Laminate is perhaps the most popular type of flooring today. He comes from Sweden, where he was invented at the end of the last century. Due to its attractive appearance, relatively low price and ease of installation, it quickly spread around the world and gained popularity.
Laminate - the younger brother of parquet boards?
When faced with a renovation for the first time, you can easily consider laminate a kind of wood flooring. And all because of the aesthetic surface, which usually imitates valuable wood species. Many of those who are just about to put a laminate on the floor of their home consider it to be something like a thin, and therefore cheaper parquet board. However, if they can be called relatives, then only very distant ones.
Parquet board is made from solid wood. It has a layered structure: the lower layers are made from cheaper coniferous varieties, and the surface is made from noble and expensive wood. Laminate also consists of several layers, and this is also the reason for its name, since in Latin “laminated” means “layered”. However, it doesn't even smell like solid wood. Essentially, laminate- This is a dense fibreboard, on which paper with a texture reproduced on it is pasted. That is why there is a noticeable difference in price between laminate flooring and parquet, not to mention strip parquet or solid wood.
Material structure
However, due to the lack of solid wood in its composition, the laminate does not cease to be a high-quality and beautiful coating, which, with the right choice and installation, will last for many years. This is due to its multilayer structure, where each of the layers plays a specific role.
The lowest layer that makes up the laminate is a thick paper impregnated with resin or paraffin. It serves to protect the structure from distortion and moisture. The main layer of the "pie" is the most durable type of fiberboard, called HDF (HDF). It provides the main characteristics of the plate - strength, rigidity, moisture resistance, unchanged geometry. The next layer is a film or paper with a pattern applied to the surface. Its only, but very important function is decorative. A resin film, melamine or acrylate, is applied on top, which protects the laminate from external influences and emphasizes the depth of the texture.
The total thickness of the coating depends on the base layer and varies between 6-12 mm. The thicker the laminate, the more durable it is.
Strengths
Before you finally decide whether to put a laminate on the floor of your apartment, you should familiarize yourself with the features of the material. There are many advantages among them:
- worthyappearance, slightly inferior to more expensive flooring;
- large selection of decor - any design idea can be realized;
- prevalence and affordability;
- easy installation, no need for additional processing (sanding, impregnation with varnish);
- good performance - strength, resistance to abrasion, mechanical damage, fading, temperature changes and fire;
- Long life with proper selection, styling and care.
Are there any disadvantages?
The laminated coating has its drawbacks. First of all, it is the fear of moisture, especially at the joints of the plates. Therefore, laminate flooring is not very suitable for installation in wet areas.
You also need to take into account that the base for the laminate requires careful preparation, which is often referred to as a disadvantage of the coating. In order for it to serve for a long time and please the eye, the differences in the subfloor should not be more than 2 mm per square meter. Otherwise, the lock fastening of the boards may break, and soon a gap will form in this place.
In addition, the material reflects and resonates sound well. This is partly offset by the substrate, but even when choosing the best of them, the laminate still remains quite noisy. For example, a falling cutlery will be accompanied by a loud metallic clang.
How about sustainability?
There is an opinion that laminate is not a very he althy material. Indeed, its base contains formaldehyde, whichrefers to toxic substances. Its entry into the air can cause respiratory diseases and other deplorable consequences - it has been established that this toxin has a carcinogenic and mutagenic effect on our body. However, according to European standards, formaldehyde in the laminate is contained in acceptable concentrations and does not harm he alth. By the way, it is also available in solid wood, and in an amount comparable to that of laminate.
Depending on the formaldehyde content, the laminate is assigned the so-called emission class - E1, E2 or E3. There is also an E0 emission class laminate, which has almost no toxin, but it is much more expensive than its counterparts. The content of a harmful substance in an E1 class product is minimal. In classes E2 and E3, it is 3 and 6 times more, respectively, so they are not recommended for use in residential areas. However, almost all laminated coatings from well-known manufacturers belong to the E1 category, so you should not be afraid. Modern laminate flooring is absolutely suitable for use in living spaces, even in children's rooms.
But it is important to know that when the coating is heated to a temperature of more than 27 ° C, formaldehyde begins to be released into the air! True, it is unrealistic to heat the laminate to such a state under normal conditions. But if you want to use it in conjunction with floor heating systems, you need to be vigilant!
Laminate classes and applications
Laminate is a material that is used everywhere: from living rooms to industrial premises andsports facilities. Obviously, different operating conditions imply different requirements for its characteristics. According to the European standard EN 13329, laminate is divided into classes.
Lowest performance for grades 21-23. Currently, such a coating is no longer available, since it is recognized as not strong enough. It was replaced by class 31, designed for light domestic use, such as in the bedroom or living room.
Classes 32 and 33 have roughly the same characteristics, except that the latter has slightly higher abrasion resistance and impact resistance. Both of these grades are suitable for laying in residential areas that are subject to increased stress, such as hallways and corridors, not to mention other rooms.
In offices, shops, hotels and other public places with high traffic, it is recommended to lay the most durable and abrasion-resistant laminate (33 class, 12 mm thick). Today, class 34 is also on the market - this is the most wear-resistant coating, ready for extreme loads. However, such a laminate appeared quite recently, and not all manufacturers have mastered its production yet, so the choice is limited.
Decorative variety
Since wood is considered a traditional flooring, it is the “wooden” laminate that is popular among buyers: oak, ash, maple, walnut, birch, bamboo, wenge (yes, this is a tree, not a color). The texture of oak is especially popular today, and all its shades: from milky white toblack brown. But the choice is not limited to this: on sale there are coatings that imitate ceramic tiles, marble, granite, quartz, graphite, sand, as well as the skin of exotic animals.
The most common laminate format is a board 125–140 cm long and 18–19 cm wide. These dimensions are optimal in terms of appearance and ease of working with the material. In addition, you can find narrow and wide boards of standard length, as well as elongated ones - more than 180 cm. A special group is laminate tiles that imitate tiles, porcelain stoneware or marble. Its elements are square or rectangular in shape and correspond to popular floor tile sizes (one or more units).
Connection types
Initially, there was an adhesive laminate, but today you will not find it anymore. The planks of a modern laminated coating are attached to each other with the help of locking joints, of which there are many. Today, most of them are based on click technology, but you can also meet the lock type. In both cases, there is a spike at the end of one plank, and a groove at the end of the other, and the difference between them lies in the way the lock snaps into place.
At a lock type connection, the spike enters the groove directly, and to close it, you need to hit it with a mallet from the end of the installed bar. The click technology is considered more modern and allows, if necessary, to disassemble the laid laminate. The tile with a spike does not enter the groove directly, but at an angle to the horizontal of the floor. When you press it from above, it snaps into place, and the lockcloses.
An improved version of the click lock is the 5G mount, which allows, due to a special tongue, to fix the bar simultaneously in length and width. There are other modifications of this technology, slightly different from each other. Each manufacturer is trying to improve the type of connection of laminate panels and patent their own design.
Laminate and underfloor heating - is it worth it?
Laminate on a warm floor - is it possible? Modern manufacturers say yes. Moreover, they began to mark with special symbols those models of laminated coatings that, in terms of thermal resistance coefficient, resistance to overheating and other indicators, are suitable for laying on top of heating systems. The best option for use in conjunction with a laminate is an infrared warm floor, made in the form of a film. It is laid directly under the laminate, does not require any additional layers, heats quickly and evenly, does not overheat and consumes electricity economically.
However, the above is true only if the floor heating is properly used. It is worth considering that the laminate can withstand heating up to 28 ° C without consequences, but when it reaches 30 ° C, its deformation is possible. In addition, let's remember formaldehyde and its property to be released during the heating process! So we recommend that you think again, is a warm laminate worth the possible negative consequences? In extreme cases, you should set the thermostat soso that the temperature of the coating does not rise above 27 ° C.
Installation of laminate flooring
First of all, it is necessary to qualitatively prepare the base on which it is planned to lay the laminate. This issue deserves separate consideration outside the scope of this article. You should not neglect the preparation of the subfloor, because the result of the work and the durability of the coating depend on it.
The technology of laying modern laminate on a flat base is quite simple. First, a substrate is laid under the laminate - a polyethylene foam film, expanded polystyrene sheets or a roll cork. The role of the substrate is load absorption, sound and heat insulation of the coating.
Laminate is installed from the window, starting from the most visible corner in the room. Boards should be placed perpendicular to the plane of the wall on which the window is located. The coating is laid in a floating way, that is, without contact with the walls. Deformation gaps 0.8–1 cm wide are left along the perimeter of the room with the help of special wedges. If you lay the laminate close to the wall, there is a high chance that it will expand and swell in the corners from exposure to heat.
The first row is laid, starting from the whole plank, the last board is adjusted in length. The second row begins with a board cut to half, then the overall floor pattern will be shaped like brickwork. This layout of the laminate is basic, but not the only possible one. Planks are connected row by row, forming a beautiful coating. Last row of boards if neededadjusted in width. When laminate flooring is installed, it is immediately walkable. In the future, it is enough just to maintain the beauty of the floor with proper care.
Laminate flooring is a good compromise flooring that will give the room a modern look and not hit too hard on the owner's pocket. At the same time, it is comfortable and easy to operate, as well as strong and durable. Together with ease of installation and a variety of models, laminate flooring rightfully occupies a leading position among flooring materials.
