Which Floor Is Best For Family Life?



Living with kids can be a testing time, and not just for you, but for your home as well. Your home has suddenly become increasingly busier and often more chaotic, so how can you family-proof your home?

It’s not just your furniture that needs protecting it’s also your floors. Your flooring is the thing that is going to endure the endless running around, dropping of toys and the temper tantrums at dinner time. Your floor is a lot more important that you may have first thought. Choosing a floor that will stand the test of time will save you trouble and money in the long run. A carpet floor will need replacing more than once in your lifetime and is easily stained from spillages whether that be food or paint or anything your kids can get their hands on. With all of this in mind, the best floor for a family home would be a laminate.


What Is A Laminate Floor?
The laminate floor is made from four layers with the bottom layer being referred to the at the ‘backing’. The backing layer protects the floor from moisture so that the product does not become warped or damaged from exposure to liquids. The layer to follow the backing is the ‘inner core’ made of a material called fibreboard. Fibreboard is made from wood chips, plant fibres, sawdust and other similar recycled materials. The layer helps to build the floors durability and stability. The third layer is the ‘design layer’, the most important layer in terms of the products unique look. The design layer uses a high-resolution image of a wood species and shade that is then pressed on to the design layer. Once this is done the final layer, the ‘wear layer’, is applied to the surface which helps to preserve the look and quality on the floor.

Why Choose A Laminate?
When you have kids, sometimes you can forget just how much mess they are capable of making. This is why having a floor that is easy to clean is so beneficial. Laminate floors are incredibly easy to clean as they don’t absorb liquids as a carpet would. The previously mentioned wear layer helps to make wiping up those spillages quick and painless. Laminate flooring also offers the advantageous non-porous property. This basically means that laminate floors don’t harbour dust and or allergens, which makes them very hygienic and improve the general air quality of the room. Considering how much times kids spend on the floor playing with toys or just pottering around, this is an invaluable benefit. Laminate floors are definitely the cheaper cousin to a solid wood or an engineered wood, but that doesn’t mean they offer any less quality. Laminate floors look beautiful and are often mistaken for a real wood floor - so there’s no downsides!

How Do I Maintain A Laminate Floor?
As much as we wish, nothing is indestructible, but we can take measures to make sure things last as long as possible. Luckily a laminate floor is very easy to care for and will leave you time to worry about what your kids are up to. Here are some top tips from the team over at Luxury Flooring:

- Cleaning spillages as soon as they happen will help to prevent any possible stains from occurring.
- Putting down a rug in key kids play areas such as bedroom or lounges. This will protect your floor from scratches or impacts of toys being dropped for example.
- Not wearing shoes will also make a noticeable difference as it will bring in less dirt and stop the floor from wearing in busy areas. This one isn’t applicable as much to younger kids as they rarely keep their shoes on for long enough as it is!
- Adding feet to your furniture will help to stop scratches and dents from showing on the floors surface. Feet, similar to rugs, will stop your furniture from moving around quite so much and causing visible imperfections.

- This is a PR collaboration.

12 comments:

  1. I have varied flooring over the years. Through 'wear and tear', flat/ house/ home moves. As well as the trying to be most practical / sensible for home and family life, etc. I do like laminate, as does my fiancé. Actually he is presently concerned :- As flat to be renovated, Housing Association stating flooring will need to come up / off for access. As new heating system to be installed, which requires access beneath floorboard. Also any laminate flooring will not be replaced. So we are being left to deal with that situation.
    Fiancé seems not too keen on carpet on Livingroom following renovations. Yet it may be only option for us due to timing and finances. So we will see how this goes, in a matter of time.

    Rachel Craig

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  2. I do like the feel of carpets underfoot nut prefer the ease of cleaning vinyl and wood

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  3. Definitely laminate in my experience

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  4. I have been through trying most, if not all types of flooring over the years. Carpets I was used to, and initially liked. Then I moved from shared flat to council flat. Delighted to have a flat in which I have access to all areas :- No Sharing. Thrilled at getting to choose decor,flooring etc. Took time to accumulate finances and access assistance in regards to getting work done. Was delighted when Livingroom and hall completed. Only to order a Chinese meal one evening, and unfortunately spilt a bit of the gravy from it. Onto the light grey carpet ( I had chosen it to contrast with 3 piece suite. Which was blue with a light grey stripe here and there). The stain would not come out, no matter what I used in an attempt to remove it. It did fade. I moved couch over a little to cover the stain. Never bought a light coloured carpet again. As lesson learnt.

    Rachel Craig

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  5. Last address I chose linoleum for flooring throughout the flat. Chose to buy from a business I had previously bought flooring from, as had been reasonable prices and reasonable quality. Did seem an expense at the time, probably due to getting flooring for whole of flat. As had previously worked through getting flooring and decor done one room at a time in previous accommodations.

    Found that Lino (linoleum) was just as easy to clean as laminate, and fine to walk on with or without footwear :- Just as I had found laminate to be. When leaving previous address, there had been a small area of laminate in Livingroom which had scratches. Had unfortunately got damaged by fridge- freezer when we had temporarily moved it from kitchen. In order to allow for fitting of floor tiles in the kitchen. Laminate in bedroom had area at join which was slightly warped, must have been small amount of fluid spilt at sometime and not noticed.

    Flooring is an important element for a home, and one we will need to address. As flat to be renovated. Have had to consider children and the elderly as have had both welcome, and regularly visit my home.

    Rachel Craig

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  6. I love my laminate flooring and lino in the bathroom as they are easy to clean but would prefer carpet in the colder months but with three children laminate is more practical for spills and everyday wear and tear xxx

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  7. Nice pyjamas.

    Rachel Craig

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  8. Flooring is an important aspect to consider, as it needs to be durable and easy to clean. Gravity :- so all dust falls to the floor, eventually. Yet if it comes to modernisation / upgrading, repairs etc access may be required to floorboards or beneath :- As water pipes are often under the floorboards. Some flooring is so securely attached it can mean removal and replacement :- Not always within budget, especially if unexpected. So how do we overcome or deal with such aspects of modern life.? Any suggestions? Good experience of a particular product?

    Rachel Craig

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  9. We are considering flooring for once renovation complete. Have to consider practicality, financial implications, durability, safety :- nothing slippy, as do not want there to be any risk of falls.

    Rachel Craig

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  10. Ashleigh Allan23 July 2017 at 08:50

    Being easy to clean is definitely the most important for me

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  11. We have a cream carpet and it's a nightmare! But we rent so can't renovate!

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