How To Choose Laminate Flooring

How To Choose | Love Laminate | Laminate Options
Laminate Construction | Specialty Items | Did You Know
Your Retail Experience | Warranties

Because laminate flooring is relatively new to the market and so closely resembles other hard surfaces, there’s a mystery surrounding it. Basically, laminates are the result of a direct-pressure manufacturing process that fuses four layers into one extremely durable surface. They are:

• Back layer: The back is reinforced with melamine for structural stability and moisture resistance;
• Fiberboard core: Ultra dense core board provides impact resistance and stability. It also features an edge sealing treatment that provides even further structural stability.
• Decorative layer: This layer, which is what you see from above, is actually a highly detailed photograph that gives the laminate the appearance of wood or tile.
• Wear layer: The melamine wear layer is a tough, clear finish reinforced with aluminum oxide, one of the hardest mineral compounds known to man, to resist staining, fading, surface moisture, and wear.

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THE TOP 5 REASONS TO LOVE LAMINATE FLOORING

5. The tongue-and-groove locking technology of laminate flooring eliminates unsightly gaps at the seams.

4. Ultra-durable flooring planks can be taken apart and reassembled if necessary.

3. Laminate floorings can be used in any room of the house — below, on or above grade level.

2. Although it emulates higher end wood and ceramic flooring, laminate flooring is less expensive.

1. There’s no waiting... You can walk on your new laminate floor immediately after installation is complete.

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Laminate Flooring Options

There are wood looks, including color and wood type, and ceramic looks, including color and style. When these floors first came to the States, they were often simple looks and patterns. Today, laminate floors offer and unparalleled level of realism heretofore unattainable. With embossing and now embossed-in-register technology it’s getting more and more difficult to tell the difference.

One thing to be careful of with laminate floors: Quality. With a lot of cheap laminate products being imported from countries such as China and others, I would recommend you keep an eye on quality. Again, a good rule of thumb – as with any major investment in your home – is to buy the best you can afford, depending on the setting.

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HOW DO THEY DO IT?

When people accuse laminate flooring makers of being copycats, they consider it a compliment! That’s because laminates have an uncanny ability to visually replicate the look of wood, stone, brick and ceramic through highly detailed photography of the genuine material. In other words, when you look at a laminate floor, you’re actually looking at a photograph of the real thing. What’s more, the image is coupled with advanced embossing that adds realistic texture to the floor surface, making it difficult sometimes to distinguish between laminate and the material it is mimicking.

Laminates are the result of a direct-pressure manufacturing process that fuses four layers into one extremely durable surface. They are:

Back layer: The back is reinforced with melamine for structural stability and moisture resistance;

Fiberboard core: Ultra-dense core board provides impact resistance and stability. It also features an edge sealing treatment that provides even further structural stability.

Decorative layer: This layer, which is what you see from above, is actually a highly detailed photograph that gives the laminate the appearance of wood or tile.

Wearlayer: The melamine wearlayer is a tough, clear finish reinforced with aluminum oxide, one of the hardest mineral compounds known to man, to resist staining, fading, surface moisture and wear.

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SPECIALTY ITEMS

Floor vents: With central air and heating systems that come up through the floor, no flooring job is complete without floor vents and registers. While these specialty products can be somewhat expensive, the look of a fully finished floor can be quite dramatic.
Transitions and moldings: These are the pieces that bridge one type of flooring to another. Available in virtually every flooring style you can think of, transitions and moldings put a finishing touch on your floor. There are various types of moldings, including:

Reducer strip: Used to create a smooth transition between two floors of different heights, as well as to protect the planks exposed edge from damage caused by foot traffic.

T-molding: Used to bridge two areas of flooring that are the same height. The T-molding overlaps the exposed edges of the floor and is secured only to the sub floor, never to the flooring itself. Generally, this trim is used as the transition piece between rooms, or as the expansion piece for areas that exceed 30 feet in length.

Universal edge (also called a square nosing): Used where the laminate flooring butts up to carpeting or various vertical surfaces where the edge will be exposed, such as along a fireplace.

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Did You Know...

Did you know...?
Acclimation: means allowing the flooring material to have enough time to equalize to the surrounding environment that it will be installed in. Generally it is recommended that the cartons of flooring be placed in the room 48 hours prior to installation.

Did you know...?
DPL (direct pressure laminate)is a single-press construction method which fuses the finish layers and the backing directly to the core material all in one step.

Did you know...?
Dimensional stability is the ability of a floor to keep its original shape and size over the lifetime of the floor and with changes in climate and humidity.

Did you know...?
Products with high levels of melamine in the core have improved moisture resistance, but can be more expensive.

Did you know...?
You can buy laminate-wrapped moldings to complement your laminate floor. The moldings join areas of laminate flooring, join laminate flooring to other flooring or make transitions between floors of different heights.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU WALK INTO A FLOORING RETAIL STORE...

1. What kind of laminate floor are you looking for?
   • What natural material are you looking to emulate?
   • What colors are already present in the room?
   • What is your look — modern, transitional, contemporary?
   • How big is the room?
   • What rooms lead into this room? A big yard? The front door? Is it in a room away from entrances? Do you expect sand or grit to be trailed in?
2. How much laminate flooring do you need? Although your flooring dealer will send a professional to take exact measurements, it’s important to have a rough estimate of your room size so you can plan your budget.
3. How much do you want to spend?
4. Are you interested in upgrade products?

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The Warranty Maze

Laminate flooring carries different warranties that cover specific performance features. A quality product should offer the following warranty protection:

• Wear, fading and staining: 20 years or more
• Moisture resistance from normal household cleaners and liquid spills: 20 years or more.
• Will not unlock at seams: 20 years or more.

Source: Armstrong.com