If you carefully look at the statistics of user requests to search engines of the global network, it becomes clear that at present topics are incredibly demanded in one way or another related to construction and repair. This is not surprising: we live in a time when old residential buildings and apartments inherited from grandparents require, at best, redecoration, and more often - overhaul. In this case, one of the most important tasks is the choice of flooring. Hence questions such as: "How to choose a laminate?".
The industry offers flooring options for every taste and budget: linoleum, parquet and its varieties, laminate, carpet, tile, etc. Today we’ll talk about how to choose a laminate. This coating most often turns out to be optimal in terms of characteristics / cost, although in each case there are some peculiarities.
If you take a plate of pressed sawdust or fibers of a certain thickness, saw it on strip-panels of standard sizes, impregnate several layers of special paper with a resin composition and bind them to the panels, you can get a laminate. Of course, this is a very simplified description, but it gives a general idea of the nature of the material. In large stores, consultants will always tell you how to choose a laminate for the floor, but we, in turn, will point out some key points. This will help you quickly understand what the consultant wants to say.
Arriving at the store, you should study the proposed laminate. How to choose a covering, we will tell now. Perhaps there is no need to study all the proposals in detail. First you need to determine the price: what exactly the cost per square meter of coverage is acceptable for your family budget. Many sources simply ignore this point, giving priority to quality. In fact, in the matter of how to choose a laminate, cost is more important. Because, having decided on the price, you can immediately discard cheaper and more expensive options, simplifying the selection process. It is not recommended to choose the cheapest items without good reason : despite the declared characteristics, such a laminate is suitable only for rooms with a minimum load. Of course, it will not crumble to dust in a year, but you need to be mentally prepared for the appearance of small gaps in castles or scuffs. The best choice is the middle price category: you need to add another 50-100% to the cost of the cheapest coverage. Currently (2013) it is a laminate with a price of $ 12-15 per sq.m.
There are several basic parameters that determine the quality of the laminate. It:
- manufacturer;
- class;
- locks;
- resistance to moisture.
Talking about how to choose a laminate, it is often recommended to purchase products only from well-known manufacturers. Indeed, in this case there is no doubt in quality. The downside is overpayment for the brand. In addition, even the most famous companies were once themselves little-known.
The class of the laminate indicates the level of its wear resistance. The lowest (21) is suitable for very small loads, and the highest (33 and 34) is suitable for rooms with a large flow of people (restaurants, clubs, shops). For home, it is better to purchase a laminate of class 31 and above.
Laminate panels are connected to one another in a monolithic coating by means of special end protrusions-locks. There are two types of them - Click and Lock. The first is simpler and more reliable. When laying a laminate with a Lock-system, you will have to turn to specialists, as this requires appropriate experience. There is another kind of connection - with the help of glue. This is the best option if the coating is mounted “once and for all” - spot repair in this case is not possible.
Moisture resistance determines how badly the coating is damaged when moisture gets on it. If you pour a glass of water on a cheap laminate and wipe everything after 5 minutes, then swelling will occur at the place where the material comes into contact with water. But moisture-resistant models can be safely laid even in the kitchen, although they are not recommended to be washed in the old fashion - pouring a bucket of water and “dispersing” it with a rag.
So, the main thing that you should pay attention to when buying a laminate is its manufacturing company, as well as the class and water resistance of the material.