Function

• Laminate flooring has a sealed surface. The planks, then, can be patterned to mimic real wood or stone. One of the pros of laminate flooring is that you get the look of real wood or stone at a fraction of the cost.
  
  

Effects

• One of the cons, though, is that the sealed surface can be slick, which makes laminate flooring slippery. If damp, the surface can be a safety issue.
  
  Another effect of this type of laminated construction is sound. The con here is that the sealed surfaces and wood chip cores of the planks make for a hollow, "clacking" sound when one walks across them.
  
  

Considerations

• If the laminated surface is damaged, the plank needs to be replaced. This is both a pro and a con.
  
  Replacing a damaged plank is easier than sanding down and refinishing a damaged spot in a real wood floor.
  
  The con side of this is that sanding down real wood and refinishing it means the floor remains consistent in color and style. If the original color and style of laminate is unavailable, the entire floor needs to be replaced.
  
  

Installation

• Laminate flooring is commonly sold as snap together installation. The planks are constructed with tongue and groove system, eliminating the need for adhesives. This easy installation is an attractive feature of laminate flooring. Of all the flooring types, it could be considered the easiest to install for do-it-yourselfers.
  
  

Cleaning

• Keeping laminate floors clean has both pros and cons to it. Its sealed surface makes it resistant to stains. Spills and splatters can be wiped up with a paper towel or cloth and the surface repels the potential for staining.
  
  Laminate flooring is easy to keep clean but does require specific cleaning materials. It cannot be wet mopped; common liquid cleaners cannot be used. Only cleaners formulated for the laminated construction should be used along with cloth mops heads. Though the cleaners and mop heads are not expensive, they are necessary and cannot be used to clean anything else.
  
  

Resale

• The resale value for laminate is lower than that of real wood. Laminate flooring may be considered slightly inferior to real wood flooring in terms of market value due to its wood chip core and its tendency to warp along the seams over time.