Which is better: laminate or parquet board? Let's listen to the expert's opinion

Arranging the floor in an apartment is a responsible and costly task, so the choice of flooring should be treated with special attention. What should be a good floor? Beautiful, strong and durable. To this day, there are heated debates on construction forums about which flooring is better: parquet or laminate. The first attracts with its naturalness, the second - with practicality and price. A new material is gaining its supporters in the construction market - cork laminate. We will find out the truth about these materials, find out how they differ and help those who doubt make the right choice.

If you ask an experienced specialist what is better, a laminate or a parquet board, the answer will be unambiguous: the best is what is of higher quality, and the rest depends on personal preferences. Both materials have their pros and cons, but for some, the disadvantages of laminate or parquet will be significant, and for some, they can be easily eliminated. Consider the features of each material and conduct a comparative analysis of their characteristics.

Parquet board: the warmth of natural wood

The parquet board has replaced the classic solid parquet. It is a structure that successfully combines hard and softer wood species, giving it flexibility and strength. Better than the rest, a three-layer parquet board has proven itself, having the following form:

bottom layer - stabilizing plywood layer, thickness from 1.5 to 2 mm;
middle layer - narrow planks of soft coniferous wood or rubber wood 8-9 mm thick, located perpendicular to the top layer;
the top is a durable wear-resistant layer of hardwood, the thickness varies from 0.5 to 6 mm.

The total thickness of the board can reach 25 mm. From above the parquet board is covered with several layers of a protective varnish.

The Barlinek parquet board deserves special attention. The manufacturer uses only natural wood, well-groomed in three layers, no plywood or MDF. BARCLICK locks are used along the long edge and at the end there is a Barlock 5Gc lock, which allow installation without glue and special tools. Can be laid on underfloor heating!

Advantages and disadvantages of parquet

Like any material, parquet flooring has its pros and cons, which must be taken into account when choosing.

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Advantages of parquet board:

The naturalness of the material. The wooden floor makes the room warm, cozy and lively, the natural non-repetitive pattern of wood is fascinating.
The possibility of carrying out restoration work. The front layer of the board, depending on the thickness, can withstand from 1 to 3 grinding cycles and, if necessary, is covered with a new layer of varnish.
Long service life - at least 15 years with proper care.
Relative ease of care - standard wet cleaning and regular use of special polishes are enough.
Ease of installation. The lock connection makes it easy to stack and dismantle individual elements.
Antistatic. The varnish coating does not attract dust, hair and animal hair.
Unlike piece parquet, parquet boards do not need to be scraped and sanded after laying, they have a factory coating or impregnation.

Minuses:

The tree is subject to mechanical damage: deformations, dents, scratches. The strength differs depending on the type of wood used in the top layer.
There is a possibility of splitting.
Increased requirements for the surface of the base - it must be clean and perfectly aligned.
Afraid of changes in temperature and humidity.
The use of chemical cleaners is not permitted.
When laying without gluing, gaps may form between the boards over time.

Laminate: versatility and practicality

Laminate is a modern industrial product consisting of different materials arranged in layers.

The bottom layer is protective, made of impregnated paper or thin plastic.
The middle layer - the carrier, is a fiberboard or chipboard board, characterized by increased strength.
The front layer is a foil or film on which an image is applied. It can be an imitation of wood, granite, tiles, carpet and other materials. The most popular textures that imitate laminate: oak, maple, walnut cherry and other precious woods.
The top layer - protective - melamine resin.

The edges of the laminate are usually treated with a wax water-repellent compound.

Laminate is divided into classes according to the wear resistance parameter from 21 to 34. The higher the class, the greater the permissible load on the coating and its service life, which can reach 15 or even 20 years.

Tip: for an apartment, a product of class 32 with a corundum content in the upper protective layer (a substance that provides high scratch resistance) is best suited. The lower class is not durable, the material of class 33 and 34 is unreasonably expensive.

Pros and cons of laminate

It is important to keep in mind that all the advantages that this coating can have apply only to a high-quality product, the manufacturer of which is part of the EPLF association. Products of low quality, which can be sold both at a low price and under the guise of a high-class material, have one continuous disadvantage and form a negative public opinion about this type of coating.

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Advantages:

high strength and resistance to damage (chips, scratches, dents) and abrasion;
good moisture resistance with high-quality installation, which eliminates the presence of gaps between the elements;
safety - despite all its artificiality, certified laminate does not emit harmful substances;
resistance to high temperatures and ultraviolet;
ease of installation due to the special technology of fasteners - "click-systems".

Disadvantages of laminate:

the main difference between a laminate and a parquet board, which can be attributed to its disadvantages, is unnaturalness;
the edges of the plates are the weak point of the product and may delaminate over time;
not subject to restoration and repair;
the material is characterized by a high level of noise and echo;
static, attracts dust, cold to the touch.

Tip: The loudness and noise of the coating can be significantly reduced if you put it on a well-leveled floor and a cork substrate.

Cork laminate

A novelty in the world of finishing - cork laminate, combines the qualities of parquet and laminated flooring and even surpasses them in some respects.

cork, just like a laminate or parquet board, consists of several layers:

substrates made of pressed cork chips;
bases made of moisture-resistant HDF board with grooves and spikes for laying;
sound and heat insulating layer of pressed cork;
cork veneer or other types of wood;
a layer of high-strength varnish or vinyl film.

Pros of cork laminate:

excellent heat and noise insulation;
hypoallergenicity and environmental friendliness;
elasticity of the material;
simple installation;
can be dismantled and stacked several times;
the cork is springy and seems warm to the touch, it causes pleasant sensations when walking barefoot;
service life of at least 10 years.

Minuses:

high price;
low strength under point impact;
cork is poorly compatible with the underfloor heating system, heat transfer will be very low - at the level of 20%;
rough surface makes maintenance difficult.

Some cork floor owners complain about socks and slippers that wear out quickly due to roughness.To eliminate this drawback, it is necessary to cover the floor with an additional layer of varnish.

Comparison of floor coverings

Let's try to compare three types of floor coverings from the standpoint of the main selection criteria.

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Appearance

The common appearance of these floor coverings can only be the shape of individual elements. The most common option is an oblong board, “deck”.

Parquet and parquet board are the nobility of natural wood. The atmosphere it creates cannot be replaced by the most skillful imitation. All boards are different from each other, creating a unique floor pattern.
Laminate is a variety of decor options, imitation of various materials, from wood to marble.
Cork laminate looks impressive and natural. If other types of wood were used to create the top layer, then the coating cannot be distinguished from a parquet board.

Performance

Parquet requires careful handling, does not tolerate sharp heels, moving furniture, falling heavy objects, but it is warm and non-static.
Laminate is practical and durable, but at the same time cold, hard and static.
Cork is elastic and dents from furniture disappear after a while, but chips form on it upon impact. In terms of tactile sensations, this is the most pleasant and warm material.

Installation

All of the above materials can be laid using a floating method using a locking system. This laying method is simple and fast, available for hand-made execution. The parquet board is sometimes glued to the base in order to obtain a durable coating without gaps.

Price

If you decide what is better to choose - parquet or laminate - from a financial point of view, then the most economical option would be laminate, parquet board and cork laminate are approximately in the same price category.

comparison table

You can compare the characteristics of different floor coverings using a detailed table.

Larisa

My parents have parquet in the living room, it’s 20 years old for sure, but it looks like new, it didn’t swell anywhere, it didn’t disperse, however, it was polished once and re-varnished, but not a single parquet can do without it. In general, they do not even think about changing it, everything suits them. When we were doing repairs, I also wanted parquet, but the prices… we couldn't afford to spend a lot. Therefore, they took an analogue of parquet - laminate. It has been lying for 10 years - it looks like a five. Nothing will break him, as they say. They never regretted that they did not spend money on parquet, but took laminate. It is not much inferior to parquet. If it lies for another 10 years, then there will be no price for it!) Although here you still probably need to know where to buy, so as not to be disappointed later and not change the laminate after 5 years.

Answer

Anna

The era of carpets and rugs, as well as painted boards on the floor, has sunk into oblivion, and they have been replaced by such modern coatings. Entering the store, eyes run up from color schemes, textures. Of course, the parquet board wins by naturalness, but in order for the floor to serve for a long time, you need to take care of this floor. And because of my laziness, I will not be able to care properly. Therefore, in my apartment, I chose a laminate, but with the texture as close as possible to the tree. And at first glance, you can’t tell that this is not a parquet board. To be honest, I didn’t regret it, it’s easy to clean, I don’t have to mess with it: I swept it 2 times a week and washed it once a month. And that's it.

Tatyana

After the birth of a child in our house, the question arose of changing the flooring in the living room (where almost the entire life of the family takes place). It was decided to lay a laminate, but we were given advice by already experienced parents that it was not very practical if there was a child in the house. After all, where the child is, there is spilled water and a scratched floor. As a result, we put linoleum, but we chose one that is not inferior to laminate. Although the dream of wooden floors remained!

Ekaterina

We thought for a long time what to choose: laminate or parquet. All the same, we settled on parquet, wood, a natural durable material. The parquet board has a three-layer construction, there is varnished and oiled. We chose under varnish, we hope it will serve for a long time.