Fabulous Floors Q1 2017 Winter | Page 30

on the boards | If you’re looking for a really new angle — literally — consider the elegant look of a diagonal floor made of planks or tiles. With laminate’s interlocking, snap-together construction, installation is far easier and costs are significantly less, even with the 15 to 20 percent waste required with such patterns. Laminate’s wear layer, with aluminum oxide (approaching the hardness of diamonds), provides superior dent, stain and fade resistance, as well as easy maintenance. Many laminates have cores, backings and even joints treated with water repel- lent chemicals and paraffin. Laminates are also antibacterial, anti-mold, antistatic, and sound insulating — carrying warran- ties extending from 10 years to a lifetime. Laminates are also renowned for environmental sensitivity, using a high percentage of renewable and recycled materials and maintaining low emission levels. Laminate’s ability to restyle an individual room or an entire home is a tribute to artistic imagination and technical ingenuity. And yes, maybe a little attitude. ■ Here; Coastal Living Patina from Armstrong. Above: Claremont State from Pergo. 28 FABULOUSfloors