Each of us has heard about the merits of a laminate more than once or twice. But on the shelves of stores and supermarkets to date a huge assortment of such goods is presented. In this article we will tell you how to choose a laminate for an apartment and a house.
Manufacturer
When choosing a laminate manufacturer, do not be afraid to overpay for a known name or brand. After all, it is not a trifle like a mixer or hair curlers, which, in case of breakage, can easily be replaced with new ones. Low quality laminate will cost you a much greater "headache", forcing to remodel repairs throughout the house.
Among the companies producing laminate flooring are:
Balterio, Parkelam, Faus, EPI, HDM, Kronotex, BerryAlloc, LaminatPark, Haro, Kaindl, MeisterWerke, Tarkett Parador, Pergo, Quick Step, Vario Clic, Poliface, Wineo, Skema, Yildiz Sunta
Load class
This parameter characterizes the resistance of the coating to wear and the maximum load that it can withstand without loss of performance.
The load class is denoted by a two-digit number, the higher it is, the stronger is the laminate. It is generally accepted that a laminate of class 21-23 is suitable for a home environment, and in a public room( office, cafe or conference room) it is possible to lay a cover with a load class of 35-38.However, experienced experts advise not to be greedy and acquire laminate with some margin of safety. So, a laminate for an apartment, for example, must have a load class of at least 32nd. Do not forget that the floor in the hallway should be stronger than in the rooms.
Thickness
The thickness of the laminate is directly related to these properties:
- resistance to mechanical stress;
- thermal insulation qualities;
- soundproofing.
However, a laminate with thicker tiles and is much more expensive than a thin coating. Therefore, you need to look for the "golden mean".Most often in the living rooms lay a laminate thickness of 8 mm. If you really need to save - put a tile thickness of 7 mm, more thin it is better not to use. An exception is the situation where the floors in the house are heated. In this case, a thinner laminate will better transfer heat from the heaters built into the floor.
Density
The density value( specific gravity by volume) manufacturers do not always indicate, but it is this parameter that allows one to judge objectively the strength characteristics of the material objectively. If you did not find the density value on the package, do the following:
- multiply the total area of all laminate tiles in the package by their thickness and translate the resulting value into cubic meters( this data can always be found on the package);
- divide the mass in kilograms( net) of the laminate by the calculated value of the volume, thus obtaining the density value.
High-quality laminate has a density of not less than 850 kg / cc.m
Presence of formaldehyde in
The laminate is positioned as an environmentally friendly, safe material for health. But some of its cheap varieties can contain in its composition an excessive amount of formaldehyde. During the exploitation of the floor, this substance gradually evaporates, poisoning the air in the room and damaging the health of the occupants. Look for the brand "E1" on the packaging of the floor covering. It means that the concentration of formaldehyde in this product meets European standards.
Warranty period
Longer warranty period is an advantage, rather, conditional. Even if the laminate flooring has lost its appearance or functionality without your participation, it will be very difficult to prove that you have carefully observed all the care rules provided for in the guarantee agreement.
Accordingly, it is unlikely that you will easily replace a damaged laminate with a new one under the warranty. But on the other hand, the manufacturer's warranty indicates its confidence in the quality of its products. Hence, the laminate is thoroughly tested at the enterprise and the probability of getting defective products on the shelves is low.
Presence of V-groove( chamfer)
Many believe that the purpose of this element is limited to purely decorative functions. Indeed, in appearance the laminate with chamfer can not be distinguished from the board from natural wood. But in addition, the presence of a chamfer makes the joints between the lamellae almost invisible. Someone will object that they are not so conspicuous. Yes, if it's a newly laid laminate. However, joints tend to become more and more pronounced over time, especially if some water has entered them and the core inside the lamellas is slightly swollen. So, you should not underestimate the facet.
Water Resistance
As is known, contact with water is strictly contraindicated to the laminate, but the waterproof "version" can resist moisture for some time, preventing it from penetrating to the core. As for the joints of the waterproof laminate, they are also afraid of water, as well as the usual. Therefore, after installation, they must be rubbed with a special water-repellent mastic.
In fact, a water-resistant laminate is a laminate for the kitchen. Humidity characteristic of the bathroom, of course, he will not survive.
Color solution
To correctly choose a laminate for your home, you need to evaluate a combination of such factors:
- style and the color palette of the interior in the room;
- geometric parameters of the room;
- illuminance.
If the design of the room or house is made in a classical style, then the floor can be laid laminate, imitating the noble species of the tree: oak, mahogany, beech.
If you need to choose a laminate for the interior in the style of country or retro, pay attention to the coating with the effect of rubbing the texture.
Do you want to choose a laminate in color for a design in the style of "Contemporary" or "Vanguard"?Your attention can be offered black and white laminate with a glossy or matte surface. Greatly accentuated by the style of the environment and the combination of these colors.
How to choose a laminate if the room has small dimensions, low ceiling and poor lighting? Here, preference should be given to light tones. A bleached oak, a withered white pine, a wenge-cremona - a light surface of the floor will transform the room, giving a sense of light and space.
If the design of the room is made in cold colors, you can add a little heat with a laminate of reddish or orange shades: walnut, cherry, alder.
In a spacious and well-lit room with windows facing south, the floor of the dark laminate will look very impressive. You can choose a laminate floor for gray or dark brown color. Just do not forget to install enough bright artificial lighting in such a room, otherwise in the evening, this situation will look depressing.
Experiments with a dark color of the floor will not be appropriate for a small room, even if it is very well lit. Thanks to the dark floor, it will seem even smaller.
In addition to color, a large part is played by the pattern on the laminate. Correctly using pronounced strips you can visually change the proportions of the room: the narrow room will appear wider, the long one - a little shorter.
