There are various reports from people online, who own Swiftlock Laminate Flooring, and have various complaints.  However, is this a case of simple math?  If Swiftlock sells three times as much product as the competition, but only has twice as many complaints, then doesn’t that mean their quality must be better?

Unfortunately, the reported issues with laminated flooring from Swiftlock are not easily avoidable.  Heavy or sharp objects dropped from any distance is said to leave dents.  Swiftlock Laminate Flooring has also been accused of warping under only enough liquid to clean it, and leaving none standing.  If you have kids, or live in an area where it rains a lot, that’s pretty ominous.  However, there are many others who have this laminate floor that say it holds up just fine to just about anything.

The biggest advantages to Swiftlock Laminate Flooring, though, are really not in durability.  As mentioned before, Swiftlock is the king of cheap laminate flooring.  However, they also have a very large selection from which to choose.  Their installation instructions are second to none, too, which is something that they really pride themselves in.

Swiftlock Laminate Flooring is produced by Armstrong.  It makes sense that, when it comes to durability, Armstrong wouldn’t want its cheapest laminate floor competing with their Armstrong labeled floors.  Maybe this is why they don’t even sell Swiftlock Laminate Flooring on Amazon.

I suppose it comes down to what you can afford.  If you can afford better, than maybe it makes more sense to go with a laminated floor that doesn’t have as many complaints aimed at it.  However, you may sacrifice ease of installation.  Only you know if that’s a risk worth taking in your particular situation.

Dust or Dirt

Laminate floors are meant to deflect dust and dirt, so there’s no need for cleaner if that’s the only thing on your laminated floor.  Even if it doesn’t look like dust or dirt, you’re going to need to sweep first anyway, so you may as well do that before investing in laminate floor cleaner.  Even mud will often give up with the nudge of a broom, or the suction of a vacuum.  Be careful using a vacuum, though.  If it doesn’t have a “hard floor” option, or something along those lines, see if you can remove the belt from the beater bar, or if there’s a lever to disengage it.  Do NOT try to use a vacuum with the beater bar still activated on your laminated flooring unless you want to sort of damage/buff it.

Mud That Won’t Move, Or Unknown Substances

Something on the floor that you can’t just sweep or vacuum?  Try just using warm water.  Be sure not to leave any water standing, though.  Laminate flooring warps very quickly, turning a simple clean-up job into a nightmare.  You can also typically use a very little bit of dish soap if the warm water alone doesn’t cut it.  In fact, many people swear by using dish soap instead of laminate floor cleaner, but it seems to me that something that cuts through grease might not be the best thing for laminate floors.  Feel free to scrub at it a bit, but make sure you’re not using anything abrasive.  This includes things you might scrub dishes with, or dry sponges.  You’re wanting to remove it using pressure more than scratching it away.  There are some scrapers that can be used on laminate flooring, but make sure that they’re the plastic type that actually says on the packaging that they are safe for use with laminate.

Stains

So the physical substance has been removed, but a stain remains.  When it comes to flooring, laminate is about as stain resistant as it gets, but most things that will stain counter-tops will also stain laminate floors including, but not limited to, wine, Kool-Aid and just about any real fruit juices.  It’s important to note that you may not even need laminate floor cleaner if the liquid is quickly cleaned up.  However, if you do have a stain that won’t come up with warm water, you will need to invest in some laminate floor cleaner.  Be sure to purchase only the cleaner that is recommended by the manufacturer of your laminate floor.  If you don’t know the manufacturer, or you can’t find whatever laminate floor cleaner they recommend, be sure to at least stick with a known, name brand.  Cheap laminate flooring cleaner is just asking for trouble, and it’s not like you’ll use it often enough that it’s worth the savings.  Even with a good, known brand name, try to test it in an inconspicuous area, and wait a bit after using it to make sure it does not dull the finish of your laminate floor.  Do not try to mop your whole floor with laminate floor cleaner, and do not coat the stain and let it soak.  You should be able to just spray the stain, and wipe it up.

But after your laminated flooring is installed, how do you maintain it? If you’ve been using carpet or hardwood floors, then you’re probably thinking the process of keeping your laminate floor looking nice is going to be a bit different. In part, you would be correct, but laminated flooring is also very easy to maintain.

General cleaning of laminate floors is very simple. A normal sweeping job will take care of any dirt and dust, but you can use a vacuum if you so choose. Using a vacuum cleaner is a much better idea if you have any allergy sufferers in the home, as it contains the dirt and dust instead of knocking it about. Most modern vacuums, and some not so modern, have a switch or lever on them for non-carpeted floors.

If it doesn’t come off using only a broom or vacuum, you may have to put a bit more elbow grease into it. Luckily, a cloth moistened with a very little bit of plain water should take care of it for you. Just be sure to wipe the floor clean with a dry cloth afterward, as standing water is the enemy of the laminate wood flooring. Under no circumstances should your laminated flooring ever be wet mopped as this can lead to warping of the floors. Any standing water should always be cleaned up as soon as possible.

Every once in a while, you may encounter a heavy enough stain that plain water simply can’t touch it. For these times, most flooring retailers, be they online or your local hardware store, carry cleaner specifically made for laminate floors. As it’s very rare that you’ll have such stains, one bottle of laminate floor cleaner will go a long ways. Again, do not attempt to mop your floor with this cleaner. Simply follow the directions on the bottle and your laminated flooring will look like new again.

Never, ever use any kind of chemicals on your laminate floor that were not made especially for it. Any generic soap solutions can cause damage to your floor. Waxes, polishes, and sealers are also both harmful and completely unnecessary. Obviously any type of abrasive material is completely out of the question.

Believe it or not, laminate floors were only introduced in the US market about a decade ago, yet it has already become one of the fastest selling floor types in the US today. Ease of installation, low prices, and ability to withstand punishment are some of the most likely reasons for laminate flooring’s popularity. Billions of square feet of laminate floor have been sold to homeowners throughout the country, and far more worldwide, being placed in many new homes in many new subdivisions as well as used to replacement in older homes to give them a much more modern look.

Manufacturers of flooring have been very quick to pick up on the laminate floor trend and most now produce laminated floor tiles and planks in a truly ridiculous array of colors, textures, and styles. Not only that, but there are many different installation formats as well for laminate floor, such as click lock, floating, and gluedown to mention but a few.

Pergo and Armstrong, for example, have become household names and many others are making a name for themselves by bringing to market high quality flooring in finishes and styles that surprise even the most jaded of consumers.  Pergo has a very pretty walnut laminate flooring as well as an extremely popular maple laminate flooring, and Armstrong is very proud of their SwiftLock laminate flooring which promises easy installation.  With Quick Step laminate flooring, laminate has become even easier to install yourself, not that installing laminate flooring was ever particularly difficult.  There’s also always companies offering discount laminate floors if you’re willing to add a little risk to your laminate flooring installation.

With all of these choices to choose from, buyers will often become confused when trying to choose the right floor for them. In addition, AC Ratings and various groove and tongue systems can really convolute things. With this type of flooring being rather young, the options are sure to expand and become even more confusing as time goes on, though there will always be those who are brave enough to attempt their own laminate floor installation no matter how complicated the landscape becomes.

Be sure to look around, either on the web or at your local hardware store, so that you can learn about laminate floor, it’s durability, and see just how affordable it can be.  Be careful though, as with everything else, cheap laminate flooring may not be up to par with the more expensive, better known brands.

Imagine, a wood look with no cracking or splintering, no special chemicals needed to clean, and no worries about scuffs since laminate floor simply buffs right out as opposed to expensive treatment costs of real wood floors. Anyone with a family can appreciate how much easier laminate floor would be to work with than real wood.

The better known manufacturers currently providing beech laminated floor are BHK, Shaw, and Westhollow, though there are many more manufacturers out there. All of these different companies offer durable, affordable and beautiful flooring options, though there are some differences between them. You really need to shop all the brands before you’ll know eactly what you want for your laminate floor as there are many different floors out there to choose from.

BHK, for instance, is known for their great beech laminate floor. Their most popular product is most likely Select Beech, but for an alternative look, you can select their Enhanced Beech laminate floor that shows even more wood grain patterns than the Select Beech option, though is the exact same gorgeous honey color.

Shaw is a popular brand of beech laminated floor as well with one of their more popular offerings being the Beech 2-strip, though it is priced a bit higher than average. They also have Golden Beech laminate floor, though, which is intended more for those that are budget minded. Either way, Shaw will likely have something that will fit your home and needs.

Westhollow, makers of Constance Beech laminate floor, has several other styles as well. The Constance Beech is very much what you would expect from beech laminate floor, complete with the light beech color. Their laminate choices also include the very exotic South Beech, not to be confused with the diet, that is a darker, nearly honey colored shade with a very alluring look. Both of these options would work great for your laminate floor.