Many people think of a bulletin board when they think of cork flooring. This is not the case at all. This material is beautiful and available in a wide variety of colors and shades, from very light to dark. There is a cork floor to match any home décor. It also comes in a wide variety of textures and patterns, including marble and wood grain patterns that resemble pergo flooring.

Benefits of Cork Flooring

Cork is a great insulating material. It keeps your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. The energy efficiency aids in cutting energy bills in the winter. It is much more energy efficient than either Armstrong laminate flooring or discount wood flooring. Cork is also good for sound insulation. It helps cut down noise from another room, or another floor.

This material is softer on your feet than ceramic tile, bellawood or any other wood or stone flooring material. This is more comfortable in the kitchen, when you may spend a lot of time on your feet. In addition, if you drop a dish, it won’t break as easily as it would on a tile or stone floor. Another benefit, cork is naturally fire retardant.

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Laminate wood flooring is a fairly new alternative in home flooring options. It is made to resemble natural hardwood floors. The quality has improved in recent years and today’s materials are very durable and beautiful. It can be difficult to tell them apart from real hardwood. Most major manufacturers make these floors including Armstrong laminate flooring, Mannington flooring, Shaw laminate flooring and Bruce flooring.

Selecting Laminate Wood Flooring

You have a wide variety of choices in both style and color for laminate floors. Styles are available that mimic natural hardwood or ceramic tile. Wood styles come in every tone from very light to darker tones. Choose darker tones for a formal environment. Keep in mind that dark colors tend to make a room look smaller, while lighter colors make the space appear larger.

Laminate flooring can be found in most flooring stores and home improvement centers. Discount flooring can be found in stores or on the internet. Once you have decided on the color and style of the floor material you want, you can start shopping around for the best price. If you are doing a very small room, look for left over materials. Sometimes these are available in smaller amounts at an affordable price.

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