Laminate flooring
The standard name of laminate flooring is laminate floor covering.
laminate flooring is usually made up of four layers: top layer which is named abrasion resistance layer; second layer which is named decorative layer; third layer which is consists of HDF, MDF or flakeboard; bottom layer which is named balance back layer. The four layers are incorporated into one product by heavy pressure and high temperature.
The fist layer mainly consists of even AL2O3. AL2O3 is main material of manmade diamond. So you can see how tough the surface is. The strength of top layer is decided by the density of AL2O3. If the density is too high, it will affect not only the flexility and durability, but also transparence and polish of the surface. For domestic purpose, 4000-6000 turns are enough.
The second layer is made up of decorative paper which has been dipped in melamine first.
The third layer, core, is the main part of laminate flooring. Most manufacturers use HDF or MDF for the core because HDF or MDF has many advantages which solid wood doesn�t have such as even density. The core color is green or brown. Green core is a bit more moisture resistant.
The fourth layer is usually made up of polyester material which can resist vapor from the subfloor and balance other 3 layers.
Now there is a new layer for choice: silence layer. The layer consists of cork or foam. It is attached to the back of balance back layer to reduce noise. Laminate is a floating type of flooring. There is some noise when people walk on it. The silence layer can remove most of the noise. It main colors are black, brown and blue. The thickness of the layer is usually 2mm and 3mm.
The main finishes for laminate flooring are big embossed surface, middle embossed surface, little embossed surface, silk surface, crystal surface, mirror surface, V groove, feather grain surface and hand scraped surface. Embossed surface, silk surface and feather grain surface are rough surface. Mirror surface and crystal surface are of smooth. Little embossed surface and crystal surface are the most popular finishes.
The usually dimensions are as follows: length: 807mm and 1214mm; width: 90mm, 126mm, 143mm, 163mm and 193mm; thickness: 7mm, 8.3mm and 12.3mm. The most popular size is 1213*193*8.3mm or similar one.
Laminate flooring is fitted together with normal tongue and groove before. Now most laminate flooring locks together with locking system. The most popular locking systems are double click, single click and round click.