Which is better - parquet or laminate?

Every person who has planned to make repairs in the house, first of all, asks what the floor should be. It is the basis of the room and, as a rule, it is chosen for many years and replaced less often even with further repairs. The flooring should be very durable and of high quality, but at the same time it should have a presentable appearance. That is why now it is increasingly possible to meet an unresolved dispute about what is better: parquet or laminate.

When choosing between different types of flooring, it is first necessary to study their quality characteristics so as not to be mistaken. In this case, you need to evaluate all the distinctive features and functional features of both parquet and laminate, as well as weigh their pros and cons. After studying all the characteristics, it will be possible to make a choice.

This is a new and very common type of parquet, which has displaced block parquet from the wood massif from the market. This flooring allows you to combine different tree species, therefore, has a very durable, but flexible structure. Moreover, most of these materials have three layers.

The first, lowest, is stabilizing. It is approximately 2 mm thick and is made of plywood. The second is medium, thicker, about 8 mm. It consists of small plates, one might even say, splinters of coniferous trees or rubber. Small planks are perpendicular to two adjacent layers and are softer.

Third, the topmost layer is the most durable of all. It is highly resistant to external influences and practically does not wear out over the years. It is created from hardwood. As a rule, such a coating can have almost any thickness. It can be either 1 millimeter or 10.

This is a more modern finishing material, having an industrial origin. For its manufacture using a variety of materials that also have layers. So, the very first layer performs a protective function and is the thinnest. It is made of plastic or specially impregnated paper. The next layer is the main one. It is made of chipboard or fiberboard. This is a basic durable layer that is responsible for the functional features of the laminate.

The next layer is the front one. It is a foil or thin film on which the drawing is applied. So, the laminate is able to imitate any materials, be it natural wood or rocks. The most popular are laminate textures with the image of the natural wood pattern of oak, maple, walnut, as well as with imitation of granite, carpet and even marble. The front layer is covered with another layer - protective. As a rule, its role is played by melamine resin. At this protective coating laminate does not end there. The edges of such panels are often treated with a special water-repellent composition based on wax.

Based on the specific composition of all layers of laminate, it is divided into classes that reflect its quality and durability. So, there is a laminate of class from 21 to 34. The 33 class is optimal.

Some manufacturers call it a mixture of parquet and laminated flooring. Cork coating also includes several layers. These include a substrate of compressed cork chips. The next layer is the base. It is made of moisture-resistant plate HDF. The layer has special grooves and bulging spikes for joining and stacking.

The next layer allows you to provide insulation and sound insulation. It is also made of pressed cork. The top layer is made of any wood veneer. That is why this product is completely identical to the floor. It is able to imitate wood drawing. On top of the cork coating is applied a very durable varnish. Sometimes vinyl is used instead.

Parquet can be distinguished from laminate and externally, and in terms of quality characteristics, and according to individual properties. So, standard laminate is more practical, but colder. At the same time it is quite resistant and solid.

Parquet is much warmer. It has a high level of heat transfer. Parquet is also able to provide proper sound insulation, which is not the case with laminate. The difference is also such quality as static, because small debris and dust stick to the laminate. But the laminate is much easier to maintain, it is not afraid of chemicals and other influences.

The wood from which the parquet floor is made can form dents and leave other marks of damage, while the laminate is more stable. The difference is also environmental friendlinessBecause parquet is a natural material, and the laminate does not fully meet the criteria for environmental friendliness.

In order to conduct a proper comparative analysis of these two types of coverage, as well as decide what is better and more practical, you need to weigh and evaluate the pros and cons of each of them.So, the floorboard has a very important advantage. This coating is much more environmentally friendly compared to laminate. This is because Parquet is made only from natural materials. It is he who parquet is warmer and more useful.

Non-natural materials are capable of creating harmful fumes for humans. The big advantage is also the appearance of this coating. Natural woody drawing can both bring comfort to any room and revive it, and fill it with freedom.

The next advantage is that when choosing parquet as a floor covering, you will have opportunity for restoration. So, the topmost layer can be polished as it is worn.

The most durable and high-quality coatings withstand three complete cycles of grinding, followed by coating with varnish or other composition. So you can extend the life and update the appearance of the coating.

Separately, it should be noted parquet durability. He is able to serve for more than 15 years if you provide him with proper care and limit the number of mechanical effects. It is quite easy to care for him.

Another advantage is that the floorboard is relatively just stack by yourself. These elements have locking connections that can be easily docked with your own hands. Also, if you need to replace a separate item, you can quickly carry out an independent disassembly of one of the tiles.

The next advantage is that the floor has an antistatic coating. It allows you to repel dust, it does not collect hair and animal hair.

But the parquet has some drawbacks. Price comparison shows that it is more expensive than most laminate models. In addition to the cost, it should be noted that the process of its installation can be complicated by the mandatory gluing of parquet boards. Otherwise it may lead to the formation of cracks in the floor.

Another disadvantage is the restriction of the use of chemicals during cleaning. Since the parquet is made of wood, it is necessary to minimize the effect of temperature changes and high humidity.Some models of the floorboard have a non-uniform coating on top, so it is necessary to equalize it yourself. It takes extra time and effort.

Laminate also has some advantages and disadvantages. Manufacturers offer cheap options for such a coating, which have virtually no advantage because they do not meet quality standards.

That is why you should evaluate only the standards-compliant products. They belong to high-class laminate and are significantly different from low-quality models. So, the laminate practically does not give in to external influences and does not leave damages on the surface.

This is a very durable and reliable coating. It is practically not erased with time and can serve for quite a long time. Laminate is resistant to moisture and temperature extremes.

During laying it should not be glued, so you can not worry about the loss of time and the formation of cracks in the floor. Qualitative laminate is completely safe and does not emit harmful substances, despite the fact that its creation uses artificial material. It is very stable, does not fade and is not exposed to other influences.

Very laminate easy to stack by yourself, because when it fastens used click system.

But this floor has several disadvantages. The main one is the presence minimum of natural materials in the composition and non-ecological nature of this coating, which strongly distinguishes it from the floorboard. It is also susceptible to delamination, as it has unreliable edges, even despite their additional compaction.

In case you damage this covering in any way, you will not be able to repair or restore it, as it can happen with the parquet. It has a low level of noise insulation. Laminate is a very cold coating. Its disadvantage is that it is static and attracts dust and hair.

Separately, one should characterize the quality of cork laminate. It differs from the usual in that it has the property of sound insulation. In addition, it is warmer. This is a very eco-friendly material that does not cause allergies. Another advantage is the elasticity of this material and the simplicity of its installation, which is due to this. It can be dismantled at any time and re-stacked in case you make a mistake during the first installation.

It is very convenient to walk barefoot on it, because it is warmer. In addition, the cork creates a sense of spring and ease when walking. Cork laminate lasts much longer than normal.

But at the same time it has some drawbacks, which include its high cost. Despite its strength, it does not withstand point mechanical effects. As a rule, such a coating is inappropriate to use when laying on heated floors, as they will reduce the level of heat transfer. They are quite difficult to care for, because the surface has roughness and irregularities.

If you had a choice between laminate flooring and parquet,you need to compare them according to a criterion that is more important to you. More affordable and more affordable laminate will be. This floor covering is the cheapest. It is quite easy to pick it up for the interior and not spend so much money.

It is much easier to lay laminate with your own hands, for this purpose a special substrate is used to level the floor on which the laminate board is laid. Each plate is connected by special locks in the form of latches. They hit him with a hammer and put the next row.

Few people can lay the floorboard with their own hands. As a rule, for this cause an experienced team of builders-finishers. Initially, the floor is leveled with a concrete screed, and then plywood is placed. Only after that the parquet is laid.

If you live in a panel apartment and noise and sound insulation is very important to you,then you need to give preference only parquet. Laminate skips sounds, and there is a perception that he is even able to strengthen them. Moreover, if for all other characteristics you are more suited to the laminate, you can slightly correct this disadvantage by laying a special substrate with a sound insulation function under the laminate coating.

If you have a rather cold apartment or house, then you should prefer only warm floor of the parquet. It is much more pleasant to the touch and it is very pleasant to walk barefoot on it. Laminate itself is quite cold, and therefore at home on such a coating often go in slippers or socks.

When choosing a coating, consider when you are planning to do the next overhaul. Parquet can serve for about 30 years, and the laminate withstand an average of 20 years of operation, not more.You should also consider how you will walk on this floor. Putting parquet in the office, you can scratch or damage his heels, so it is better to give preference to laminate. But at home you go without heels, and if you carefully use the flooring, the flooring will be fine.

It is better not to lay such a covering in the kitchen, since it can be severely damaged by dropping the plate and breaking it or dropping small household appliances. That is why the kitchen is more suitable laminate. Parquet is an invalid choice in case you plan to make rearrangements frequently. Can damage its furniture.

Outwardly, the parquet is more presentable, since it can create a cozy atmosphere in the house.

All models of parquet and laminate combines only the shape of the constituent elements of this coating. So, a rather long board in the form of a so-called deck is most often used.

All boards have a unique pattern and differ from each other. They are completely different, and this is the highlight of this coating. Customer reviews show that laminate can be easily distinguished from parquet in this way. They write that the parquet is more interesting and unique, and the laminate has a universal standard pattern. Many also argue that even through the lacquer coating of the parquet you see a voluminous wooden pattern with a natural texture.

Many people like laminate, imitating marble or tile. He is also able to create the illusion of a natural stone floor. Such models are very stylish and popular now. Buyers often use it for arranging corridors, kitchens and hallways.

There are different models of parquet:

• Single sideband. This is a fairly large board made of wood. As a rule, such parquet is used for laying in spacious rooms.This is the most expensive model, since its creation uses large pieces of high-quality wood. The average width of each plank is 15 cm. A single-strip parquet with chamfers should be separately identified. It allows you to create an imitation of the relief of the tree and it seems that there is a gap between the planks, imitating the laying of massive wood.

• Two way. Such a parquet has in the construction of each plank two strips of great width, which are laid in solid stripes. There are also models, each plate of which is divided into separate modules. In view of the large width of the strips, the room looks more solemn and spacious too. That is why two-way parquet often lay the living room.
• Three-way. This is a very budget and popular model. The surface consists of three fairly thin strips, divided into modules. This is a universal coating that is suitable for any premises. Its width is on average 20 cm.
• Four-way. This is the most poor-quality parquet of all the models presented. As a rule, it is made from pressed wood waste. The strips are very narrow, so this flooring literally ripples on the floor.It is used in small rooms to highlight individual functional areas and for decorative purposes.

Also, there are different models of laminate, depending on the type of surface:

• Model with natural coating. It looks like a woody pattern, which is covered with a layer of varnish. As a rule, it is a glossy shiny model with a smooth surface. This is the model closest to the parquet in terms of external qualities. It has a drawing in the form of wood pores.
• With a waxed surface. This model does not have such a glossy shine, because it resembles a tree treated with wax. There is a subtle gleam, the surface is distinguished by its smoothness and uniformity. There are also models with a glossy surface that mimic wood with a shiny coating. As a rule, such models do not have pores.

• Textured. The coating has artificially created irregularities that maximally convey the texture of wood fiber. It looks like parquet, but the pattern is more synchronous. There is also a relief laminate, which has a heterogeneous asymmetric texture. It looks more natural and unusual.
• Tree under the oil. It looks like a tree mass, soaked in this oil. This coating has no gloss, but it is very smooth.
• Country This is a very beautiful laminate, which has a voluminous relief, characterized by smoothness and elegance. Outwardly, it resembles a hand-finished wood surface. As a rule, it is used for home furnishing in country style or for laying the floor in country houses.

In more modern interiors, laminate flooring is most often used. They lay the floor in the rooms in the style of modern, hi-tech or techno. In this case, the light laminate looks great, the coating of which resembles bleached oak or imitation of marble. For the loft style is perfect laminate, imitating brick or masonry. This is a great combination of style and texture.

In the classic interior space is better to lay parquet. It looks very elegant and natural. Perfectly fit into a classic bedroom with exquisite dark laminate of wenge color or a coating of oak or ash. But if you still decide to put laminate, it would be better to give preference to models with chamfer and structural embossing.Also in the classic interior perfectly fit the laminated wood under the oil model.

For the interior in Provence style, it is better to purchase models of the laminate with a waxed surface. In this case, the coating should be either light beige, white or milky with a pinkish tinge. For rooms in Provence style also suitable parquet. It is better if such a coating is artificially aged and as natural as possible. It must be made in pastel colors.

For more information about the features of the floorboard and laminate, see the next video.