How to choose a laminate for an apartment by quality

Many people when choosing a flooring prefer a laminate. It successfully simulates a tree, but it costs significantly less. Also, this flooring is very versatile, which allows you to use it when decorating any premises from the office to the children's room. Very often it is used for decorating walls or doors. But few people know that there are a lot of types of laminate and that it has to be selected correctly for it to last a long time. Consider which laminate is the best in quality.

How to choose a quality laminate

Laminate has a large number of advantages. This is due to its popularity. The benefits include:

  • Simple styling
  • With proper installation, the laminate serves for a very long time, while not losing its original characteristics;
  • Environmental friendliness. By production high-quality materials are used which do not contain caustic and toxic substances;
  • Design. The coating has a wide selection of colors and various textures. Due to this, it can be used to create an interior made in any style;
  • It is quite resistant to moisture, hypoallergenic, has antistatic properties and is hygienic;
  • Maintainability. With the formation of scratches or chips, they can be easily removed independently;
  • Universal in application;
  • It is very simple to look after him;

If the flooring is of high quality and selected correctly, then it will last for many years.

The laminate has its own disadvantages:

  • It does not have the same noise insulation qualities as linoleum;
  • Low thermal conductivity. Laying must be carried out on a special coating;
  • Installation must be carried out on a flat surface, otherwise over time, the floor begins to creak;
  • If the installation was not carried out correctly, gaps may form. If moisture gets into them, the product will swell;

REFERENCE. Basically, all the disadvantages of the coating are caused by a violation of the installation technology of the product.

Kinds

Laminate, depending on what technology was used in the manufacture, is divided into several types. It:

  1. Direct pressing. It is made immediately with the top layer. Typically, this coating is used for domestic use.
  2. High pressure. The top layer is made separately. It has a special protective coating and is made of kraft cardboard. In the manufacture of this type, the upper layer is exposed to high temperature, and then compressed with the rest of the layers. This is a very durable product, it can withstand heavy loads and is resistant to mechanical damage. Commonly used for commercial purposes;

Thus, the laminate can be divided into household and commercial.

The household version of the coating does not have high strength, and its service life is quite small. It is also susceptible to moisture, therefore it is very limited in use. Therefore, it is practically not in demand.

Commercial laminate is more durable, its service life is much higher, and it is also resistant to moisture. Even despite the fact that the price of the product is slightly higher than that of the household, it is widely used both for industrial needs and for decoration of residential premises.

Key selection criteria

When choosing a laminate, it is worth relying on several basic criteria:

  • Manufacturer. The manufacturer must be a member of the EPLF. This ensures that the products are of high quality. Serious manufacturers use modern equipment and technologies;
  • Cover design. Laminate most often repeats the structure of a tree, however, there are products imitating leather, metallic luster, stone, as well as made in a children's design. Also, the coating has a wide selection of colors from gray to black. There are products made with embossing, which imitates the structure of a tree;
  • Wear resistance. It is one of the most important parameters when choosing a floor covering. When choosing a resistance class, you need to take into account the nuances of the room in which the laminate will be mounted. The higher the class of the product, the more it is resistant to mechanical stress;
  • Moisture resistance. The basis of the product is responsible for this parameter. It is made of their HDF boards. The denser the plate, the higher the resistance to moisture;
  • Environmental friendliness. Safe and high-quality products are marked E1;
  • Thickness. The optimum thickness is 0.8 mm. It is responsible for the rigidity of the product and a value of 0.8 mm is quite enough;
  • The foundation. High-quality products are made of HDF board. It is necessary to refuse the laminate made of MDF;
  • Price. The final cost of the product consists of all the above parameters. Therefore, a product of high quality cannot be cheap.

Laminate structure and application

As a rule, all products have the same structure.

  1. The foundation. It is made of pressed wood-fiber board.
  2. Decorative layer. This is the film on which the image is applied. It is he who is responsible for the appearance of the product.
  3. Protective layer. It is necessary to give the laminate resistance.
  4. Stabilizing layer. This is a layer that provides moisture resistance and gives the coating the required rigidity. It is the bottom layer of the product.

How to choose a quality laminate for a private house or apartment

When choosing a floor covering, it is necessary to consider the room in which it will be placed.

Kitchen

For this, it’s difficult to choose a good coverage. It is necessary to give preference to a product with increased wear resistance and good moisture resistance. It is also necessary that the boards have bevels. She will hide the joints. This will prevent the ingress of moisture and protect against possible deformation of the product. After installation, all joints are recommended to be additionally treated with mastic.

Bathroom

The main parameter when choosing a coating for the bathroom is moisture resistance. Such a laminate is made of PVC plates. They do not absorb water. This is a very durable option, which is practically not inferior to tile. There are products that have a rubber seal, this allows you to achieve 100% waterproof. It is recommended to use a laminate having a raised surface that prevents slipping.

Hallway

This room is characterized by high traffic, here the coating is constantly in contact with dirt and moisture. Therefore, the laminate must have a high class of wear and moisture resistance. These include 33 and 34 classes.

Children's room

The main parameters that should be considered when choosing a cover for a children's room are:

  • environmental friendliness;
  • hypoallergenicity;
  • fire safety;
  • heat.

Also, the product should be pleasant to the touch. A laminate with a childish design will be ideal, it is bright and has an unusual pattern that a child will really like. Since the room combines the functions of a bedroom and a playroom, the product must have a high class of resistance to mechanical damage.

Bedroom Hall

For these rooms, in addition to the resistance of the laminate to mechanical stress, other characteristics must be taken into account. For example, sound insulation. It is especially important for the bedroom. It provides comfort and coziness in the room. The coating and its substrate must be of high quality. This will reduce the noise level.

Some manufacturing companies produce products with a special soundproofing layer. True, they are somewhat more expensive. Also consider lighting and floor space. For small rooms with poor lighting, it is recommended to choose a laminate of bright colors. This will visually expand the space. Also, when installing the board, you can lay it across the room, this can also make it visually larger.

Expert Advice

In the market of finishing materials there are a large number of varieties of laminate. When choosing, you can easily get confused. Therefore, experts recommend paying attention to the following parameters:

  1. Manufacturing firm. Preference should be given to manufacturers with a good reputation.
  2. Check the words of the seller. Upon purchase, you may be asked to provide a product quality certificate.
  3. Independently study all the available news. Get acquainted with the experience of friends.
  4. You also need to take into account the main characteristics of the coating: moisture resistance, resistance to mechanical damage and noise insulation properties.

The range of laminate flooring is very wide. It will be a worthy choice for flooring and will easily fit into any interior.

Watch the video: Flooring 101: Your Guide To Selecting Flooring. The Home Depot (March 2024).

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