We tell how not to be mistaken with the choice of class of laminate, do not confuse moisture and waterproof coating, as well as to lay and how to care for the laminated floor.
Why is laminate so popular? From the point of view of design, it has no equal in the imitation of natural drawings and reliefs of the surface of a tree or stone. And with the consumer qualities of this floor covering, many are familiar not at all. It can be found in most new buildings with finished finish. Yes, and in the old residential foundation there is an active replacement of a piece parquet and a modular parquet board for a more durable and practical material. However, in the commercial hall among the huge number of collections, choose several samples and determine which one is better, not easy. We tell what laminate to choose for the apartment and what to pay attention to.
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Choose laminated floor for apartment
Plank schemeWhere you can install
Common errors when choosing
Tips for choosing
Features of care
Protection against water
What can reduce service life
What is a laminate?
Look at the plank schema:
1 - transparent wear-resistant layer for protection;
2 - decorative layer, reproduces a pattern of natural wood, stone or ceramic tile;
3 - The base of high-density wood-fibrous plate (HDF) is responsible for the stability of the plank, stability;
4 - stabilizing layer, prevents the strap deformation.
Where you can install
This is truly universal material. It can be laid in bedrooms, living rooms, children's, hallways and kitchens.
Also began to actively lay in country houses, including seasonal residence. But it is risky, since the warranty will apply only to decoration in residential areas with constant temperature and small moisture fluctuations: from 30% in winter to 60% in summer.
Seasonal country house most of the cold season is not heated, and naturally, the floors are heated in it, then cool. Such climatic cataclysms are not useful for finishing.
Today, the material can also serve as the original design of the walls. The planks are fixed directly on the base using silicone glue and studs (nails without a hat) or on a wooden crate. Of course, you should not use such a facing near water sources, as a kitchen apron or wall decoration in the bathroom.
Heavy items are not attached only to wall decoration. Their reliable installation will ensure the fastening elements that have passed through the laminate and fixed in the carrier part of the wall.
5 Errors when choosing a laminate
1. Wrong choice of wear resistance
The most common error is the wrong choice of wear resistance. The parameter affects the price, so many in the desire to save take the cheapest option, forgetting that it does not suit the premises with a big passability. Typical case: Happy new buildings took a beautiful, but cheap product and stuck it all over the apartment, including the hallway. And after a couple of rainy seasons, it spoiled from constant high humidity and mechanical loads.Therefore, the first thing to pay attention to is exactly the class. It shows how much the coating is durable, resistant to abrasion and scratches. In specialized stores and network hypermarkets, the entire line of decors from those darked to dark is usually represented in different classes. Therefore, you can find a suitable object on color and texture.
Before going to the store, first of all, determine, for which room you pick up the floor covering, it will be from this that the choice will depend on it. For example, for premises with low patency, such as bedrooms or living rooms, according to grade 31, and for rooms with medium permeability - kitchens, living room, children's, corridor or office - it is better to use a more durable 32 class. For the premises, which accounted for the greatest load, it is better to choose 33 class products, they can be laid even in the hallways.
For your convenience, we have made a consolidated table. It marked in it, for which rooms what class laminate is better to choose.
Recommended class | Room | Comments |
|---|---|---|
Grade 31 | Bedroom, Living Room (for a small family), Cabinet | Not |
Grade 32. | Children's, living room for a large and hospitable family. Kitchen or corridor | Perfectly suitable for pet apartments |
Grade 33. | Bathroom, Kitchen or Corridor | Perfectly suitable for pet apartments |
2. Incorrect thickness
The second important parameter defining the quality and operational properties is the thickness of the board. It affects how noisy will be the floor covering, that is, the thinner, the better the neighbors will hear your steps.
The thickness of the cheapest goods starts from 6 mm, and the thickness of the boards in the expensive 33 class coating can reach 12 mm, like a parquet board. This often comes across lovers to save, which choose the product level higher, but do not take into account the thickness, as a result, they get resistant to scratch, but very "noisy" floor.
What thickness of the laminate to choose for an apartment? If heavy furniture and equipment are installed in the room, it is better not to use a coating thinner than 10 mm, otherwise it will not endure long static loads. However, if you plan to lay a lamella on a warm floor, choose thinner boards, because they will be better passing heat.
3. Inappropriate shade
So that the room looks harmoniously and visually "did not disintegrate" into separate parts, all finishing materials must be supplemented in one color scheme - warm or cold, even if they are contrasting shades, such as dark floors and light doors.
If you want to visually expand a small room, use light cold tones in the finish, and if you want to make too much more comfortable space, choose a warm color gamut.
When choosing, we advise not to rely only on memory, but be sure to take samples of the materials that you plan to use in the interior, and before buying to watch how they are combined.
4. Moisture-resistant laminate confused with waterproof
Humidity is one of the main enemies of this material: if the water falls into the joint, the boards are easily absorbed and swell, irregularities appear and decorative coating. Manufacturers have taken into account this feature and offer waterproof options that can be laid in such premises as a kitchen and even bathroom. If you decide to such an experiment, most importantly, do not confuse moisture and waterproof laminate.
What is the difference? At the heart of the moisture-resistant is a fibrefacetic stove of high strength, it is treated with paraffin and other compositions that can protect the board from moisture exposure only for a while. Such a coating will withstand various pollution and wet cleaning, prevents the development of mold and fungus. But if you immediately not wipe the water from the surface immediately, it will penetrate inside the junction, the finish will begin to deform and rise, as a result, the floor will become uneven. Moisture-resistant laminate changes the volume when the temperatures are discharged, so only for kitchens and hallways are suitable. But for the bathroom, saunas, balcony or veranda, it is no longer suitable.
Survive direct contact with water can only waterproof type. It is able to withstand the continuing effect of water, it is not deformed when the temperature drops and is practically not wears. All waterproof joints are treated with a preheated wax, and the surface is made not slippery and give it antistatic properties, so that dust does not settle on it.
5. Non-refined savings on the substrate
Another typical situation when when drawing up the estimate for repairs forget to turn on the substrate. As a result, you have to spend time on additional trips to the store. Or take the cheapest substrate option, if the entire budget was spent, and then they regret it strongly. After all, the high-quality substrate not only lines the concrete surface, but also provides additional noise and thermal insulation, softens the shock load and extends the service life of the floor covering up to 5 years.
The cheapest substrate has a large, but non-obvious minus - the smell. Of course, an unpleasant fragrance will destroy, but from this substrate will not cease to allocate chemicals that can be toxic and cause allergies. Therefore, we recommend not save and choose options from natural materials, such as a cork or coniferous substrate.
The technical cork does not electrify, which means that the dust does not attract, does not absorb foreign smells, hypoallergenne and contributes to the natural regulation of the indoor climate. The coniferous substrate is made of 100% natural materials - wood coniferous wood. It significantly reduces the "shock" noises, the room will become significantly warmer due to the low thermal conductivity of the material. The density of the coniferous substrate is chosen in such a way as to smooth out the small irregularities of the "rough" floor and protect the locks from excessive pressure.
The final elements include plinths of different heights, widths, configurations, as well as overlays on the inlets of the elements of the heating system and the threshing.
How to choose high-quality laminate
- Select the manufacturer's products with a guarantee.
- Do not chase for cheap, as too cheap and high-quality goods do not happen.
- Pay attention to the connection type. There are so-called "click" when the lamellas are connected using locks, and "Lock" - when items are as if drove into each other. The first, of course, more convenient.
- Do not buy a product with a strong smell.
- Manufacturers offer a variety of colors and relief. There are also species with a pattern when a pattern or marks are applied to the top layer. Choose you, but a universal solution is imitation of a wooden surface.
Cost
As for the spread of prices, it is very wide: from 288 rubles / m² to 2940 rubles / m². And the natural wishes of the buyer minimize the cost of material is understandable. Some manufacturers attract attention to this. They save on the quality of the upper protective coating or HDF base. But all this adversely affects the consumer qualities of the floor and, accordingly, on the period of its operation.
How to care
To make a few years later, the floor looked the same as on the first day after laying, you need to care for it. About mats in the hallway and felt linings on the feet of furniture, we hope everyone already know. Mobile chairs are desirable to replace tight rollers on soft rubber.
The floor of the laminate planks with the chamfer is first cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, then carry out wet cleaning, after which they wipe the microfiber.
Conventional contamination from the surface is removed slightly damp cloth. Make sure that the cloth has been wet, and not wet.
Laminate Power Cleaner (HG) (UE. 1 l - 284 rub.)
GlutoClean (PUFAS) (UP. 1 l - 475 rubles.)
LaminatClean (LOBA) (UP. 1 l - 478 rubles.)
Specialized cleaners are usually added to a bucket with clean water in the quantity specified on the package. After that, we wipe the floor moistened in this solution and well-pressed cloth. To remove the spots, the spots use a small amount of undiluted cleaner or leave it for several minutes on highly contaminated areas. After completing cleaning, it is important to check whether traces and divorces remained, since poorly remote cleaners attract dirt. The same effect possess cleaning compositions based on oils and waxes. They cannot penetrate deep into the coating and form a film on the surface. They do not need to be applied to cleaning.
It is important to remember that the jokes of the substrate that protects the coating from the rising moisture is sick with scotch.
Protection against water
Weak laminate location - moisture sensitive end locking plane compounds. If water often falls on the floor and, even worse, it is stuffed, then gradually penetrating through the ends into the main slab, it can cause deformation. Because of this, they advise to miss the upper parts of the castle compound with a sealing agent. For example, compositions of polyurethane or silicone resins on an organic solvent or more eco-friendly wax. All of them effectively protect the floor covering from the negative effects of water, but level the important technological quality of the material - fast and simple laying.
Moisture-resistant laminate differs from the usual only speed of moisture absorption due to the presence of water-repellent impregnations at the base, so it should not leave the puddles on its surface.
To defeat the waterproof, some manufacturers increase the density of the base and reduce its absorbent ability, others add water-repellent impregnation into the carrier plate, and all of them handle the ends of the slats with protective composition. Among these collections: Classic Aqua + (Egger), Sensation (Pergo), Impressive Ultra (Quick-Step).
Do not allow the appearance and accumulation of a large amount of water on the floor near the windowsill with flower pots and water taps.
The laminate of the relevant class of wear-resistance will successfully withstand any load on the floor - from bedrooms to living rooms and children. In wet rooms and hallways, it is desirable to use its moisture-resistant modifications.
Errors that will reduce laminate life
It is important to accurately comply with the laying technology. We draw attention to typical situations. They may noticeably reduce the service life of the floor and do not refer to warranty cases:
- laying material without acclimatization indoors for 48 hours;
- Laying on a screed with moisture content of more than 2.5%;
- Laying on an uneven base with drops at a height of more than 2 mm at a length of 1 m;
- lack of waterproofing film and substrate;
- the absence of small gaps around the perimeter of the room (8-10 mm) and along the doorway line;
- Use of film electric heating floors (infrared heating mats). If the laminate is laid on the floor heating system, you must use vaporizolation. It is placed under the substrate. During operation of the heating system, the temperature on the surface of the floor coating should not be higher than 27-28 ˚C.
Thanks to the lock connection, the laminate layers turns into a children's game.
By the way, when moving, a characteristic clutter sound often is distributed. This is evidence that there is a small gap between the finishing and base. It works as a kind of resonator, enhancing the sounds of heel blows and causing irritation at the inhabitants of the apartment, and especially the neighbors from the bottom.
Level unwanted effect is easy. Put between the decorative coating and the base of the substrate, which will perform the function of the shock absorber and effectively extinguish the impact noise. More in addition, the substrate will increase the "thermal comfort" on the surface of the floor and will smooth insignificant irregularities of the base, if they do not exceed 2 mm on a plot with a length of 2 m. Otherwise, the base base must be aligned.
Do not use too thick substrates: 4-5 mm. Then, when walking on the floor, installing heavy furniture, the planks will greatly fade and create an additional load on the lock connection. As a result, the floor will begin to creak, in the worst case, locks may be damaged. Too thin substrates (less than 2 mm) will not provide acoustic comfort. Experts consider the optimal thickness from 2 to 3 mm.
Laminate is always placed on the floor by a floating method so that it can freely expand and return to its original condition with changes in temperature and humidity. On the perimeter of the room near the walls, steps, pipes, etc., and also a small gaps (5-8 mm) are left along the doorway. They are necessary for the natural coating movement. Attach the strips to the base of nails, self-drawing, impossible glue. This may cause the appearance of a screens, slots between individual elements or, on the contrary, they are swinging.
