How to choose a laminate class? This question was asked by everyone who thought about changing old floors or building a new house.
When choosing laminate flooring, the following should be taken into account:indicators: class, surface type, lock type, wear resistance, markings on the packaging. The question is certainly quite natural, but perhaps a little premature. After all, the class is far from a complete indicator of the suitability of the laminate for a particular room. There are other parameters that must be taken into account when choosing a coating
What you need to know about the surface of the laminate?
If you are planning to build a new home or change the floors inold, the owner should start not with which class of laminate will be the most justified, but with the aesthetic side of the issue. It is no secret that floors are an important component of the interior. Floors, walls, ceiling, furniture should form a single harmonious ensemble. To meet this requirement, you first need to think about what kind of pattern will become a real decoration of your home. It is known that laminate is a multi-layer product that can imitate any structure. The color and shades of the decorative layer are so diverse that it is impossible to count them. Stone or wood, tile or parquet, one-, two- or three-strip, resembling small planks pattern - all these surfaces and hundreds of others can be imitated by laying on the floor not expensive coverings, but ordinary laminate. The choice of pattern depends solely on personal preferences. But the surface of the laminate must be selected, focusing on the place where this covering will be laid. The surface can be:
Laminate surface types.
Any class of laminate can have a different surface structure. Return to contents</a>
Glue or chrome laminate?
Once the design and surface of the laminate have been selected,It is necessary to decide which type of laminate (adhesive or locking) is preferable in a particular room. Adhesive laminate is a covering, each "board" of which has additional protrusions for applying glue. During installation, all parts are tightly glued together. What is good about this type of laminate? Because its seams are completely sealed. Water will never get into them, the parts will not swell, and the floors will not "puff up". However, laying such a covering is long and inconvenient. It is necessary to carefully adjust the parts, and ventilate the room well. Adhesive laminate is a one-time covering. It is impossible to move it to another place. Buying this type will be justified if you plan to keep the floors for several 10-15 years, and then lay new ones in their place. Such floors can be washed with a wet cloth. Locking laminate is laid faster. It got its name due to the fact that each of its "boards" is equipped with a special lock. Today, this type has practically ousted the glue variety from the market. Locks can be different. Here are some of them:
Scheme of laying laminate with different types of locks.
If the buyer has decided on the choice of lock, hecan proceed to choosing the class of laminate. There is another way. You can first choose the class, and then inquire about what type of lock the selected lamellas are equipped with. Return to the table of contents</a>
Laminate class as an indicator of wear resistance
To choose the class of laminate, you need toget acquainted with information about commercial and domestic laminate. Domestic is the variety intended exclusively for home use. Laminate of this type belongs to the lowest price category, but the service life, wear resistance and resistance to mechanical damage are significantly lower than that of the coating intended for commercial use. The commercial variety is distinguished by significant prices, but having covered the floors with wear-resistant laminate, you can forget about changing the flooring for many years. Don't want to overpay? Then you will have to determine the expected load on the floor. Domestic include lamellas of class 21-23.
The class of laminate depends on the load on the floor in the room (the greater the expected load, the higher the class used).
Can you install commercial laminate flooring at home?This is exactly what most Russians do today. Although such laminate is more expensive, it will last much longer. At home, the service life of commercial laminate, indicated on the packaging, increases by two to two and a half times. So, if the instructions for a batch of class 32 indicate a service life of 6 years, this means that at home it will last at least 15 years. However, you cannot stop even at the choice of "class". Return to contents</a>
What else do you need to know when buying laminate flooring?
There are certain subtleties thatManufacturers prefer not to advertise, so they print very small font on instructions and packaging. However, not only the service life of the laminate, but also the health of people who will live or work in a room with such floors may depend on these details.
Example of markings on laminate packaging (table).
Each batch of laminate must have conditionalmarkings that will tell you how hygienic this coating is, how resistant it is to mechanical or chemical damage, ultraviolet radiation, etc. When buying, you should definitely pay attention to them.
If all the features of the laminate are taken into account when purchasing, the floors will last 10-15 years without repair.
