Laminate Flooring Guide
Laminate is a robust, resilient and hard-wearing, multi-layer synthetic flooring product, fused together with a lamination process. It simulates a wood or sometimes stone look with a realistic wood photo layer under a clear protective layer. The core is a High-Density fibre board, on a moisture resistant balancing layer.
What is laminate made out of?
Laminate flooring is made of four layers of materials pressed together to create very hard wearing floors in limitless designs and colours.
These layers are as follows:
Wear layer – A clear, top layer that provides exceptional resistance to wear, fading and staining.
Design layer – A high resolution printed paper layer that realistically captures the look of the surface it is imitating. Generally the designs are of timber but they may also be of tile or stone.
Inner core – A layer of High Density Fibreboard (HDF). HDF is a pressed wood product that is extremely dense, providing stability for the finished board. Backing
Layer – A melamine layer providing further stability and also a moisture barrier.
How durable is laminate?
Laminate makes for an extremely durable product because of its multi-layer construction. Laminate is resistant to scratch, fade, and is easy to clean.
Laminate’s durability allows for the absorption of heavy traffic, making it an ideal flooring choice for active families with kids and pets running around. This product is good for kitchens and baths only if proper precautions are put in place like a moisture barrier, but this product is not recommended for areas with high moisture. With proper care, laminate can look as good as day 1.