Laminate is one of the most popular floor coverings, however, are you sure that you know about it? So the choice was not a disappointment after a couple of years, is to listen to the recommendations of the experts, who know what is really important to pay attention to when choosing and laying laminate flooring and which features just a clever publicity stunt.
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What is a modern laminate?
Laminate is a layered cake in the middle of the plate moistureproof MDF/HDF (typically 6-8 mm thick), on which the main burden falls. The top layer is the visible eye the front part with decorative film, which can be applied to absolutely any image, and a protective film based on melamine or equivalent to increase strength and impart antistatic properties. All layers, including an intermediate strip of paper with special impregnation, which is responsible for soundproofing and protection from extremes of temperature and humidity, are securely pressed under high temperature and pressure.
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Many consider laminate flooring alternative to hardwood. In fact, it can be called alternative any finishing material, because the decorative layer can be applied to drawing with textured and stone, and wood, and ceramic tiles, and the Andromeda nebula.
Modern laminate flooring has a number of useful properties: for example, practical support combustion. Stress tests showed that he had no problems going through contact with three burning cigarettes.
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More difficult is the case with the liquid, because moisture-resistant does not equal water resistant. The first involves the ability to use laminate in the wet areas of the kitchen or bathroom, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to transfer hosted by the neighbors flood. Left for a day under the water layer laminate without high moisture resistance expanded on average by 18%, which for a floor covering is critical. Natural parquet, as a rule, restores its size, and the conventional laminate is not.
It is important to consider when choosing laminate?
The European producers of laminate is marked with the classification of the durability (31, 32, 33, 34), however, in Russia the official classification as such, no. As a result, any manufacturer can claim any class, and the laminate of Chinese companies have high wear resistance.
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The situation is similar with the environmental certification of the laminate, so the standards E1, E0 for the products of Chinese firms may also not have a real reason.
Expert advice: from the point of view of environmental and safety for health it is important that the laminate corresponded to the non-state European certification “GreenGuard” or “Blue Angel”, the accuracy of which can be checked on official websites.
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Do not worry! Class of durability and abrasion resistance to the laminate in the home is not so important, because the permeability of your living room does not compare to the office or shop. More likely is that the laminate will be ruined homes due to spills or flooding neighbors than from the fact that you wiped to holes. Much more important is the density and the moisture resistance HDF. The denser and higher quality is the basis of the laminate, the longer it will last and the stronger will be the coupling of the locks. If you noticed in shopping centers diverge plank laminate in the center of the room, keep in mind that this is a consequence of the poor design of castles.
It is important to consider: the specialists of the company “I-shop”, a major supplier of floor coverings in Moscow, noted that the thickness does not affect the strength of the laminate. Accordingly, samples usually with a thickness of about 8 mm, and 12 mm Chinese to create the illusion of greater strength.
The use of the laminate in the interior
Laminate not only can reproduce any color and surface texture, but also gives wide possibilities for composition: it can be square, rectangular and in the form of wooden planks of different lengths. Most importantly, remember that high humidity is only suitable special water-resistant laminate.
The advice of the designer: when choosing the color of the laminate, pay attention to how it will be combined with interior doors. You can find the longest match in color and texture and intends to play on contrasts.
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Who said that laminate — only floor? Increasingly, there are design projects, which use this material for decoration of the walls and even the ceiling. This budget and the original version of the design of accent walls, zoning or just creating unusual interior for those who are tired of the usual paint and Wallpaper.
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Laminate is an affordable version of the imitation of luxury floor coverings, not limiting your imagination. Want square tiles under the tile in the kitchen or a long die, like solid wood on the ceiling in the living room? Why not!
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