundry;
- a bathroom;
- kitchen;
- hallway;
- loggia.
Compared with laminate and a natural analogue, PVC linoleum looks much more modest, but it is unpretentious in maintenance. Linoleum, consisting of jute substrate, wood flour and beeswax, is expensive, less wear-resistant, but aesthetic, so it is used in living rooms.
ATTENTION! If you like the floor from the laminated panels, but there is no money for a high-quality coating, buy linoleum for the laminate - a budget and practical option. A good linoleum with a corresponding pattern from a real laminate can be distinguished only with a detailed examination.
The answer to the question: “What is better to choose - laminate or linoleum?”, Depends on the conditions of a particular room, on the requirements for flooring in this room. For example, moisture resistance is not important for a child, but good thermal insulation and environmental friendliness of the components that make up the material are necessary. For the kitchen, the required quality is resistance to abrasion and moisture. The maintainability of the coating and the size of the budget allocated for the arrangement of the floor are also taken into account.
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