How to choose laminate flooring for home

to know how to choose laminate flooring for the house, you need to learn the basic performance characteristics of its species and classes.Any flooring must comply certain criteria, and laminate is no exception, but for some items he even "capricious" than other types of flooring.

Laminate flooring has become in recent years, especially popular due to affordability, beautiful appearance, as well as a sufficiently high practicality.

are investigated with the basic structure of the laminate

laminated panels always have a multilayer structure, and each of the layers

takes its specific purpose. Schematically the structure of the laminate can be represented like this way:

• first, topmost layer is a film , made on the basis of melamine or acrylic resin.It protects the entire panel from moisture and mechanical damage on the surface.Thickness and strength films largely determines the operational class material.
• second layer is designed to give aesthetic appearance of the flooring.It consists of a decorative material, which is applied textured pattern.The types of cheap laminate that use conventional textured paper or other material deposited a print, well, for costly coating layer plays a role of decorative wood veneer.
• The third layer is the so-called kraft paperboard (one or more layers ), impregnated melamine resins.This creates special protection for the panel base.
• fourth layer gives laminate stiffness, and its production is used most often used modern composite MDF, obtained by a special thermal compression technology finely chopped wood.It is in this part of the panel there are locks for connecting individual laminate boards into a single floating floor, which will not need fixing to the base or to the walls.Lower
• fifth layer is composed of paper impregnated with special compounds or may be made based on the polymer.His task - creating waterproof protection for the base panel, as well as giving laminate additional soundproofing qualities.

laminate Some models have additional enhancements - special layer or metal inserts for improved strength characteristics.

Connection of all structural layers panel laminate occurs under pressure and at high temperature.Such technological modes provide excellent inextricable relationship between materials that allows the coating to withstand high mechanical loads and well resist the influence of moisture.

main laminate selection criteria

to opt for the "right" in all respects, the laminate for the home, you need to understand its basic characteristics.Usually when buying coverage pay attention to the following points :

• laminate Classification its durability.
• method of installation and type interlocking panels compounds.
• Decorative quality surface floor.
• Moisture material.

Now consider all of these selection criteria in more detail.

Classification laminated panels

resistance to various external influences of flooring in many ways depends on the thickness and quality of the upper protective layer.It is on the basis of its parameters tested during tests performed laminate classification.

European installed durability standard (EN 13329) includes a program of testing different materials to eighteen different tests.These are systematized, and, results analysis of the information, coating assigned certain class, who will talk about how resistant the material to stress, and, therefore - for public spacesdesigned.

laminate passes obligatory testing for moisture resistance, various mechanical effects (shock tests), abrasive load, the degree of noise when you walk on it in shoes with heels, and a few other tests.

In the list of security check on the wear resistance of the material is required to include a "Taber test" conducted as follows.On laminate fragment mounted in a special instrument, a rotating disk affect the coated abrasive.This is measured by the number of turns, which cause deterioration of the surface initially , ( scratching the protective layer), and then a deep abrasion material before losing them to their decoration.From that , how many revolutions bear particular laminated panel, will depend on the class assigned to it.

established six classes of flooring (even seven distinguished lately). Knowing the performance of each of them, choosing laminate flooring for a particular room, where he will lay.

Class designation - a two-digit number.The first digit indicates to any premises (residential or public) is intended cover.The second digit defines the degree of strength and durability of the protective laminate layer.So, the first number 2 - it's a laminate for living quarters, and 3 - for public buildings.The second digit from 1 to 3 and denotes the thickness of the wear resistance of the protective coating.

For convenience, the main features and results of the laminate tests are given in the table:

performance indicators	purpose, the intensity of the load, and a laminate class
	accommodations	public areas
low	average	high	low	average	high
21	22	23	31	32	33
abrasion resistance	AC 1	AC 2	AC 3	AC 3	AS 4	AS 5
ustochivost to shock loading	IC1	IC 1	IC 1	IC 1	IC 2	IC 3
resistance to	4 spots (g.1 & amp; 2), 3 (g.. 3)	5 (g.1 & amp; 2), 4 (g 3)
thermal stability	-	4	4	4	4	4
resistance tofurniture legs	-	-	without visible damage
resistance roller wheels furniture	-	-	without visible damage
swelling ratio	less than 20%	less than 20%	less than 18%	less than 18%	less than 18%	less than 18%

33 class

This class laminate is the leader among all the flooring of this type by its durability and strength, as standvery high loads.

It is often used for decoration of floors of crowded public places like restaurants, shops, concert halls and even gyms.This coating must be a class for 18 - 20 years, without causing problems to owners of the premises, where it is the bed.

may be added that in 2005 produced a new laminated floor covering, which is assigned even 34 class durability.This type of laminate has been developed by the German company manufacturer «Alloc» .For similar material stated service life, which ranges from 20 to 25 years.This class still not given in the tables available, because it is difficult to verify the accuracy of the information about the manufacturer promises its life - it is confirmed only by experimental studies. turns, that in fact such a "longevity" can be checked even not earlier than 10 years, and then provided, that laminate was purchased and paved in the already distant in 2005.

However, it should be noted also that the quality of building materials, manufactured by German companies, always correspond to the specifications indicated on the packaging of their products, and they can be trusted "on the word."

32 class

Wear resistance of the laminate is not so high, but it enough to cover the long term has served in rooms with relatively high intensity of the flow of people and is likely to mechanical impact.

Most owners of offices and small shops give preference to class 32 of the laminate, because of its characteristics will be enough to come back to the problems of replacing the flooring for 10 - 12 years.

Although the material is considered to be "office", it could not be better suited such premises apartment or house, as a corridor, kitchen, dining room and hallway.

31 class

This laminate class as recommended by the manufacturer for use in public buildings, but in those where no notes of intense movement of workers or visitors - it may be quiet offices, conference rooms, receiving , heads of offices and etc .

Nevertheless , its owners are willing to buy and own apartments and houses. price of this laminate is higher than that which is specifically designed for housing, but you probably should not skimp on quality, as this will last much longer floor.It will allow a lot of years not to make repairs on the floor with the inevitable in this case the removal of furniture, which, by the way, in such a situation can also be easily damaged.

23 class

23 class laminate is the most durable of flooring designed for residential buildings, materials, but he still less durable than coatings indicated higher classes.

Manufacturers recommend it for hallways and kitchens , as well as living and dining rooms.With proper care and careful operation the material will last a long time, not delivering person x x Lopota.If for any reason you can not buy the material of a higher class, most optimal option for premises it will laminate 23 class.

22 and 21 classes

materials, which are assigned to the two lowest-class flooring, have very low resistance to wear and, essentially to these parameters do not differ from each other.Such a laminate is not recommended to lay in communicating room apartments, especially in those where the floors to lay down a big load. absolutely not allowed it in the hallway, on the floor of which from the street on the shoes constantly entered the sand and dirt, capable of its abrasive action very quickly damage the flooring.Laminate these classes conditionally suitable for bedrooms and children's rooms, and it is probably only in the case if the top it will be carpeted.Because, as it scratches easily and quickly used up, according to their quality, the material has a low price.

I would particularly like to warn about the lowest grade laminate - 21. Generally it is not necessary to give in to his little cost , as it will serve the laminate is not more than five years, even with a very careful operation.If we have no other way, it can be purchased only for the room, which is never a lot of people, and it does not even go home footwear.

way, low and constantly declining demand for models 21 - 23 classes has not gone unnoticed by leading manufacturers of laminate.Currently, many firms are simply excluded these classes from their product range, completely switching to release of more wear-resistant coatings.

can still add something, that at the dawn of the laminate manufacturing at division into classes, in addition to wear resistance, was taken into account and the formaldehyde content - inclass 21 samples - 23 it was significantly lower concentration, that predetermined purpose and coatings especially for living rooms.However, technology is not standing still, and technologists have learned to provide increased strength of the material is not for account formaldehyde resins.So now in its environmental laminate 31 - 33 classes practically does not differ from the 21 - 23, the there, can say , that the division between "living" and "office" coverage becomes still moreconditional. When you purchase, you can pay attention to the "E1" icon - a measure of environmental material (class emission of formaldehyde fumes ) , ie the content harmful to human substances laminate fully suitable for premises.

But if we talk in terms of popularity among customers, it is a recognized leader in high-quality laminate 32 class. This - the most universal coverage , suitable for almost any room apartment house with a quite reasonable price.

If you look closely at the label, it is often even possible to find a picture - the manufacturer directly points to the full versatility of its coating:

Video: how to deal withchoice laminate

Interlock laminate

An important criterion when choosing laminate flooring is the connection lock, located at the end of each panel.Laminate can be mounted on the floor on two systems - with glue or without it.It should be clear idea of ​​the pros and cons of each type.

Laminate with mounting adhesive

This type of laminate there, but he is deeply unpopular at the moment and is becoming increasingly rare in commercial networks.Explanation simple - process its flooring is quite complex and requires certain skills and additional costs.

Unhandy adhesive system laminate stacking and because the coating will be almost impossible to dismantle, if necessary, or, for example, to replace one or more damaged panels that fail.

advantages of this type of connection - a monolithic surface, virtually no seams, which is advantageous in environments with high levels of humidity (eg in the kitchen).