A Closer Look at Laminate Floors

The strength and durability of laminate floors owes a great deal to its construction. Laminate floors are made in such a way that they resist staining, fading, and denting. It's fascinating to see what laminate flooring is made of and how it is put together.

Laminate floors are usually made up of four layers either one of two processes to become the finished product:

Wear Layer - this is the topmost surface of laminate floors, the part that is walked upon. It is made from cellulose paper saturated with melamine resin that gives laminate flooring its scratch-resistant qualities.

DÉcor Layer - this is the design of the laminate flooring itself. It is a photograph of a wood, stone , or tile design rendered on cellulose paper. This gives laminate flooring its aesthetic look. Also, since this layer is protected above by the Wear Layer, the design will not fade, mark, or scuff.

Core Layer - this layer supports the weight of foot traffic and is usually made from a type of particle board. Various thicknesses of core layers can be found among flooring boards and it is the thicker core that will be more stable. Some brands of laminate floors treat the core layer with paraffin wax or other water-repellent chemicals to prevent water and other fluids from seeping onto the core layer and causing damage.

Stabilizing Layer - this layer, coated with melamine resins (as with the top layer) to give laminate floors their strength and stability. It creates equality on both sides of the core layer so that one side is not affected differently from the other, preventing unnecessary movement within the boards.

These four layers undergo pressure lamination in order to be assembled. They are put together using either one of these two methods:

The direct pressure method is the most common method used in laminate flooring construction. With this method, the layers are assembled, heated, and pressed together to form a bond.

In the high pressure method, the top and bottom layer are treated separately and then are fused to the core layer using high pressure. This method is used in laminate floors in premium-quality laminates marketed to high-end clients.