About Laminate Flooring

Why Choose Laminate?

Laminates are extremely durable and are great for homes with a high degree of foot traffic. Children and pets add significantly to traffic in a home. Laminate are incredibly easy to maintain and will not fade, even in direct sunlight.

Most of today’s laminates are also made featuring a click-together tongue and groove system which makes them far easier to install than other flooring types. In addition, laminate flooring is designed to be installed as a floating floor, which means laminate can be installed anywhere in your home.

History of Laminate

Laminate flooring is becoming the alternative of choice for homeowners looking for good looks, durability and affordability. Laminate was invented in 1977 by the Swedish company Pergo and introduced to the US market in 1994. Since its release, then name "Pergo," has become synonymous with laminate flooring.

Laminate Construction

Essentially all laminate floors are composed of three layers:

1. The Surface Wear Layer
2. The Core
3. Backing

The surface is typically made of an extremely tough-wearing aluminum oxide with a printed photograph adhered to the clear surface. The wood appearance commonly found with laminate floors is a photograph applied to a melamine laminate layer.

The core board or "carrier board" is made up of a variety of materials depending on the manufacturer. Most manufacturers use high-density fiberboard, or HDF, which is a durable engineered wood product which resists moisture. Other laminate cores are a high-density wood particle core, which is better at absorbing glue at the joints than HDF.

The backing board varies from a paper layer to a full plastic laminate layer depending on manufacturer. Laminates featuring a plastic of melamine backing are more stable and may be better against potential water damage than those with paper backings.

All of these layers are fused together by heat and pressure by one of two processes, direct-pressure construction or high-pressure construction. A direct-pressure laminate, or DPL, is assembled at once, then heated and pressed to form a bond. High-pressure laminate, or HPL, is assembled by treating the top and bottom layers separately and then fusing them to the core layer under extreme pressure. HPL is a newer process of creating laminate and is often found in more expensive, premium brands.