How is Laminate Flooring Made?
Laminate flooring is available in planks that traditionally look and feel like wood. It consists of four layers as follows that are fused together for durability:
- The top layer or Wear Layer (1) provides strong protection against scratches, stains and fading.
- Next is the Design Layer (2) which is a high-resolution detailed photographic image of specific wood styles.
- The Inner Core (3) provides stability, sound absorption, durability and even moisture resistance. It is made of high density pressed wood fiberboard.
- The bottom layer (4) is the Backing. It offers a moisture barrier to protect the floor from warping.
Benefits of Laminate Flooring
1) Durability
Laminate is a strong, scratch-resistant, and highly durable flooring surface. Protected by a tough external layer and resin coating. It’s great for high traffic areas and houses where there are pets and children. For general residential and light commercial use, be sure to choose a laminate with an AC rating of 3 or higher.
2) Easy to install
Laminate is much easier to install than other floor types. That’s because the boards designed to interlock, making them easy to work with. Plus, Laminate can “floated” over most existing floors, saving installation time over other types of flooring which may need to be glued, stapled or nailed down. It’s so easy to install, most people can do it themselves. It’s a great project for any level of DIY’er.
3) Price
Laminate flooring is less expensive than traditional hardwood, but doesn’t fall short when it comes to look and quality. .
4) Subfloors
Laminate’s versatile, and can be installed on nearly any type of subfloor, like concrete or even pre-existing vinyl floors. In many cases when the installation of a hardwood floor is not compatible with a subfloor, laminate flooring is a smart option.
5) Styles
Laminate sold in a wide variety of wood, stone, and tile finishes. All of these are available in different colors, surface treatments, thicknesses, and plank styles.
6) Easy to clean and maintain
Laminate flooring’s moisture and stain resistant surface makes cleaning spills easy. There no special cleaners needed to keep a laminate floor in top shape. Daily sweeping is all you need!
Is Laminate Flooring Still a Good Choice?
Laminate floors were first introduced in the late 1990s and exploded on the market much like today’s luxury vinyl floors have revolutionized the flooring industry.
Names like Pergo, Wilsonart, and Formica were household names back then. Though laminate flooring’s appeal has faded they may still be a good option for some homeowners.
The bad rap associated with laminate floors was that they did not perform well with moisture and generated a hollow sound when walked on.
Today, most laminate floors are water-resistant from topical spills and carry somewhat limited warranties against water damage. To minimize the hollow sound, you’ll find available sound deadening underlayment’s that will greatly reduce the clicking sound.
