So you’re considering laminate flooring for your Alpharetta home? Good choice! As a longtime resident, I’ve seen laminate flooring become an increasingly popular option in this area over the past several years. And for good reason – it offers a durable, attractive, and budget-friendly flooring solution for many homes.
In this blog post, I want to give you a comprehensive overview of working with laminate flooring in Alpharetta. We’ll dig into the pros and cons of laminate floors, the different types and styles available, costs, and so much more. My goal is to arm you with all the info you need to decide if laminate is the right fit for your next flooring project!
What is Laminate Flooring?
Before we get into the specifics of finding and installing laminate floors in Alpharetta, let’s quickly overview what exactly laminate flooring is…
Laminate flooring first arrived on the scene in the 1970s as a synthetic alternative to hardwood. Over the decades, the category has evolved into a high-performing and versatile flooring option available in countless style and color variations.
Unlike hardwood, laminate flooring Alpharetta has a composite core made of high density fiberboard (HDF). This core is topped with decorative paper film lending to laminate’s realistic wood-like aesthetics and texture. The whole thing is then covered in a clear melamine resin layer for protection and durability.
Compared to natural wood, the composite core of laminate floors makes them more affordable, scratch-resistant and stable in the face of moisture and humidity fluctuations. This winning combination of looks, performance and price has made “laminate flooring” a go-to for many Alpharetta homeowners over the years.
Laminate Flooring Pros & Cons
Of course, as with any flooring material, laminate has both good and bad qualities. Getting clear on the pros and cons can help you determine if it’s a fit for your home improvement goals and lifestyle.
Pros
- Durable & scratch-resistant: The melamine resin wear layer can withstand a good deal of foot traffic and protects against scratches better than hardwood. Most laminates come with 10+ year warranties as well.
- Affordable: At $1 – $6 per square foot installed, laminate is very budget-friendly compared to most other flooring options of similar aesthetic quality.
- Easy DIY installation: Many laminate products feature click or snap-together planks that don’t require glue or nails to install. This makes do-it-yourself installation more feasible.
- Wide variety of styles: From natural wood looks to tile and stone, laminate comes in endless style options to match home décor.
- Good for pets & kids: Laminate stands up well to rambunctious pets and kids thanks to its durable and scratch-resistant wear layer. Spills and accidents are also less concerning since the core won’t warp like solid wood when exposed to excess moisture.
- Adds value & appeal: Quality laminate can boost home value and appeal to buyers, just like other flooring enhancements.
Cons
- Not waterproof: The composite core of most laminates will be damaged if exposed to significant moisture or flooding.
- Shows damage: While very durable for normal wear-and-tear, gouges, chips and scratches in the wear layer can’t be sanded out like solid wood. Damaged boards need to be fully replaced.
- Can seem “hollow”: Laminate floors lay overtop a foam underlayment which allows them to feel slightly hollow or plastic-like underfoot. This sensation goes away once furniture and rugs are in place.
- Not for bathrooms/laundry rooms: Due to the composite core, most laminate floors cannot be installed in bathrooms, laundry rooms or other spaces prone to moisture. Special waterproof laminate is an exception, however.
- Difficult repairs: Planks can’t be refinished over time like real wood. Damage requires replacing full boards.
- Can fade over time: Extended exposure to sunlight can cause subtle fading and discoloration over the years.
Construction Style
There are four main laminate construction styles, each impacting factors like durability, ease-of-repair and installation method:
- Floating: Planks connect together over underlayment without glue/nails and “float” over the subfloor. This allows for easy DIY installs but can increase hollowness underfoot. Individual planks can be replaced.
- Glue Down: Planks are glued directly onto the subfloor for improved stability and sound dampening. However, the glue makes future plank replacement very difficult.
- Nail/Staple Down: Planks are mechanically fastened to the subfloor with nails or staples covered by baseboard trim. This prevents board movement but also complicates repairs.
- Locking: Planks feature special joints allowing floating installation without glue while still preventing board movement and hollowness when walked on. Striking balance of stability and easy repair.
Locking plank construction is a popular choice these days for its stability and ease of maintenance. However, DIYers may still opt for the simplicity of floating.
Core Composition
The internal composite core of laminate planks also varies between products, impacting qualities like durability, rigidity and feel underfoot:
High Density Fiberboard (HDF): The most common and affordable core material. Provides high rigidity and impact resistance.
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF): Slightly denser and more rigid than HDF but less moisture resistant. Used in higher-end laminates.
Plywood: Multiple layers of wood provide maximum rigidity and dense feel underfoot. Most expensive option but very durable under heavy traffic.
Regardless of core material, quality laminate should feel quite solid underfoot once installed, even over cheap foam underlayment.
Wear Layer Texture
Manufacturers also texturize the top melamine wear layer to different degrees in order to mimic the look and feel of materials like hand-scraped wood or natural stone. Textures available include:
Embossed: Simulates the natural grain texture of real wood species through imprinted designs. Most popular and realistic.
Hand-scraped: Mimics the distinctive striated texture left by the hand-scraping process used on many hardwood floors.
Synchronous Pore: Manufacturing process synchronizes texture designs between planks to prevent repetitive patterns. Enhances realism of wood looks.
Timeworn: Artificially ages the laminate texture through imprinting and distressing for a reclaimed wood aesthetic.
You can’t go wrong with any type of texturizing since it simply enhances the visual appeal of laminate floors. But embossed grain textures or synchronous pores create the most natural and realistic wood looks.
Waterproof Options
One of the main downsides of laminate flooring Alpharetta historically has been its lack of water resistance. Flooding, leaking pipes or excessive moisture could easily warp the composite core leading to permanent damage.
Luckily, technology improvements have led to new categories of laminate flooring with enhanced protection against spills, wet mopping and moisture absorption. Two main options exist:
Water-Resistant Laminate
Water-resistant laminate has special coatings designed to prevent liquid spills from immediately penetrating joints between planks and causing damage. This allows time to wipe up minor spills before moisture reaches the core.
Water-resistant laminate may have HDF cores coated in melamine, wax or lacquer finishes. It provides decent protection for quick wipe-ups but does not make the product waterproof throughout. Excess moisture will still lead to warping if not addressed promptly.
Waterproof Laminate
True waterproof laminate uses denser, waterproof core materials that will never warp or deteriorate when wet. Cores may be made of plastic-derived materials, limestone composites or rigid virgin vinyl layered in aluminum oxide.
Being 100% waterproof, this type of laminate can be safely installed in kitchens, bathrooms, basements and other damp areas. The peace of mind is worth the moderately higher cost over standard laminate.
Either of the above options are great innovations that allow laminate flooring into wet areas previously off-limits. Just be aware that “water-resistant” is not the same as fully “waterproof” when comparing products.
Cost Breakdown
Next big consideration – how much can you expect to spend on laminate floors for your Alpharetta home? Costs factors include:
Base Material Price: Entry-level products $1-$2 per square foot. Mid-range $2-$4 per square foot. High-end $4-$6 per square foot.
Installation: Professional install averages $3-$5 per square foot depending on complexity. DIY is $1-$2 per square foot.
Other Costs: Underlayment, molding, transitions, and subfloor prep/repairs should also be budgeted for. These generally add an extra $1-$2 per square foot.
Total Project Investment – Professional install of mid-range flooring: $5.50 – $10 per square foot. DIY install of entry-level flooring: $3 – $5 per square foot.
As you can see, laminate offers outstanding value, especially for DIY projects. Even professionally installed higher-end products give you wood-floor looks at a fraction of real hardwood pricing. Just be sure to budget a little extra on top of base flooring costs.
Where to Shop for Laminate in Alpharetta
The good news is quality laminate floors are easy to source right here in Alpharetta at just about any flooring store or home improvement retailer. Here are some of your best local options to browse and feel laminate product offerings first-hand:
Specialty Flooring Stores – Flooring pros where you’ll find the widest style selection along with design expertise. May offer exclusive commercial partnerships not found in big box stores.
Hardware/Home Improvement Stores – Very convenient and affordable. Stock all the most common laminate styles. Lack specialty product knowledge of flooring experts however.
Big Box Home Improvement Stores – Offer their own private-label laminate flooring brands at lowest prices. Flooring quality and service support varies greatly however.
Online Retailers – Huge selection available online across all price points. However, I lack the ability to see products first-hand or get specialist advice during the research process.
My personal take? Start your search at local flooring specialty stores where knowledgeable pros can provide recommendations tailored specifically to your project requirements and budget parameters. Take advantage of the superior service and product curation there.
Once you’ve settled on the perfect style for your home, you can always price compare against hardware stores or online sources and utilize the flooring retailer’s price match guarantee if savings are substantial enough.
Preparing for Installation
Got your laminate floors purchased? Awesome! Now comes prep for installation day…
Here’s a quick checklist of must-do preparation steps:
- Remove existing flooring if necessary down to the plywood subfloor. Fix any holes, cracks or damage to create a perfectly smooth and level surface.
- Undercut door casings and jambs so the new floor can slip underneath without issue. Remove existing baseboards and transitions.
- Clean debris thoroughly from the subfloor so laminate lays flush across the entire room.
- Layout planks across the room to visualize spacing and get a feel for how boards fit together. Mix in planks from multiple boxes.
- Acclimate flooring boxes in the install room for 24-48 hours to adjust temperature/humidity levels. Don’t leave outside boxes once opened.
And don’t forget the essential helper for every laminate floor install – underlayment! Underlayment is a thin foam cushioning layer that goes between the subfloor and laminate planks to smooth imperfections, provide moisture protection, and improve sound dampening.
Quality underlayment makes a big difference in the feel and performance of your new floors. Yet most DIYers try to cheap out here. Don’t make that mistake! Spending a little more on cushioning and moisture protection now saves major headaches down the road.
With prep work complete, it’s time!
