The flooring of our home may be one one of the most prominent elements in home decoration and In turn, it is the one that must most resist friction, blows and falling objects or continuous footsteps.
There are many materials that we can use, but thanks to innovation there is one in particular that stands out both for work new as for reform or rehabilitation, we talk about the laminate floors . For many, the perfect lining!
The laminate floors have a wide range of colors, designs and properties what other types of pavements, no. So we have created the following guide for you we can understand its real usefulness.
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It is a type of pavement made from several layers of materials derived from wood or synthetics that realistically mimic different types of finished. The finishes imitate wood (what are the most typical), a polished concrete finish, a rust, ceramics… etc.
The laminate flooring has a great hardness and is classified mainly according to the use and criteria of resistance according to the type of laminates , both to impact and wear (later we will see the most important points important things we should know about).
In the following diagram we can see the structure of the laminate flooring and its different layers that make it highly resistant to wear, discoloration and scratches. stains. Diagram of sheets that imitate wood with different finishes :
Now, we would like to discuss a bit the disadvantages and advantages of a laminate floor to see if it really it suits us for our house leaving our opinions…
Now it's time to see the types of laminate flooring , their uses depending on the space where we place it and characteristics...
As we have commented previously, they are classified according to resistance criteria; both the impact and the wear constituting a very practical purchase option due to its easy installation and maintenance.
The types of laminate flooring come defined in the UNE-EN 13329 standard. This standard establishes a classification of laminate flooring of according to the intensity of use and levels of use:
To better understand its variations, we leave the following scheme that reflects the different types of pallets laminated according to standard:
Depending on the manufacturing process, there are two types mainly what can we find in the market and what largely define the resistance to impact and use of the materials:
In the following diagram we will identify the characteristics main features and their benefits according to the type of pallet laminated from the factory:
Regarding the materials that are composed, we have an excellent guide to insulating materials that can be of interest.
Note: At the regulatory level, coatings are considered and not wooden floors (technical subtlety that the consumer does not appreciate except the distinction that one is of wood and the other imitates it), since according to the standard European UNE-EN 13756 does not have a noble layer of wood with a thickness equal to or greater than 2.5 mm.
The range of colors that you can find is practically equal to the imagination that you can have, you will not have any problem in choosing the right color to decorate your house.
Light-toned colors such as pine, maple, or beech are Get light and spacious. Dark colors provide greater sensation of recollection and warmth. look at your needs!
Remember also, that colors with strong tones animate the environment, but if we abuse it a lot, we can get tired.
There is a variety of representation in the laminate floor coverings that provides different types of finishes on its surface, so you can choose the one that best matches your decor and achieve the effect you prefer.
Note that you need to buy some add-ons as well necessary to achieve its correct installation and finishing perfect:
It must be clear that depending on the use of the room or where we are going to place the laminate flooring, it must have a minimum thickness of the slat. In order not to get confused, it is better to follow the following scheme:
The thickness of a laminate flooring comes from normally accompanied by other characteristics of hardness and stability, taking into account that a greater thickness increases its value for sale.
The resistance to wear or abrasion of a floor laminate is very important. determine the capacity and tolerance to resist rubbing, footsteps or blows and falling objects.
The standard classifies these pavements into five categories, which measure the degree of resistance against abrasion. In the comparison of following laminate floors we can test qualities:
Be careful with the choice for bathrooms and kitchens, they need a higher resistance, by the way, you can see our article of how to decorate a dining room, if you want some good ideas of design.
When we chose this type of coatings for our house other factors enter that also determine whether we can use it or not, we have already seen the resistance, but Not all of these types of layered soils are They can be placed on the pavement that we have at home or in a certain stay.
Remember to check the attached diagram for check their compatibility. For example; with a carpet, a old park, a PVC floor, chipboard, etc. This is important!… Since, if it is not suitable, we will not be able to buy it.
We want to provide some advice for choosing the floors laminated given that they incorporate different features that are designed to cover different needs and uses, as to facilitate its maintenance and installation:
We are going to follow a series of points step by step with several diagrams and a video to proceed to install a laminate floor coherently:
Although for many the environmental conditions and the way in which that we store this type of soil cannot appear a important aspect, we must bear in mind that we are dealing with a material whose base is wood and, therefore, Humidity and temperature do affect.
Given the complexity, we wanted to set up a small scheme that we should read, yes or yes!
Because of the way we position the slats on the surface base, we can install it as the following image but, we must also keep in mind the sense of placement.
If you want to increase the sensation of space, it is the house, It is convenient that the slats are in the same direction as follow the light as it enters through the window. In the case of corridors, in the direction of circulation.
Due to the hygroscopic properties of the board – slats used as a core in laminate floor coverings, they contract and expand in the plane when subjected to to temperature variations within the enclosure in which it is install.
For this reason, it is advisable to provide a series of joints that compensate these possible dimensional variations by means of a jousting schedule on the stage:
In this case, the best solution is to watch a video that we believe which is one of the best we can visualize:
As a complement, we leave a manual guide to installation of laminate floors in PDF... HERE (Very Well). And remember! Before you start the installation ask everything you can, solve all your doubts and Recognize that if you are not a DIY handyman for that there are the professionals.
