Laminate flooring is one of the most popular manufactured flooring options in the world. Initially a European innovation, laminate floors offer a number of different looks, thicknesses, surface patterns, and plank styles have taken the world by storm, rivaling the popularity of the natural wood, tile, and stone floors which laminate closely resembles.
Laminate floors are:
- easily installed
- easy to clean
- highly tasteful
- never needs to be stained, finished, or sealed
Despite its popularity, there remain to be misconceptions about laminate flooring, mostly having to do with what makes them entirely different from solid wood flooring.
What is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is designed to look just like a natural surface, most commonly a hardwood floor, natural stone tile, or ceramic tile. But, laminate is in a class by itself. It is an entirely manufactured product, with a number of layers, each one serving a purpose:
The protective layer. A layer of resin or other sealant that is designed to protect the plank from scratching and surface moisture.
The decorative layer. For design value, this is the layer that counts. This is also known as the �photographic layer�, in that the patterns and colors depicted are highly rendered photographs of natural materials such as a hardwood surface.
The core layer. This layer is comprised of either medium or high density fiberboard, which acts as a means of absorbing the stress of footfalls and other forms of impact, such as falling objects.
The backing layer. Holding all of the layers together, the backing layer stabilizes the board, giving it the strength that is needed to provide a sturdy flooring surface.
A laminate floor may be of varying thicknesses from line to line, and may also be varied in terms �AC ratings�. But the overall anatomy of laminate floors is designed to balance the value of look and performance. Laminate floors have the advantage of being very low-maintenance in terms of both installation and care.
Laminating Flooring AC Ratings
Laminate flooring is subject to what is called an AC rating, which is a measurement of how durable a laminate floor is in relation to where it is most suitable to be installed. The AC rating should always be considered when you’re buying laminate flooring.
When testing is completed, the rating is applied as follows:
• AC1 – suitable for infrequent traffic only; bedrooms are a good example
• AC2 – should be limited to specialized areas of the house not noted for high traffic – living rooms, for instance.
• AC3 – for general residential and light commercial use, including higher traffic areas like foyers and hallways.
• AC4 – ready for use in a wider range of commercial uses, like in boutiques and busy offices.
• AC5 – The highest rated variety of laminate flooring there is, suitable for areas known for heavy commercial traffic, like a department store.
This scope of these testing ranges from common sources of abrasion - furniture legs and castors, for instance – to more extreme sources of abrasion, like open flames.
Definition of a "Floating" Floor
Laminate flooring is laid directly over a substrate (or “subfloor”) without being directly fastened to it. This is what is known as a floating floor.
Laminate Flooring Locking Systems
One of the advantages of laminate flooring is how easy they are to install when compared to other types of flooring. Part of the reason this is the case comes down to the locking system built into each laminate flooring board.
Glue is Not Needed for Modern Laminate Floors
Although earlier versions of laminate flooring involved the requirement to apply wood glue during an installation, most lines now feature what is called a “glueless” tongue and groove locking system. The boards slide into place row by row without the use of nails, with a moisture barrier and underlay to separate the flooring from subfloor.
Laminate Flooring Moldings
Accessories like moldings give an installation a sense of completion. There are a variety of moldings to consider, depending on the type of space you’re looking to include in your flooring projects:
- Quarter round – a molding with a rounded exterior and flat back that butts against the wall at the edge of the flooring. When looking to place objects flush against the wall, quarter rounds are a good choice in moldings.
- Reducers – A transition molding that is placed flat on a floor between two rooms that have slight level differences – between laminate and tile, for example.
- End moldings – Yet another transition molding that is used when level differences between two rooms are even greater, or when looking to find a transition between a laminate floor and a sliding glass door, for instance.
- T-moldings – A transition molding used between two rooms of the same level. This type of molding is shaped like a “T” when looked at in a cross-section
- Baseboards – A very commonly known molding with a flat vertical surface or “profile”, used in the same way as a quarter round; a transition between floor and wall.
- Baseshoes – A combination of the baseboard and quarter round; a flat profile, with a rounded lip at the bottom of the molding. This molding is used when shallower profiles are required – behind bookshelves, for instance.
- Stairnose – For use when making a transition between a laminate floor and stairs. The molding hooks over the edge of the first stair, with one edge on the surface of the flooring, and the other on the vertical face of the stair.