Laminate Flooring has gained popularity and market share sense it's introduction during the mid 1980's. It is a very durable and forgiving type of product with many excellent patterns and interior design possibilities. The patterns can be so realistic that people often think a laminate floor is real wood, marble, tile, or stone. This type of flooring is so good that it replaces some sales of real wood floors and some sales of good sheet vinyl floors. Typically, the installed price is less than real wood floors and about the same as good sheet vinyl floors. The labor charge should be less than both wood and sheet flooring. Laminate flooring is a good choice for do-it-your-selfers.
A generation ago, the term laminate flooring would have meant strips of real wood that were laminated together at 90 degree angles to form a dimensionally stronger wood floor than solid wood planks can make, (and can be installed below grade). We now call that Engenered Wood Flooring.
Today the terms Laminate Flooring and Floating Floors refer to a class of synthetic flooring products that are hard, thin, and designed to be lose-laid over an accompanying foam pad. Yes, there are some thin engineered wood floors made to float over foam padding. The main advantage is that you may be able to lightly sand then re-stain and re-finish the wood. This page concerns the synthetic floors.
Laminate flooring starts with a core of processed wood fiber. This is fast growth wood, ground into a pulp with water and melamine resin added. Then the pulp is pressed into particle board, or fiber board in high-medium-or low destiny. Melamine is a high-melting organic base hard plastic, (C3 H6 N6). Remember melamine cups, plates and pitchers? If flood water or persistent moisture from a shower is allowed to seep into the core, it will swell up and ruin that part of the floor. The better floors are made with superior moisture penetration resistance. This costs more of course.
Directly above the wood fiber core is one or more layers of plastic laminate. The top one imprinted with the pattern of the floor. The pattern can be anything the manufacturer believes the public desires. To prevent slipping, the plastic layer(s) can be textured in a way compatible with the pattern. Dimpling for tile and marble looks, small troughs in the wood look designs, whatever works.
Above the pattern layer is a clear coating of aluminum oxide. This is the wearlayer, very tough. Aluminum oxide is also used in sandpaper and grinding wheels. When you glide your fingers over this type of flooring in the store, you are feeling aluminum oxide. To prevent slipping, this coating MUST have some texture, typically satin. Water will not pass through this coating. The most frequent complaint about this type of flooring is about water spots from people who wet mop their floor instead of sweeping or damp mop as per cleaning instructions. Few compounds can actually stain aluminum oxide.
Note: Some manufacturers are now producing lower grade floors to compete with low price points. Same pattern layer in a cheaper floor. As this practice spreads, we may find urethane instead of aluminum oxide as a finish.
What is below the wood fiber core is significantly different from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Attached to the bottom of the wood fiber core is ether a layer of paper or another plastic laminate with no pattern. This bottom layer completes the structural integrity of the product. I prefer a laminate layer that blocks moisture from below the floor. Then by sealing the exposed edges of the floor with adhesive and the manufacturers own silicone sealer, you can effectively block moisture from entering into the core, even in a shower area.
The foam Pad, or underlayment, is significant to how this type of flooring works. The pad serves as a lubricant to the expansion and contraction of the floor as well as protect the floor from minor irregularities in the subfloor. The pad may be a vapor and/or moisture barrier. The pad cushions the floor. (If you drop a coffee mug onto the floor, the mug may or may not break. Without the pad, the mug would shatter.) Walking on this type of floor simulates walking on a wood floor. In a way, the pad can 'tune' the sound of walking on the floor to sound like walking on a real wood floor. Some manufactures have different pads to enhance properties of their standard pads like sound deadening or blocking moisture.
It is also possible to lay this type of flooring over a tight small level loop carpet, especially if the carpet was full spread glued down unitary backed carpet. The glue acts as the vapor barrier and the carpet pile provides the cushioning. Please ask your salesperson for warranty information if this is something you wish to do.
For your convenience, I have added a sub-page that is a .GIF image of Graph Paper with one line of text for returning to this page. All you need do is click, PRINT, then return click.
It pays to look closely at any labor estimates to see what is included. When you have a low estimate, look for things not included. A Flooring estimate will have basically four parts.
The cost of materials should be itemized for your benefit. The labor charges must be itemized if you are to compare different installers and to protect yourself from sloppy work. If you pay for something that was not done, the written estimate is what you take to small claims court. Please remember that an estimate is subject to alteration if the installer encounters a situation that was not known at the time the estimate was first written. For example; the installer scrapes up two layers of vinyl flooring to discover a damaged or unsuitable subfloor.
At this point I would like to explain a typical lobar estimate. Note: Remove and Re-install is abbreviated as R/RI Install is abbreviated as Ins. Prepare is abbreviated as Prep.
By adding a detailed list of materials supplied by the retailer, with cost and sales tax if applicable, you have a full estimate.
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