1. What is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is a popular flooring solution which has itsorigin as a humble kitchen countertop material in Europe. It was introduced in North America about 2 decades ago and the brand Pergo quickly became a household name.
Laminate is technically made up of several layers with a wood veneer, thick polyurethane finished top layer and moisture resistant back layer.
These type of flooring materials are designed to mimic wood surface and better deal with moisture and humidity.
Over the years, laminate flooring products have also seen major innovations, from different sizes, thickness, installation methods and surface finishes.
2. How is Laminate Flooring Made
Laminate flooring is made up of several layers pressed together. These layers are:
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the stabilizer layer is made up of moisture-resistant materials like resin or melamine, it is the bottom layer that provides support to each plank;
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the core layer – made up of resin re-enforced fiber boards, this is the layer which supports the weight from foot traffic;
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the decor layer is where patterns or designs are printed; and
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the wear layer or overlay is the topmost and extremely tough layer that comes in constant contact with traffic, this is made up of either aluminum oxide or melamine.
3. Types of Laminate Flooring
There are several ways we can classify laminate flooring. One of them is how they are made. There are generally 2 ways of making laminate flooring and they are:
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Direct Pressure Laminate (DPL) is said to be the standard process in making laminates, here, 4 layers of laminate flooring materials are pressed and bonded together at 300-600 pounds per inch of pressure at a temperature of somewhere in between 300-400 degrees Fahrenheit. Materials are treated and pressed together all in the same time.
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High Pressure Laminate (HPL) here, the pressure is increased to 1,000lbs/inch. This is to make the laminate flooring more resilient to traffic. Compared to DPL processed laminates, here there are 5 or more layers of materials pressed together. These extra layers are usually high-strength paper to reinforce the product.
Another would be the finish. Early laminate flooring planks were designed to mimic wood. Patterns of different types of wood grains were printed on the design layer. These days however, we have different surface finishes available, some looking like natural stone. Also, aside from the look, most laminate flooring planks today also imitates the texture of the materials they mimic making it look and feel more authentic.
4. Advantages of Using Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring has several advantages over other flooring solutions. A big advantage is cost. Compared to traditional hardwood planks or natural stone tiles, you can get laminate flooring at a fraction of the cost. They come in warranties of 10, 15 and even up to 30 years.
They are lighter than natural stone flooring and very easy to install, you can do it yourself. For stone tiles and even hardwood, you would need special tools to get them cut unlike laminate flooring, all you’ll need is a typical saw.
They are easy to clean and low on maintenance, there is no need to refinish or resand laminate floors. Laminate flooring is also easy to install. Some can be bought w/ attached pre-glued underpads and some comes with an easy click and lock system making it easier for DIY enthusiasts.
Compared to wood, they are more resistant to moisture and won’t easily warp or cup.
5. How to Choose Laminate Flooring?
As we’ve mentioned and as you might already know, there are a variety of options when it comes to laminate flooring – every color, texture and sizes possible to satisfy your imagination.
What I strongly suggest before picking out the right laminate flooring for your needs is to consider how much traffic you expect in each room.
Laminate flooring products all have an Abrasion Class (AC) Rating which identifies its resilience in terms of impact, burns, moisture and other elements which can cause damage.
