The Popularity of Laminate Tile Continues To Skyrocket
Thanks to recent advances in style and quality in the past several years, the popularity of Laminate Tile has grown dramatically. Once only popular in Europe, Laminate Tile floors are taking over the flooring market, quickly becoming the default choice for homeowners the world over.
A recent study by The Freedonia Group shows that by 2009, U.S. demand for laminate flooring will surpass other traditional choices by almost 22%. By 2014, the demand for laminate floors will be 39% higher than hardwood.
Laminate flooring demand is forecast to grow 15 percent per year, compared to an annual growth rate in demand of 4.8 percent for other materials.
Here are some of the reasons that many homeowners are choosing laminate tile over traditional options:
High Style
Laminate Tile can mimic all different types of flooring, including Ceramic Tile, Porcelain Tile, and Terra Cotta Tile. New low and medium-gloss finishes bring an up-scale look at a fraction of the price of traditional tile floors.
In the past, a realistic look could not be achieved by laminate tile. But technology advances in manufacturing and the use of high quality materials have brought about the same look that was once only achieved with the real thing.
High Durability
Laminate Tile is now a strong, durable, and scratch resistant form of flooring. Other forms of tile have far less scratch resistance. Laminate will maintain a new look even after many years of high traffic application. Porcelain and Ceramic Tile just can't hold a candle to laminate when it comes to durability...
High Value
The value of a quality laminate floor is unmatched. Homeowners who choose laminate over traditional tile will pay a fraction of the cost, both in materials, and installation.
Most laminate tiles are installed with a simple click locking system that anybody can do. It can also be installed on top of any kind of sub-floor.
Traditional tile, by contrast, must be installed on a sturdy sub-floor (often requiring a concrete base), and requires a high degree of skill and labor to do properly. This kind of installation is rarely done by the homeowner who purchased the materials, but instead by a skilled technician, which can cost just as much (or more) than the materials themselves.
Given all these logical and emotional reasons, it is no wonder that the sales of laminate tile have skyrocketed over the last year, while sales of traditional tile have remained flat.
If you are interested in the look of tile in your house, I recommend contacting the professionals at Total Floors Express to arrange a flooring consultation. The free flooring consultation will narrow down the dizzying array of laminate tile choices to your particular wants, needs, and budget. Total Floors Express can also present the options of traditional tile that may be available for you in your particular situation.
Laminate Tile has become a popular choice for kitchen and bathroom flooring. Installing laminate tile is a straightforward process, easily accomplished by nearly anyone.
To install your laminate tile floor, just follow these simple instructions:
The first step to installing laminate tile is to remove the old floor material that you are replacing. Be sure the old floor is gone, and any padding, tacks, nails, and staples or glue are cleaned up. Give yourself a clean working surface by vacuuming the entire area very well.
Laminate tile is a very forgiving flooring material. It can be installed on most types of sub-floor. There are only a few exceptions:
·If there is a noticeable "dip" in the floor it should be repaired prior to installation. This will prevent the laminate tile from cracking at the seams in time.
With concrete, thin set can be skimmed into the dip. With plywood or other sub-floors, you may need to fix the underlying structure or use concrete board to firm it up.
·Repair sub-floors where necessary. If you have cracked, broken, or rotten sub-floors, you'll want to ensure this is repaired prior to laying your laminate tile. Covering up a rotten sub-floor is not a good idea for long term application!
Now, carefully remove the baseboards and save them for later or you can leave them down, and install quarter rounds to cover the expansion gap. If you decide to remove the baseboards, you need to take good care not to damage them because you will be re-installing these boards later, and you can save some money if you use extra care when taking them off.
If you walk around the floor and hear creaks, liberally use 2" screws to tightly fasten the sub-floor to the under structure.By placing 2" screws every couple of inches around the vicinity where you hear the creaks and groans, you may be able to reduce the overall movement and eliminate the unwanted sound.
Installing the Floor
The first step of installation is to roll your underlayment pad.
If you have not yet purchased your underlayment, it is a good idea to buy the thickets pad you can find. A thick pad is highly advised, and will reduce any hollow sound that laminate makes as you walk on it. A thick pad equals a nice floor!
Once you roll your underlayment pad out, make sure you tape the seams with a wide clear plastic or underlayment tape. Once the laminate tile floor is laid, this will keep the pad from moving and will allow the pad to absorb the clicking sound as you walk across your new floor.
Laminate tile usually connects with a simple locking system. Each brand is a little different, but the basic premise is that of inserting the groove of one tile into the slot of the other, and pressing down. It is a very simple procedure that anybody can do. Unlike traditional tile, no professional installation is required.
Connect your tiles one-by-one and row-by-row by using a staggered pattern until you cover the entire floor area. Laminate flooring is called a "floating floor" because it is not attached to your house. It just floats freely on top of the sub-floor. With this in mind, be sure to leave 1/4" clearance from each wall, which allows your "floating" floor to contract, expand, and move a little. Most laminate tile installation kit comes pre-packaged with 1/4" spacers that you can use to ensure your floor doesn't get too close to the wall.
If you find that a few pieces of tile don't naturally fit tightly together, you can use a tapping block or softly tap the floor with a rubber mallet to bring them together. Don't "tap" too hard! If a couple of soft taps don't fix the problem, the locking system is not aligned properly.
Finishing it up
If you used the 1/4" spacers, remove them and re-attach the baseboards or install the quarter rounds. Hopefully you removed them gently so that they can be re-used here! Never nail your baseboard or quarter rounds into the floating floor. Since this is a "floating floor", you don't want it to be attached to the sub-floor.
The most important part of installation
The most important thing you can do to ensure a quality floor is to purchase quality products in the first place. There are so many different types of laminate tile on the market, that a consultation with a flooring expert is highly recommended.
The professionals at Total Floors Express can advise you on your laminate tile, and other flooring options. Get a free, no-pressure flooring consultation with an expert who can help you narrow the choice of flooring for your particular situation.
Total Floors Express offers both a free consultation, and the most competitive prices available online (or offline). We ship to all 50 states.
Laminate flooring that resembles tile is growing very popular in the United States. First introduced from Europe, laminate flooring has become one of the most common and cost-effective floor choices all around the world.
Laminate tile is advantageous over porcelain, ceramic and other kinds of tile for many reasons:
When it comes to price, the real thing just can't compete with laminate tile. At $3-6 per square foot installed, laminate tile is less than half the cost of other tile.
Laminate tile, when properly maintained, can be just as durable as traditional tile floors.
Laminate tile is easy to clean and maintain. Traditional tile floors get dirty easy, and can be difficult or expensive to clean.
Laminate tile is easy to install! It comes in easily glued or snap-in pieces. It goes together quick and easy over any semi-sturdy sub-floor. Unlike tile, which takes a pro to install, and must be well supported by a concrete sub-floor.
Tile can feel cold under your feet if you are barefoot, while laminate will not conduct the cold temperature in the same way.
There are, however, just a couple of things to keep in mind when you make the decision to go with laminate tile:
If you are installing your laminate tile in a bathroom, be sure to join and seal the edges of the planks according to manufacturer directions to prevent water from seeping between or below the planks.
Over a long period of time, ground-in dirt will cause small scratches in your laminate tile. So be sure to keep the surface clean with any standard cleaning product. Cleaning up dust or loose dirt is easily accomplished with a dust mop or vacuum. If you need a deeper clean, use a damp mop or wet towel - just don't allow water to stand on the surface for an extended period of time or it could seep underneath and cause water damage.
Be sure to keep a few pieces of your laminate tile handy after installation in case damaged areas need replacement.
Last but not least - enjoy your laminate tile floor! It will look just like traditional tile floors, until a very close inspection. Plus, it will be more cost-effective, last longer, and be easily maintained. All-in-all, you will be able to enjoy your floors for a very long time.
