The Dangers of Laminate Flooring in Kitchens

You often hear horror stories from people who installed laminate flooring in their kitchens during the 80’s and 90’s. Back then the material was still in its primitive state, and it was relatively easy to damage. Since then material manufacturing processes have evolved to the point where laminates can once again be considered for installation in a kitchen. However there are still concerns and maintenance issues to be aware of.

Curling: Probably the biggest complaint from homeowners who have installed laminate flooring in their kitchens is that if water is spilled on the material, the tiles will often react by curling up at the edges. This can completely destroy the effect of the floor, and ruin the ambiance of a room.

Delamination: Another issue that you may have with laminate flooring is that liquids can often cause the adhesives holding the different layers of material together to separate, so that the tile actually begins to split apart.

Modern laminates are better at resisting water damage than their predecessors. However this is still an issue, and water should never be left standing on these floors for a prolonged period of time. You should also never wet mop the floor to clean it.

Slippage: You have to be worried about slippage issues with some types of laminate flooring. Make sure that you choose a finish which will provide traction even if it gets wet.

Life Cycle: Laminate flooring is fairly resilient, but when it gets old and or ruined, it can’t be fixed. You can neither refinish, nor resand a laminate installation. and when it’s reached the end of its life cycle it has to be completely removed and replaced.

Ecological Concerns: Laminates are man made materials that are manufactured using plastic derived from formaldehyde. The process of making this material causes the emission of carbon dioxide, while the raw materials used are non renewable resources.

In addition to this there is some concern that the formaldehyde used in making laminate floors can lead to the material releasing Volatile Organic Chemicals. Those are harmful elements that can negatively affect the air quality of an interior space.

Fake Feel: While laminate flooring is pretty good at simulating hardwood and stone, that illusion falls apart as soon as you actually, physically touch it. This is a manufactured flooring material, and even textured surfaces won’t hide that completely.

Easy to Replace: There is an upside to all of this. Because laminate tiles and planks are so easy to install, they are also easy to remove. That means that if a flood completely ruins your installation, you can remove it yourself, and even replace it without having to hire an expensive contractor.

You also have the option to remove individual pieces if water ends up damaging them. They can simply be peeled up and replaced. This is better than what happens when water penetrates into hardwood or hard tile floors. as it can be removed, rather than being left to fester in the subfloor.

Cost: Laminate flooring is generally a budget friendly material, that costs less than most other manufactured flooring choices. This cost effective property is increased by the fact that the tiles can be self installed, cutting out the need to hire a contractor for the job. Average $2-$5 per square foot.

Quality Counts: The higher end laminate floors are going to be much more durable, attractive, and effective in a kitchen then bargain basement products. This is largely because the wear layer over the surface will be thicker. Quality materials will also be made using processes which reduce the emission of VOC’s.

Warranty: You have to check the warranty on a laminate floor very carefully to ensure that installation in a high moisture kitchen environment will not void it. Often flooring companies will put clauses into their warranties like that, in order to avoid paying for damages that occur due to floods in the kitchen.

Maintenance: It is fairly simple to care for and maintain a laminate floor. Basically you have to wipe up any liquid spills immediately. You also have to do anything that you can to protect the wear layer on the material. That includes regular sweeping and or vacuuming, so that you can remove and small grit particles which may be rubbing and sanding the wear layer away.

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