Rob Jones

Laminate Flooring 101: The Basics of Laminate Floors



Posted: Wednesday, April 30, 2008

by
BuildDirect

Choosing the right flooring to use in your home is one of the bigger decisions you have to make. By now, you may have heard of laminate flooring and may be even strongly considering it. Installing laminate flooring in the modern home is quite a smart decision. Modern living makes a lot of demands, and having a modern flooring option such as laminate floors certainly reduces those demands as far as installation and maintenance.

But before embarking on getting yourself some new laminate floors, you should take time to know a few things about your flooring of choice, such as some basic information about it, its structure, and how installing it in your home can benefit you.

Getting to Know Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is a fairly recent innovation in flooring. The development of laminate flooring started with the invention of laminate countertops, which later led to the development of laminate flooring. The first laminate flooring products that were put out in the market were under the Swedish brand Pergo in 1984. January 1994 saw the introduction of Pergo brand laminate flooring to the North American market and since then, it has been expanding.

Laminate flooring can pretty much assume the appearance of any flooring material out there, including hardwood, stone, or tile. This is because laminate flooring features a layer that is actually a highly-rendered photograph of a natural material. And since another layer goes over it to serve as protection from wear, you can be assured that your beautiful floors will not fade over time with use.

Laminate Flooring by the Layer

Laminate flooring is composed of several layers of material glued or more apt laminated together to give you a very durable flooring option you can install almost anywhere in your home. Knowing the different parts will help you find the best laminate flooring for your intended application. A typical laminate flooring panel has these four layers:

l Stabilizing Layer this is the bottom-most layer of laminate flooring. It is primarily composed of cellulose paper saturated with resins. It is actually like the top-most layer of the laminate flooring, called the wear layer, and this is so in order to prevent unnecessary movement within the boards.

Core Layer made from HDF or MDF, this is the main part of laminate flooring. It is sometimes treated with water-repellent chemicals in order to add to its qualities. Depending on the laminate flooring, you can also find various thicknesses and strengths available for this layer. The general rule is that a thicker core will be more stable than a thinner one.

Design Layer a highly-rendered photograph that gives laminate flooring its design, whether hardwood, stone, or tile patterns. This layer will not scuff, wear, or fade because it is protected by the wear layer.

Wear Layer - the top-most layer of a laminate floor, also composed of cellulose paper saturated with resins (like the stabilizing layer is). This also protects the design layer from the wear and tear of everyday use.

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