Laminate flooring is constructed of various layers
that are fused together. The surface is a plastic type
of composition which is applied to the main core using
heat and pressure. The core is usually made of high
density fibre or particle board, and the backing can
be either a paper layer, or another layer of laminate.
There are normally 4 layers in the make-up of laminate
flooring and they can be assembled in two different
ways, which is either “direct pressure”
or “high pressure”. Some manufacture’s
also add an “underlayment” which is attached
to the underside of the laminate flooring.
This is designed to
add sound insulation qualities to the flooring and also
helps cushion the floor. The material which is usually
used is cork, felt, foam or other similar material.
the direct pressure method
With the direct pressure
method, all of the layers are assembled at the same
time and then heated and pressed together to form a
bond. This is the most common type of laminate flooring.
The High pressure method
This type of laminate
flooring is more often found in the expensive premium
end of the laminate flooring market. It is a relatively
new innovation which basically treats the top and bottom
layers of laminate flooring separately, and then fuses
these onto the core layer under extremely high pressure.
The 4 layers that makeup a typical type
of laminate flooring are :
The wear layer
This is the surface
that is walked on and is the top-most layer. It’s
typically made from cellulose paper that has been saturated
with melamine plastic resins. This gives laminate flooring
its excellent durability and scratch resistance.
The design layer
This is what gives
the laminate flooring its design, colour and characteristics.
It is the image that is seen through the wear layer
and is usually made from cellulose paper with a photograph
or a pattered print copied onto it. As it is below the
wear layer, and therefore protected, it can not be marked,
scuffed or fade.
The core layer
This is the
main part of laminate flooring and is usually
made from a type of particle board. Various strengths
and thickness can be found, and a thicker core
will be more stable. Some brands of laminate flooring
have the core layer treated with water repellant
chemicals, and others have Paraffin wax impregnated
joints to prevent water from penetrating down
into the core.
The stabilizing layer
This is the
very bottom layer that is usually made from cellulose
paper that has been saturated with melamine plastic
resins, just the same as the top layer. Its purpose
is to create equality on either side of the core
layer so that one side isn't affected differently
from the other, and thus have unnecessary movement
within the boards.
Flooring
News
Further
Information
This section is being updated.
Any branding, logo's or images found throughout
this site are possible trademarks and copyright of the respected companies.
