Laminate Flooring Simulating the appearance of real wood, laminate floors have a printed foil surface showing a wood grain pattern, covered in a tough, transparent layer of melamine. Essentially a man-made solution, laminate flooring has a high- density fibreboard (HDF) core making it strong and flexible. It’s backed with cellulose paper for stability. Laminate flooring is perfect for anyone wanting a durable floor for a fraction of the price and installation time of a hardwood floor, but with the attractiveness of real hardwood. This construction also makes laminate flooring more environment-friendly as it uses less wood in its construction and makes more efficient use of the wood fiber that is used.
There are many types of edge joining systems used to connect laminate flooring panels together. Some laminate flooring connections snap together by hand while others require a light tap with a mallet and a tapping block. Still others use a combination of a “snap” click edge and a “bang” or “tap” click at the end of the panels. While most of the various systems work well to secure your laminate floor, it is important to read your laminate flooring installation instructions carefully. Familiarize yourself with how your flooring locks together before starting your installation.
Laminate flooring is an extremely versatile flooring product. It can be installed in virtually any room of your home, above or below ground, over wood or concrete. However there are few locations that are not recommended for laminate flooring. Because laminate flooring is a wood flooring product, it is not recommended that laminates be installed in wet locations such as bathrooms, washrooms, saunas, enclosed porches or verandas.
Because laminate flooring is derived from wood, it is subject to expansion caused by room temperatures and humidity levels. An expansion gap is a necessary part of any successful installation because it allows space for the expansion of the floor as it responds to these external influences of temperature and humidity. When it is exposed to warmer temperatures, or to increased humidity, laminate flooring planks expand outward. Leaving out the essential element of an outside gap can cause the buckling of the individual laminate flooring planks as the planks push outward against walls or other obstacles.
In an average installation, approximately 7% to 10% of the total area to be covered will be wasted for several reasons, typically cuts, planks damaged during installation.
There are several things to consider before you begin to install a laminate floor. Careful preparation before beginning will make installing your laminate floor a quick and easy process. Ensure that your subfloor is flat, dry, and smooth. Always use underlayment under your laminate floor for soundproofing. Laminate flooring and underlayment/vapor barrier can be installed over concrete, wood flooring, vinyl tile, linoleum, tile, or virtually any other hard, flat surface
If the plank that needs replacing is close to the edge of the room, simply disassemble the floor to the position of the plank to be replaced and then reinstall the plank(s). There is a more complicated procedure if you need to replace a single hard-to-get-to plank.
High density fiberboard, HDF, is basically a high-density, moisture-resistant fiber panel. It is made of wood residues (sawdust, shavings and wood chips) from wood processing factories. This ligneous material is ground into a pulp to which a melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin is added. This pulp is then dried and pressed into panels.
Abrasion Class (AC) Rating, used for laminate flooring is a measure of a floor’s resistance to abrasion, impact, and stains. These ratings also indicate that the floor has been tested for the effects of furniture legs, castors, and swelling along its edges. Any floor that has an AC rating will have passed all the test criteria, as failing just one will disqualify it. AC hardness ratings are a standardized measure adopted by The Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring (ELPF)
To decide where to begin the layout of your floor, consider incoming light. It is usually best to install laminate flooring with the planks running parallel to light coming in windows or glass doors. For any installation, the starting wall should be as long and straight as possible.
No, all carpet and padding should be removed completely prior to installation.
dakks Laminate flooring is a beautiful, low maintenance, long-lasting flooring. To keep your laminate flooring clean and to ensure that you get many years of service from it, simply dry or wet mop or vacuum daily with a soft brush or wood floor accessory to keep your laminate floor clean from dust, dirt or grit.