Jay Preston is blogger and Brand Manager for ToolHQ cordless tools. He enjoys sharing DIY and remodeling tips and ideas. Here, he shares his thoughts on why Laminate Flooring is the beats the competition.

In the past, laminate flooring has sometimes been associated with negative feedback.  Partly because many people hear the word “laminate” and automatically think of linoleum flooring – which is a totally different animal altogether.

While linoleum has become less popular in recent years, laminate flooring has increased in popularity for a good reason.  Also, with the newest styles, designs and technology, laminate flooring is as beautiful and as natural wood flooring and in many applications, even better.

Value

First of all, laminate flooring is often less expensive that real wood flooring.  It comes in a virtually endless amount of colors and styles and, because of its more reasonable price point, makes a better choice than real wood.

Great for the DIY’er

Laminate is easier to install than wood flooring, tile or even carpet.  All you have to do is measure, cut and click it together.  You don’t have to glue, nail or tack the flooring into place.  Laminate floats on top of the subfloor and moves with the house.  You don’t have to worry about cracking like you would have to with tile or stone.  Anybody can install laminate flooring and achieve professional results without having to buy a tile saw or pneumatic nail guns.

Durable and tough

Another great advantage that laminate has is its durability.  Laminate flooring can be used in places that would be impractical for other materials.  Namely, it works very well in damp environments or in rooms that tend to get wet such as bathrooms and kitchens.  While you would be terrified of spilling a glass of water on a wood floor or having to clean coffee out of the carpet, you don’t have to worry about such things when you have a laminated floor.  It is waterproof, durable and easy to clean.  Spills aren’t going to ruin the afternoon and cause you a lot more work in dragging out the steam cleaner or worrying about scratching the wood floor.

So for the value, style and look, laminate flooring seems to have it all.  You can install it on your own, saving the money that you would have to pay somebody to install another type of flooring.   It can handle the real world and you don’t have to be afraid of walking on it, getting it dirty and otherwise living a normal life.  Laminate flooring can take pretty much all of the abuse that you, your family and household pets can dish out and looks good doing it.