Deciding Between Hardwood and Laminate Flooring

by

Windsor Thompson

Laminate Flooring

One of the main factors for choosing laminate flooring over hardwood is the cost. Laminate is considerably cheaper than hardwood. Laminate is an engineered alternative to real wood; it is constructed by laminating a facsimile of wood onto a background and then covered with a hard and clear coating. The price will depend on the thickness and visual representation of real wood. Another factor in laminate’s favor is ease of installation. Requiring no nails, the tongue and groove design of the laminate boards makes installation easy for a novice. The boards typically come in either 4 inch or 8 inch widths; the 8 inch boards are typically easier to install than the 4 inch version. No matter which board width you choose, you must first lay down a foam pad to reduce squeaks and to even out the floor surface. Despite laminate’s apparent ease of installation, the boards all come in one length so the installer will need to cut boards in order to achieve the staggered look of a real hardwood floor. A final consideration about laminate flooring is its lifespan. It will have a shorter lifespan than solid wood and your warranty will reflect this. It can also wear in high traffic areas and once through the laminate layer you will see the particle board below. The weather is also a factor when considering laminate flooring, Calgary winters and summers can cause warping of the laminate boards. Hardwood Flooring Solid wood flooring has a look of timeless elegance that will add to the value of any home. The planks come in a variety of widths, usually between 3 inches and 6 inches wide. They come already stained and finished, and are cut in various lengths to help you easily achieve the staggered look. With a variety of shades and finishes for your wood floor, Calgary homes can increase in value with the installation of solid wood flooring. Installation of hardwood flooring is not recommended for the inexperienced. Laying this kind of floor involves using specialized techniques to achieve a seamless installation, as well as specialized tools. Depending on the area you wish to cover, installation can be time consuming and expensive. Added to the already higher cost of the flooring and your new hardwood floor quickly becomes quite an investment. Hardwood floors require special cleaning and are easier to damage than laminate. However, repairing a scratched or gouged section of hardwood flooring is as simple as sanding it down and refinishing it. This cannot be done with a laminate floor product. Solid wood flooring is durable and will last a lifetime under normal wear. Manufacturers offer great warranties to cover what is considered to be a permanent floor.

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By Patricia Holland

There are a number ofIndustrial Toilet Partitions choices available for the industrial buyer. The final decision should consider all of the criteria which in most cases would include desired product life, attractiveness, ability to withstand rust and corrosion, durability, maintenance requirements, aesthetic relationship to other restroom fixtures and price. In addition, other decisions will have to be made regarding the style of installation and layout.

Buyers for Industrial Toilet Partitions often focus on price before consideration of other features. If price is the primary consideration then the most economical partition is Baked Enameled Steel. Plastic Laminate would be the next least expensive, about 25% higher in price than Baked Enamel. Next on the price scale would be Solid Phenolic partitions with a price about 2 1/2 times as expensive as Baked Enamel. Stainless Steel partitions would be next with a price of about 2 3/4 times as expensive as Baked Enamel. Solid Plastic partitions are priced about three times the price of Baked Enamel. And the most elegant and expensive partitions, Fusion Granite, are slightly more expensive than solid plastic.

However, Industrial Toilet Partitions have a number of other features that are desired by industrial buyers. Sometimes the restroom location is in an area where there is no controlled climate. Or the restroom location could be located in a humid and wet environment. In these cases the buyer may want to consider the partitions that are very resistant to water, humidity, mold, and rust. Solid phenolic, solid plastic, stainless steel, and fusion granite partitions would all be good choices because they are very resistant to water, humidity, and rust. The plastic laminate and baked enamel partitions probably would not be considered for these types of environments.

Most Industrial Toilet Partitions are relatively low maintenance fixtures and easy to clean. However, some partitions have unique features that may be desirable for a particular buyer. For example, the solid plastic partitions will not allow graffiti to adhere well to its surface. Any written graffiti is easily removed with a standard cleaner and cloth. In addition, the solid plastic is very difficult to dent or scratch. These partitions are ideal for schools, theme parks, stadiums, and other high traffic, high vandalism areas.

For environments that have fewer demands or challenges, the Baked Enamel partitions are a very cost-effective solution. They combine the most economical price with a fifteen year warranty against rust-out from the manufacturer. The hardware used with these partitions is either heavy duty chrome plated metal or stainless steel. And improvements in the design and manufacture of these partitions have resulted in a stronger and more moisture resistant partition.

Installation is another important decision area for buyers of Industrial Toilet Partitions. For example, high traffic, high vandalism areas are candidates for the most rigid installation style, Floor-to-Ceiling. This installation style is mounted in the ceiling and in the floor for maximum rigidity. Other installation styles are attractive and cost less, but the floor-to-ceiling style offers maximum rigidity. For restroom areas with low ceilings, the Ceiling-Hung installation style is recommended. It does require structural supports in the ceiling for mounting purposes but it will leave the floor area free of obstructions.

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