Laminate Flooring
Laminate Floors Look like Hardwood
Laminate flooring is a tongue and groove interlocking flooring system that comes in either planks or squares. All of these floors have a wear layer, a decorative print film layer, an inner core structure, and some type of backing support layer. The decorative print film layer is either fused or glued to the
inner core. The print film can be a photo of any real floor. The wear layer is applied to the decorative print layer to protect the pattern. Melamine resins are the main component of the wear layer. The melamine surface gets its incredible durability from aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is almost as hard as diamonds and provides unsurpassed wear and stain resistance. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish laminate from the material it is mimicking. Laminate also has an easy to clean surface that protects the floor from stains, fading or wear. Laminate's powers of impersonation allow you to get the look and feel of rare, exotic wood or expensive stone at a fraction of the cost, with no natural material drawbacks.
What is Laminate Flooring?
 Laminate flooring has a layered construction:
A) Wear layer: This easy-to-clean surface contains aluminum oxide which protects the floor from stains, fading and wear.
Look for an abrasion classification (A/C) rating of at least 3 for adequate residential use protection.
B) Image design layer: A photographic image of wood, stone, or virtually anything you can imagine.
C) Inner core layer: The core provides the floor’s structural strength and stability. It is made from high-density fiberboard (HDF). The core is often impregnated with a plastic resin called melamine to increase the floor’s strength, stability and resistance to moisture. Products that have high levels of melamine do not require acclimation before installation.
D) Backing layer: Found beneath the inner core, the backing is made with resin saturated paper. It creates a moisture barrier that protects the floor from warping.
All laminate floor layers are fused together using one of two processes. DPL, or direct pressure laminate, is the most common construction for residential use. HPL, or high-pressure laminate, is an extra-hard construction. The difference between the two relates to cost, performance and design realism. DPL is less expensive, has the same gouge resistance as HPL when objects are dropped at or below counter height, and is easier to emboss for more realistic texture. HPL is more expensive and less likely to gouge if items are dropped from above counter-top height, but is harder to emboss, so it doesn’t look as realistic.
ADVANTAGES OF USAGE OF LAMINATE OVER THE OTHER MATERIAL
It is highly resistant to abrasion, breaking and failure.
It has very low water-absorbing capacity.
It is highly resistant to high temperatures (20 minutes at 356F (180C).
It is highly resistant to moisture.
The vertical and horizontal application of the material allows design flexibility for commercial & residential use.
It has attractively low cost compared to wood coating.
It has post forming features.
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