Laminate Flooring: Basics and Benefits

Laminate floors are easy to maintain and very affordable, thus naturally laminate flooring has become quite popular over the years. With laminate floors increasing popularity has come a wide range of laminate flooring options and choices. Just like with hardwood flooring manufacturers wanted the widest selection for their consumers.

The popularity of laminate flooring increased mostly due to its close resemblance of real wood. Although laminate is a synthetic material, mixed with natural elements, it mimics the looks and feel of real wood. Because laminate flooring is synthetic it tends to be a cheaper alternative to authentic hardwood flooring.

In Europe, laminate flooring has been widely accepted as an alternative flooring type for quite some time. It is mostly due to its easy installation, affordability and durability.

Structure of a laminate floor

Laminate floor consists of three layers - the surface wear, the core, and the backing:

1. The surface wear layer is the outermost (top) part of a laminate floor. This layer is made of highly-durable aluminum oxide and it usually contains the pattern layer - printed picture that resembles the natural grain, colour and texture of real wood. There is a wide range of pattern layers and some are made to look like tiles, stone or bricks of any colour and any shade.

2. The core layer of a laminate floor, also known as the carrier board, is composed of high density fiberboard and comprises the bulk of a laminate floor. High density fiberboard is an engineered board that resembles wood and is extremely moisture-resistant. The core layer can also be made of high-density wood particles that are hard to penetrate.

3. The backing layer is the bottom-most part of a laminate floor. This layer is acting as a base and can be made of various materials that range from paper to plastic laminates. The materials of the backing layer depend on the manufacturer but all backing layers are resistant to water and hold up very well.

How are laminate floors made?

As described above, the laminate floors are formed from three layers. These layers are molded together by pressure and heat.

There are two ways of fusing the three laminate flooring layers:

1. The direct-pressure laminate method is done by pressing and heating all three layers at once, thus creating a strong bond. This method is the traditional one and is less expensive way of putting the laminate floors layers together.

2. The high-pressure laminate method handles the surface layer and backing separately and are joined to the core by applying heat and pressure. This method is fairly new and is mostly used to forge premium laminate flooring brands.

Bottom line

Laminate floor is a cheaper alternative to real authentic hardwood floor. Unlike wood flooring that requires varnishing and sealing, laminate flooring is easy to maintain. Laminate floors can last longer than hardwood floors and do not fade, crack, chip, or stain easily.

The biggest benefit of laminate flooring may come we you are preparing to sell your house. When selling a house nice looking flooring goes a long way. But instead of spending a fortune on hardwood flooring you can easily achieve the same with laminate flooring for fraction of that cost.

Contact us to professionally install your new laminate floor - we provide a variety of laminate and hardwood floors installation services.

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