Laminate Flooring
Laminate Floors Look like Hardwood
Laminate flooring is a tongue and groove interlocking flooring system that comes in either planks or squares. All of these floors have a wear layer, a decorative print film layer, an inner core structure, and some type of backing support layer. The decorative print film layer is either fused or glued to the
inner core. The print film can be a photo of any real floor. The wear layer is applied to the decorative print layer to protect the pattern. Melamine resins are the main component of the wear layer. The melamine surface gets its incredible durability from aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is almost as hard as diamonds and provides unsurpassed wear and stain resistance. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish laminate from the material it is mimicking. Laminate also has an easy to clean surface that protects the floor from stains, fading or wear. Laminate's powers of impersonation allow you to get the look and feel of rare, exotic wood or expensive stone at a fraction of the cost, with no natural material drawbacks.
What is Laminate Flooring?
 Laminate flooring has a layered construction:
A) Wear layer: This easy-to-clean surface contains aluminum oxide which protects the floor from stains, fading and wear.
Look for an abrasion classification (A/C) rating of at least 3 for adequate residential use protection.
B) Image design layer: A photographic image of wood, stone, or virtually anything you can imagine.
C) Inner core layer: The core provides the floor’s structural strength and stability. It is made from high-density fiberboard (HDF). The core is often impregnated with a plastic resin called melamine to increase the floor’s strength, stability and resistance to moisture. Products that have high levels of melamine do not require acclimation before installation.
D) Backing layer: Found beneath the inner core, the backing is made with resin saturated paper. It creates a moisture barrier that protects the floor from warping.
All laminate floor layers are fused together using one of two processes. DPL, or direct pressure laminate, is the most common construction for residential use. HPL, or high-pressure laminate, is an extra-hard construction. The difference between the two relates to cost, performance and design realism. DPL is less expensive, has the same gouge resistance as HPL when objects are dropped at or below counter height, and is easier to emboss for more realistic texture. HPL is more expensive and less likely to gouge if items are dropped from above counter-top height, but is harder to emboss, so it doesn’t look as realistic.
ADVANTAGES OF USAGE OF LAMINATE OVER THE OTHER MATERIAL
It is highly resistant to abrasion, breaking and failure.
It has very low water-absorbing capacity.
It is highly resistant to high temperatures (20 minutes at 356F (180C).
It is highly resistant to moisture.
The vertical and horizontal application of the material allows design flexibility for commercial & residential use.
It has attractively low cost compared to wood coating.
It has post forming features.
Laminate Flooring Manufacturers
 PERGO is one of the leading laminate manufacturers, and makes it easier for the do-it-yourselfer. In recent years, Pergo has introduced several new floors that make installation even easier for the do-it-yourselfer. If you wish to install
Find the floor that fits your needs and installation skill. Pergo floors are available with different installation techniques. It's important to choose the type of flooring installation that suits your needs and installation skill. New glueless click-together systems are popular among do-it-yourselfers. Installation is relatively fast and there are no straps or messy residue to clean when you're finished. Most people can complete a 300 square foot room over the course of a weekend.
Traditionally, glued floors offer the most secure installation with long-lasting, tight fitting seams. Until now, it was glued floors for maximum security and click-together floors for ease and speed. Now there's a new way, revolutionary CertainSeal technology - a patent pending joint with pre-applied glue. A pre-glued floor offers the performance of a glued floor and the easy installation of a click floor. We even offer additional warranty coverage with pre-glued floors: the floor will not develop gaps when properly installed!
All Pergo flooring is warranted against wear-through-stains and fading and will resist water damage from everyday spills and damp mopping when water is promptly removed. Some Pergo flooring has additional warranty coverage. See your individual warranty details or your authorized Pergo dealer for more information.
 Armstrong laminate flooring provides an upscale appearance with the characteristics of real wood and stone. It is easy to care for as well as scratch- and moisture resistant. MasterWorks technology enables Armstrong to create the most realistic, clear, and vibrant laminate floor designs. Our patented ArmaLock Laminate Flooring Installation system makes it easy to install a laminate floor without glue. Armstrong's Do-It-Yourself Center provides helpful advice for your DIY project including home improvement and installation instructions.
 MOHAWK INDUSTRIES is one of the largest and oldest floor covering manufacturers in the United States. Today, the Mohawk brand name means more than just carpet. Mohawk has an entire family of flooring brands including carpeting, rugs, mats, ceramic tile, laminate floors and hardwood flooring. So when you purchase a Mohawk floor you are purchasing more than just a floor, you are also buying from a brand name that American families have trusted for over 120 years. Mohawk hardwood floors offer handcrafted beauty and exceptional quality by using the finest hardwoods and the exclusive CrystalShield™ finish. Engineered hardwood floors are offered for those who want a real hardwood floor and do not want to worry about the problems normally associated with solid wood. Mohawk laminate flooring combines beautiful styling, textures and colors with the exclusive DuraLoc® installation systems. Choose from either the DuraLoc® glueless floors or the DuraLoc® Plus with the pre-glued grooves for superior plank locking. Mohawk Laminate Flooring can be installed almost anywhere in the home, including over dry concrete slabs, wooden subfloors, as well as many types of existing floors.
 Shaw...Where Great Floors Begin. Shaw creates great floors for the places where we live, work, learn, and gather. Most importantly, Shaw creates great flooring for the places we call home. That's a privilege we take seriously. Shaw, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is headquartered in Dalton, Georgia. Shaw produces and sells carpet, rugs, ceramic, hardwood, and laminate flooring for residential and commercial applications throughout the world. To be exact, we manufacture more than 700 million square yards of floor covering every year--enough to wrap a 6-foot wide path around the earth's equator 7 times.
 Alloc laminate flooring installs with ease. The joint locking system aligns the boards precisely. And since you don't have to wait for glue to dry, Alloc installs twice as fast as glued laminates and can be used immediately. Plus, you don't have to clean messy glue that seeps up through the seams. Alloc's high-density fiberboard core stands up to heavy pressure, and its durable melamine surface resists damage from heavy foot traffic. Plus, the plank edges are impregnated with wax for excellent moisture resistance. The patented intregal locking system provides a strong, tight hold on this beautiful flooring.
|
