Among the huge number of materials used for flooring, laminate is especially popular. Its demand is explained by its attractive appearance, ease of installation and reasonable cost. But along with the positive qualities, this coating has its drawbacks. A laminate floor does not withstand contact with a lot of moisture and scratches very easily.
To prevent premature replacement of flooring, apartment owners try their best to protect it from wear and tear. And here many people think: is it possible to varnish the laminate? Today this issue is very relevant and causes a lot of controversy, so in this article we will pay special attention to it.
Lacquer coating on laminate: for oragainst?
Laminate companies are very negative about this method of floor protection. At the same time, manufacturers of paints and varnishes claim with might and main that their products can significantly extend the life of a decorative coating and are even suitable for its restoration.
It is very difficult for an ordinary consumer to decide because of such conflicting opinions, so let's try to figure out for ourselves whether it is possible to varnish a laminate and what advantages and disadvantages this procedure can have.
Why flooring manufacturers don't recommend varnishing laminate flooring
In order to understand what the manufacturers' arguments are based on, let's analyze the structure of the laminated board. It consists of the following layers:
1. Balancer.
2. Carrier panel HDF.
3. Kraft paper.
4. Decorative layer (simulating the structure of wood).
5. Protective coating.
A heavy-duty film acts as a protective layer, which forms a smooth (monolithic) surface that does not have pores. For this reason, it is simply impossible to achieve good adhesion between the varnish and the laminate itself. After all, we all know that when processing wooden surfaces (in order to achieve better adhesion), varnish is applied in at least 2 layers, where the first one fills the pores of the wood, and the second one is fixing.
In the case of laminate, the varnish will not be able to penetrate deeply into the structure of the material, so such protection will be very short-lived. ATDue to this, the varnish will quickly crack, begin to peel off and lag behind the base.
Floating laminate laying method - an obstacle to varnishing the floor
Dense coating is not the only argument that many people answer negatively to the question of whether laminate flooring can be varnished. Features of laying this decorative material do not allow making the floor covering solid and motionless. It is fixed only with the help of skirting boards located around the perimeter of the room.
Due to the fact that the slats are not attached to the base in any way and are not tightly fixed to each other, the floors slightly “play” during operation, which negatively affects the integrity of the varnish layer.
Some masters prefer to lay the laminate on a special adhesive, which makes it immovable and opens up the possibility of applying protective layers of varnish. However, in this case, it should be borne in mind that if there are defects on the floor surface (in the form of bumps, depressions, recesses), the fixed coating will fail much faster.
Arguments in favor of lacquering laminate flooring
Despite the above facts, the question of whether laminate flooring can be varnished cannot be answered with a categorical “no”. When making a final decision, the following points should be taken into account:
1. Before laying any floor covering, almost all craftsmen try to fill in a leveling layer of the screed, which eliminates the occurrence of bumps and drops. As a result of these actions, the laminate liesalmost motionless.
2. Modern air conditioning systems (available in almost every home) help maintain a stable temperature and humidity level in the room, which eliminates swelling and deformation of the decorative wood coating. Lacquer applied on a fixed base lasts much longer and does not crack.
3. If the old floor finish looks unaesthetic, has a lot of scratches and scuffs, varnishing the laminate can and should be done, as this is the only economical way to give the surface a beautiful appearance (without replacing the decorative coating).
Which lacquer to use and can laminate flooring be varnished
As you can see, there are weighty arguments both on the positive and negative sides. When drawing your own conclusions, take into account the condition of your screed and the quality of the product itself.
So, if, after reading this information, you answered positively the question of whether it is possible to varnish the laminate, you can proceed to the choice of composition.
First of all, you should determine what the glossy surface of the cladding is made of.
You can find this information on the packaging from the laminate, and if it is not preserved, then on the manufacturer's website.
This information is very important, because the varnish must be made from the same component that acts as a protective layer. So, if the film applied to the product,contains acrylic, then the varnish should be purchased on an acrylic basis. For polyurethane coatings, a product of a similar composition is selected.
Such recommendations are explained by the fact that the same components are much better in contact and interlock with each other.
Please note that for laminate flooring, you should choose special compounds designed for working with glossy surfaces, as they are more adapted to contacts with specific substrates like laminate.
The shade of varnish is chosen depending on the color of the material itself. For light and matte finishes, it is better to choose white varnishes, while for more saturated colors, it is better to purchase transparent formulations.
As for the question of whether it is possible to coat the laminate with parquet varnish, then this possibility should immediately be ruled out. The thing is that these compounds are focused on traction with a rough wood surface, so they will not last long on a laminate.
Laquer technology
Now consider the laminate varnishing technology. It involves the following work:
1. Careful ground preparation. Floors are cleaned of debris and dust. Naturally, the laminate cannot be puttied and scraped. Sandpaper is also not allowed!
2. Elimination of defects. If there are scratches and various visible damage on the coating, they are masked with building paste or putty of a suitable color. It is applied to the desired area, gently rubbed and removed all excess.
3. Elimination of chips. If on laminatethere are deep scratches and chips, they are covered with a layer of ordinary PVA glue and left to dry completely.
4. Applying varnish. From the corner of the room with a wide brush or roller begin to apply varnish. In the process of work, you need to move towards the exit. For your own safety, please make sure that there is enough fresh air in the room.
5 Reprocessing. After the first layer of varnish dries, a second layer should be applied. In total, the composition is applied in 3-4 layers.
For best laminate flooring, repeat this procedure every 3-4 years.
Dignity of procedure
When deciding whether a laminate can be varnished, feedback from people who have already done similar work is of great importance. They talk about the following:
• Laminate with multiple coats of lacquer lasts 2-3 times longer than unprotected cladding.
• Dark scratches and dirt can be easily removed with the right formulation.
• Coating, on which the varnish is applied, is much less scratched, erased and dirty.
• Glitter lacquer gives floors a glossy effect for a more attractive look.
Conclusion
In this article, we examined in detail the question of whether it is possible to varnish a laminate and what composition is better to use for these purposes. Obviously, there is no clear answer. Each owner must weigh all the pros and cons of this procedure, and then draw their own conclusions. We hope our article will help you with this.
