Floors can have the appearance of fine wood plus extra durability and stain resistance, thanks to modern plastic-laminates.
Plastic-laminate flooring has a synthetic surface that is especially suitable for hard-wear areas such as family rooms, kitchens and children’s rooms.
Perstop Flooring Inc. of Raleigh, N.C. (800-337-3746), which distributes the widely sold Pergo brand of plastic-laminate flooring, says the “space-age resin” surface of the floor resists denting, fading, staining and even cigarette burns. Perstop concedes that “no floor is absolutely scratch-proof,” but offers a 15-year warranty against excessive wear, fading and staining.
Perstop makes Pergo in more than two dozen finishes, including oak, walnut, cherry, mahogany and pine in a variety of tones and colors. Matching trim pieces are available.
Formica Corp., of Cincinnati (800-367-6422), whose name has become synonymous with plastic-laminates, also makes plastic-laminate flooring in a variety of finishes. Other manufacturers of plastic-laminate flooring include Armstrong World Industries, Lancaster, Pa. (800-233-3823), well-known for its carpeting, vinyl flooring, ceiling tiles and other building products; Triangle Pacific Flooring Group, Dallas (800-722-4647); and Wilsonart International, Temple, Texas (800-433-3222).
Installation costs
The typical cost of plastic-laminate flooring, uninstalled, is about $5 per square foot. Installation generally adds about $3 per square foot. But because the flooring is relatively easy to put in and requires no additional finishing, it is frequently installed by do-it-yourselfers.
The flooring is generally sold in panels or “planks” about 4 feet long and 8 inches wide, but square flooring tiles are available. Planks of Pergo, for example, are 47 inches long, 8 inches wide, and about one-third-inch thick. The planks have tongue-and-groove edges that fit together snugly.
A Pergo plank is made up of several layers, including a polymer-and-paper backing, a core of compressed wood particles, a decorative layer of resin and paper, and a wear-resistant surface layer. Perstop says the surface is “about 25 times more wear-resistant than the laminate on a kitchen worktop.”
Plastic-laminate planks are generally installed over a thin (less than one-eighth-inch thick) foam pad. The planks are glued to each other rather than to the pad, creating a no-nails floor that can be installed over almost any existing floor, including concrete, wood and vinyl.
Maintaining a plastic-laminate floor is much easier than maintaining a wood floor. No waxing is needed. Regular vacuuming, without a beater-bar in the vacuum, is recommended for Pergo and is “usually all that’s needed, and maybe an occasional wipe with a damp cloth,” according to Perstop.
Many stains, such as grease, juice and wine, can be wiped up with a solution of warm water and a mild detergent. Tougher stains, such as tar, ink, crayon and nail polish, can be wiped up with a soft cloth moistened with mineral spirits, nail-polish remover or denatured alcohol.
