Which is better - parquet or laminate?

The choice of flooring today is one of the important stages of any repair process. For such purposes, the modern market offers several types of materials, among which special attention should be paid to wood-based products. Before you make the final choice, you should find out which is better: parquet or laminate. This will allow you to purchase a quality product with an optimal price-quality ratio.

Laminate flooring and flooring look very similar, but technically it is two different materials. The difference between these products is that the parquet is made entirely of wood, whereas in the laminate it is practically not present. Laminate board consists of a substrate, which can be made of paper, fiberboard, chipboard and relatively rarely from cheap wood (pine).

Parquet is a laminated board, which involves the use of only fine wood. This is especially true of the top layer, which serves a decorative purpose.

Parquet and laminate are perfectly combined with various styles of interiors. But each of these materials has its own distinctive characteristics. We begin our acquaintance with the features of the parquet. This board is produced by gluing several thin layers of wood. This approach allows to obtain high-quality technical characteristics of products.

There are several advantages of parquet as a finishing material:

• Environmental friendliness. The structure of the parquet is only natural components that do not harm the environment and humans. But there is still a minimal amount of chemicals that are impregnated or coated with wood for protection.
• Parquet is subject to restoration. To restore its structure, you should simply sand the top layer using special mechanisms and again cover it with a protective varnish.
• Long service life. If the floorboard is properly maintained, it can be used for 15 years, and sometimes more.
• Easy care. To maintain the parquet in a clean state, it is necessary to periodically carry out wet cleaning. Here you can use the minimum amount of detergent, as it is easy to remove all dirt and dust from a varnish with a regular cloth.
• Easy installation. Parquet is laid using special grooves on the board. This allows you to quickly and efficiently capture the elements among themselves.
• Antistatic. The surface of the parquet is covered with special solutions that do not accumulate static electricity. This in turn eliminates the accumulation of dust on the board.

But the floorboard has several significant drawbacks that are important to consider when buying:

• Low strength. It is easy to scratch or bend the wood, which is not always a good influence on the decorative look of the parquet. If there are a lot of similar damages, you will have to completely polish the surface to restore the original structure.
• The possibility of stratification. This is especially true of low-quality products, in the manufacture of which did not comply with the technology and used the wrong binders.
• Requirement to the base. The surface of the subfloor must be perfectly flat. In another case, after laying the parquet will begin to bend and lose its original properties. Therefore, prior to installation perform preliminary preparation of the base.
• Low resistance to temperature and high humidity. Together, these factors can lead to delamination of the board and the formation of significant gaps.
• Cleaning parquet surface can only be performed by means that do not contain aggressive chemicals. Therefore, to care for the floor will need to purchase special formulations.
• If a parquet installation performed without the use of special glue, this can lead to the formation of small gaps between the boards.

Laminate - is an artificial analogue of the floorboard. Today there are several types of similar products. The most popular is laminate class 33, which is perfect for residential use.

It should be noted several positive aspects of this material:

• The top layer of the laminate perfectly withstands physical exertion, as well as withstands mechanical damage.Therefore, scratching it is much more difficult than the floorboard.
• Moisture resistant. These features have only special types of laminate, which are protected by special compounds. If you put the usual products in the bathroom, then it quickly absorbs water and swells.
• The material perfectly tolerates high temperatures and is not destroyed by ultraviolet radiation.
• Easy installation. Here, as well as in the parquet, special grooves are used, which accelerate the laying of the board on the floor.

Laminate has several significant drawbacks:

• The structure of the substance is not natural, although externally they can imitate almost any pattern.
• The edges on the plates will sooner or later lose their mechanical properties and begin to stratify.
• The surface of the laminate can not be restored. Therefore, the abraded surface is subject to complete or partial replacement only.
• The board is covered with special compounds that easily attract dust.

This criterion is relative. The floorboard is much more pleasant and warm to the touch than laminate. But at the same time under the artificial surface of the laminate can be heated floors.The wood will hardly withstand such an operation, therefore such devices are not comparable with the floorboard. To make the tree warm, you need to create a certain microclimate in the room. This will allow the material to absorb heat and eventually release it.

It should be noted that the flooring and laminate flooring are excellent materials for finishing the floor. But the cost of wood-based products is slightly higher than laminated board. But this difference is leveled for a higher class laminate. There are such types of materials, which at cost will be almost equal. It should not be confused prices for parquet and floorboard, as these are different products.

There is no definite answer as to which of these materials is better. Each of them has unique properties that allow you to solve specific problems. The floorboard is perfect for domestic use, where you need to keep warm and get a pleasant feeling.

Laminate is universal products that can withstand significant loads. The top coat is not damaged even by women's heels.This allows you to lay it in offices, gyms and other places where high wear resistance is needed.

But the floorboard, in turn, is amenable to restoration, which allows it to be maintained in its original state. Whereas the laminate will eventually wear out and lose its design.

The surface of the laminate can imitate almost any pattern. Therefore, it is produced not only under a tree, but also under a natural stone, ceramic tile and more. It is quite difficult to visually distinguish laminate from floorboard, while their internal structure may vary.

One of the criteria is the pattern itself on the surface of the decorative layer. The floorboard is covered with natural wood, the structure of which almost never repeats. Therefore, you will not find a single board with the same images. As for the laminate, it is made according to special patterns. Therefore, in one batch of the product you can find duplicate elements.

For the separation of laminate and floorboard, many recommend estimating the temperature. Wood products should be warmer, but in the store it is quite difficult to identify, since all products are stored at the same temperature.

The advantage here should be given to the floorboard, as its structure contains more natural materials. Laminate, though it is a safe material, as confirmed by many studies and standards, but still it consists of artificial components, resins and other chemical binders. Therefore, it is impossible to say how they will behave in certain operating conditions.

Many homeowners, when choosing wood-based flooring, ask the question, why are they better than ceramic tiles? It should be noted that these categories of materials belong radically to different classes. There are several comparative features of these products:

• Durability. Here the full advantage of the tile, which retains its structure for a very long time. Approaching the ceramic tile according to this indicator may be a bit laminate. As for the parquet, this characteristic depends on the type of wood and production technology. But poor-quality tile products can sometimes fade or fade when exposed to infrared rays.
• Moisture resistance. The full advantage here is also in ceramic tiles, which are practically not destroyed in a wet environment. Therefore, it is very often used when finishing the floors in bathrooms. The floorboard is not able to withstand such conditions, so it is suitable for rooms with a moderate microclimate. Laminate can also be used in wet environments, which makes it a kind of competitor to tile.
• Strength. This characteristic is relative. The floorboard is very well scratched, but it does not crack. If the tile is put incorrectly, then it is easy to break it even when walking. As for the laminate, it is somewhere in the middle and has one of the most optimal qualities of strength.

• Resistance to chemicals. The main advantage here is tile and laminate. Wood products respond very well to aggressive substances and quickly lose their decorative appearance.
• Heat preservation. Better than the floorboard among these representatives do not. The material is not only able to accumulate heat, but also pleasant to the touch. Tile and laminate have a cold structure, so they are not so practical and need the use of additional substrates.It should be noted that the tile has a high thermal conductivity, and this allows you to equip under floor heating.
• Installation. Laying laminate and wood flooring is much easier. To form the floor of the tile, you need a long time and certain skills to work with this material.

Wood is a unique building material from which many derivatives are derived. This also applies to the products we are considering. Solid wood flooring is one of the oldest flooring. It was used by man in ancient times. But today he is gradually losing his position in front of other materials. There are several distinctive features of this substance:

• Appearance. Laminate flooring and parquet board imitate the structure of the array very well. Therefore, the top layer of this product is almost identical and does not differ in quality.
• Environment of use. The tree absorbs moisture very well. Therefore, in order for the array to serve for a long time, it is necessary to constantly maintain optimal indicators of humidity and temperature inside the room. But the same applies to the floorboard, which needs almost the same conditions.Laminate also relatively well tolerates these factors, therefore, has an advantage over the tree.
• Durability. Here the advantage is an array. If you properly care for such a surface, the tree can last up to 100 years or more. But artificial coatings do not even make it up to such a period. At the same time, for the floorboard and laminate also need a kind of care. The maximum term of their service does not exceed 15-20 years. But most modifications last up to 10 years.

• Installation. Laying the floor from the array is much more complicated than from the considered materials. To get a high-quality surface, you need to properly fit all sizes and ends. But today, many manufacturers of products from the array complement their special end grooves, which simplify the installation.
• Cost Here the advantage is flooring and laminate flooring, which can be purchased at relatively affordable prices. This can be said about the installation work. But if you take into account the service life of such products, the wood will pay for itself over time.
• The array can be restored, unlike the floorboard, as long as the thickness does not wear out.

The variety of these materials is quite wide, as many companies are engaged in their production. Depending on the texture of the upper layer, the floorboard is divided into several types:

• Select This product consists of strips of the same dimensions, which have a similar woody texture. The board of this type is perfect for classic interiors.

• Natur. To give originality to the coating, manufacturers use strips not only of different textures, but also shades. Here you can meet knots, which are arranged in a chaotic manner.

• Rustic. This type of coating is different brightness and originality. The structure of the upper layer is complemented not only by the knots, but also by cracks that are well visible. The floorboard of this type is used to decorate rooms in country style.

At registration of a parquet many kinds of wood can be used. The most common ones are oak, beech, ash, maple and many others.

Laminate is also classified according to several criteria. One of these characteristics is its durability, which allows to divide the material into the following classes:

• 21-23. Laminate from this range is domestic and is intended for use in residential areas with a small human flow. Differs in low resistance to loadings and a minimum level of opposition to moisture.
• 31-33. These classes of product can already be laid in industrial premises. But today, 31 categories are used for the arrangement of residential premises. The 33 class of laminate is considered to be of the highest quality, which can be used as the main surface on dance floors or sports halls.

As for the design, the laminate is much wider than the board. Today, there are several main areas of design of such products:

• Drawings under the tree. This is the most common style of decoration. Today you can find a laminate that imitates everything from ordinary pine to mahogany. In order to convey the pattern as accurately as possible, the surface of the material is complemented by protuberances similar to the structure of wood. To do this, use special printers that allow you to perform bulk printing.
• Art parquet. On the surface of the laminate applied drawings of wooden slats of various textures and sizes.This allows you to create a very beautiful decorative floor that will fit into any modern interior.
• Ceramic tile. The surface of each board is a piece of tile. When laying forms a solid canvas that mimics this material. Today, manufacturers are increasingly used to form the fabric and texture of natural stones. Laminate in this style will perfectly fit into a room with a fireplace or other ancient attributes.
• Custom drawings. On the market you can find laminate flooring, which corresponds to various topics. Here are the surfaces with children's drawings (cartoon characters, fairy tales and others), as well as products with decorative inscriptions and structure.

Choosing a floor covering for an apartment is a difficult task, especially if you need to decide between a laminate and a parquet. Today there is no consensus to say which of them is better. Many owners claim that the laminate is perfect, and there is no need to use products made of natural wood. Then, as others like the heat that comes from wood, as well as its naturalness.

When choosing such substances should focus on several parameters:

• Quality. Today, this characteristic may be completely different depending on the manufacturer. Before you buy a laminate or floorboard, you should be familiar with all regulatory documents confirming the safety of the material. Pay attention to customer reviews of certain brands, which will eliminate the purchase of low-quality materials.
• Design. This feature is much more diverse in laminate, the surface of which is artificially painted. The floorboard imitates almost the same style, which is not always possible to adapt to a specific interior design.
• Place of installation. Laminate is a versatile material that can be placed both in the bathroom and in the living room. In turn, the flooring needs warmth and optimum humidity. Therefore, it is best suited for living room and bedroom. But if the permeability in these rooms is high, then you should think in favor of the laminate. This is due to the fact that it is not so resistant to abrasion.

For information on what flooring to choose, see the following video.

Near the working area in the kitchen, where on the floor in any case water will get from the sink and drops from the products, a waterproof laminate is laid. Further, with the help of a successful reception, he moves to a more demanding floorboard.

An interesting variant of the dark board and light laminate ensemble plays the role of zoning in a studio apartment.

The very beautiful interior of the dining room in the cottage involves a light laminate, “overlapping” with the walls in the same tone and dark floorboard. The latter is combined with furniture and an area above the table.