How many years should a laminate floor last?

Whether you are planning on fitting a laminate floor in rooms around your home or styling up a commercial office space, prior to purchase you might be wondering how long your new flooring will last. Laminate flooring is readily available for a wide range of prices to suit different budgets and can provide an attractive alternative to more expensive hardwood solutions.

Created from multiple thin layers, pressed together, laminate flooring is topped with printed paper which is covered by a clear protective coating. When this top layer becomes worn, unlike the surface of a wooden floor, it cannot be refinished with sanding and must be replaced. It therefore will not outlast a wood floor, but can still serve your home for a long time if well looked after.

The expected lifespan of a laminate flooring

While it is unable to match the durability of a hardwood floor, a quality laminate floor can still last over two decades. The average life expectancy for laminate flooring can be anywhere from 15 to 25 years but it can vary greatly from as little as 10 years, to as much as 30 years depending on many different factors.

It is worth bearing in mind, however, that no matter how high-quality the laminate flooring you choose to purchase is, while it may last for 25 years, it will never look the same as it did when it was first installed.

Factors affecting the longevity of laminate

How long your laminate floor can last will depend on several different factors. The quality of the flooring you select will have an impact on your floor’s longevity, with expert installers advising that cheaper products will start to show wear and tear far earlier than others. Whether your flooring is installed by a professional can also have an important bearing.

The amount of footfall your flooring receives will obviously affect how long it holds up for. If you install laminate flooring in a small home office, it will no doubt weather better than one that is fitted in the hall of a busy family house.

How you care for your new laminate floor can drastically increase or decrease how long it maintains its appearance. Neglecting to mop up spillages immediately can reduce the life of your floor and too much water used when cleaning is never a wise idea. Built-for-purpose, laminate cleaners are a far more suitable choice and easy to come by as many cleaning products that you might be able to use safely on other surfaces, such as vinyl, may prove too harsh for laminate, subtracting years off your floor’s life.

Enjoying a return on your investment

While laminate flooring that is used regularly will definitely wear over the years, by the time it needs replacing, it will likely have more than covered the cost of how much you initially paid. If you make sure to choose a quality product, have it fitted by a professional installer and make sure you take proper care when maintaining it, you will be able to enjoy your laminate flooring for many years to come.