A few decades ago, no one in Russia knew what a laminate floor was, but now they cover the floors literally everywhere - in offices, schools, apartments and country houses. However, not everyone wants to use this particular flooring in their home, so they are thinking about what it can be replaced with. In fact, there are far more than one alternative to laminate. We bring to the attention of readers a review article about various floor coverings, their advantages and disadvantages.
Parquet
The first thing that comes to mind is parquet and parquet board. These are natural materials made from an array of different types of wood. Between themselves, they differ in size. Parquet is small planks, and the parquet board looks like a laminate. The environmental friendliness and safety of this type of flooring are its main advantages. Modern designsparquet flooring is characterized by good strength, moisture resistance and durability.
However, low-quality material can shrink and warp, and partial panel replacement is sometimes not possible. At the same time, it is quite expensive, in addition, laying parquet is also an expensive pleasure. The total cost of one square meter of such coverage (material and installation) starts from 2 thousand rubles, and there is no upper bar here at all. Parquet is a good alternative to laminate, but not the last on our list.
Cork floor
Another natural surface that many undeservedly bypass is cork slab. This material looks very presentable, it perfectly absorbs sound, is warm and pleasant to the touch, safe, resistant to moisture, so it is used even in unheated rooms, in the kitchen and in the bathroom. Its few disadvantages include susceptibility to mechanical damage. On such a floor, it is better not to walk in stilettos and not to put heavy furniture on wheels on it. Cork flooring is not much cheaper than the same parquet, but its laying is not very expensive, so it is quite an affordable alternative to laminate. It is especially good to cover the floors with them in houses where children live.
Floorboard
The floorboards are what people have walked on for thousands of years. However, recently this flooring has been unfairly forgotten, although ita wonderful alternative to laminate and parquet, because it has many advantages:
- low cost;
- easy installation;
- practical operation;
- durability (will last several decades).
But for all these benefits to really materialize, floorboards must be made from high quality hardwood lumber.
chipboard
Particleboard is considered by many to be an exclusively rough material, unsuitable for fine finishing. However, some craftsmen manage to use them to cover the floors. The surfaces for which the master uses materials of different shades look especially original, laying out the boards with a pattern (herringbone, checkerboard or zigzag). Also laminated chipboard "Nevsky laminate" can be attributed to this type of coating. Are these slabs an alternative to more traditional flooring? Of course, because they have excellent quality characteristics: natural wood shavings are used for their manufacture, they are durable, they can be cut, drilled and glued. Plates come in different thicknesses - from 8 to 22 mm. In addition, the manufacturer offers several dozen different shades of plates, including rather unusual ones - "Aluminum", "Anthracite", multi-color "NewPort".
PVC tiles
Another alternative to laminate, which is hard to distinguish from the usual parquet, is vinyl flooring. It's thinflexible sheets made of polyvinyl chloride, a plastic that does not burn, does not melt, is resistant to abrasion, moisture, shock. Despite the fact that it is a synthetic material, it is absolutely safe, and therefore it is often used for flooring in preschool and school institutions, hospitals and other public places. The elements are connected using special grooves, so their installation is relatively simple and budgetary.
Linoleum
Our review would be incomplete if we bypassed this affordable and quite good material in terms of its characteristics. Linoleum is made from natural materials (linseed oil, jute fibers and wood resin) or PVC. The first is rare and very expensive. The second one can be bought at any hardware store, but it’s better not to skimp and pay a little more for linoleum. A high-quality coating does not have an unpleasant odor, is not wiped during operation and can lie on the floor for several decades. Good linoleum absorbs sounds, it is “warm” and it is not necessary to cover it with paths and rugs on top. Having calculated all the pros and cons, you can understand that this material is another good alternative to laminate. Linoleum flooring is produced in rolls with different widths (1.5-5 m), which allows it to be laid in one piece without making seams and joints in the canvas.
Porcelain tile
Floor tiles, as a rule, are laid in the bathroom, sometimes in the kitchen, even less often in the hallway. In living rooms, this material is found very infrequently. Of course, it cannot become an alternative to laminate and linoleum in the bedroom or nursery, but in the living room it is. Modern technologies make it possible to lay a heating system under ceramic flooring.
The so-called warm floors have become very popular, which is not surprising. The tile is easy to use - it is easy to clean, it does not deform and does not wipe off, it does not absorb odors and chemicals. The disadvantage of such a material is fragility: ceramics burst if a heavy or sharp object falls on it, some fragments may break off. Also, when choosing a floor tile model, you need to evaluate its smoothness: for a home it is better to purchase a matte textured surface, firstly, it is not slippery, and secondly, dust, water drops and other contaminants are less visible on it.
The modern market for building and finishing materials is diverse, and before buying this or that floor or wall covering, you need to find out all the information about the product you are interested in.
