Hard floor surfaces have become very popular with those wanting a luxurious and enduring floor. Both timber and laminate floors offer a high-quality finish that is easy to clean and provides an elegant look that works with both modern and classic decor.
High quality hardwood floors can last for a century or more, with only a little sanding and refinishing required to make them look as good as new. Modern mad-made laminates have brilliant finishes that mimic the look of wood at a fraction of the price. If you’re trying to decide which option to go for, CCC has a huge selection to choose from. How do you decide which is best for you?
A Fresh Look At Laminate
Laminate has three main advantages over solid wood flooring; price, moisture resistance and ease of installation. Price is often the reason people opt for laminate flooring over a timber floating floor. While a timber floor will generally outlast even top-of-the-range laminate, CCC’s range of laminate flooring in Melbourne offers the latest high-tech products with great looking and durable finishes.
In some rooms, particularly those prone to extreme changes in humidity and temperature, such as bathrooms, utility rooms and kitchens, a man-made laminate floor can be much more tolerant of the conditions than timber. In most cases, laminate floors are also floating floors. They are not fixed directly to the subfloor, instead being secured by mouldings placed around the perimeter. This method of construction allows laminate floors to expand and contract when exposed to humidity and temperature changes, making buckling and gapping less likely.
If you are replacing an existing floor covering, for example vinyl or carpet, and want to achieve the look of wood without major work, a laminate floor can be installed quickly and easily over your existing structural floor. Better still, fitting a laminate floor is one DIY job even a relative novice can handle with ease.
Timeless Timber
Timber flooring will almost always be more expensive than laminate. However, if your budget can stretch to it, a timber floating floor can last years longer. In Australia, we have access to a wealth of hardwoods brilliantly suited to use as flooring, and solid wood is much less prone to the flaking and chipping that can affect laminate floors over time. It can also be renewed several times by sanding and refinishing.
However, unless you are building or renovating from scratch, installing a traditional solid wood floor is a cumbersome business, best left to the professionals. Luckily, you can now purchase timber floating floors at CCC that are installed in the same way as laminate, giving a high-quality finish. These timber floating floors mean you can transform the look of a room in a weekend without too much trouble.
If sustainability is important to you, CCC also stocks a range of naturally renewable bamboo flooring which combines the qualities of a natural product with durability and longevity.
Making Your Choice
When weighing up the options, it helps to see before you buy. Drop into either of our Melbourne showrooms today to look at our great selection of timber, bamboo and laminate floors and see for yourself the high-quality finish that can be achieved.
