Floating floors have been gaining more and more fans in recent years. And don´t be fooled if you think this flooring is only for indoors. Although less common, floating floors can also be applied to outdoor areas such as balconies or terraces, although they require greater care and rigor when choosing.
If you are considering installing this type of flooring outside your home, you should first find out about the different types, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
First of all, it should be made clear to you that floating floors are not exactly a type of flooring. It doesn´t get its name from the fact that it “floats”, it just derives from the way it is installed.
In floating floors, the tiles fit together through tightly fitted grooves and, unlike other floors, do not need to be directly fixed using glue, nails, mortar or any other fixing method.
Advantages and disadvantages of floating floors
Now that you know the concept of this flooring, you also need to be aware of its strengths and weaknesses so that you can come to a conclusion as to whether or not you should put it in the outdoor area of your home.
Positive aspects:
- Sound insulation (for the floor below): if you live in an apartment, laying a floating floor will ensure less noise between your floor and your downstairs neighbor´s floor. Due to the “insulation blanket” laid before the floor is installed, it is much easier for the sound of pets, running children and high heels to pass unnoticed to the floor below, thus avoiding unnecessary hassle between tenants;
- Cost: if you like wooden floors, floating floors are a more economical option, as you get a similar finish at a lower price;
- Thermal comfort: because they are warmer than ceramic floors, floating floors offer much higher thermal comfort;
- Ease of installation: installing a floating floor is much easier and quicker compared to other floors, and it´s also a quiet process that produces little dirt.
Negative aspects
- Less resistant to humidity: floating floors are generally not as resistant to humidity as other floors. For this reason, if you live in a humid area or the outdoor area where you are planning to lay the floor is not sufficiently protected from rain, it may not be the best idea;
- Poor impact resistance (in some models): some types of floating floor may not be very resistant to impact and erosion;
- Possibility of greater internal noise: this floor, although it is
Cleaning and maintaining the floor.
This type of floating floor should be cleaned with care, using a mop or vacuum cleaner. In the case of deeper cleaning, it is recommended that the surface is thoroughly cleaned before using any product, which should be specific for laminate floating floors.
Source: https://www.idealista.pt