Laminate Flooring is one of the most durable and resilient floor surfaces available in the world. Laminate flooring has gained popularity as a result of its low maintenance requirements, ease of installation, and long life. Also, this material can be printed to stimulate a wide range of natural flooring materials which include ceramic tiles, slate and hardwood planks.

What is Laminate Flooring?

Laminate is synthetic flooring that is manufactured by fusing various layers of different materials using pressure, adhesive and heat in a process referred to as lamination. While these products are in most cases manufactured to replicate the feel and look of various hardwood surfaces, they contain non-wood materials.

They have become the best installation method of choice for many floor coverings. Due to its simplicity and ease, floating floor installations save both money and time while making the entire installation process to go a lot faster. A floating floor is not a type of flooring, but a perfect method of installing your floor.

Individual boards, planks, and tiles attach to each other, but not to the subfloor. You may attach them with glue or by snapping them together. Also, you can have laminate flooring in your building by installing floating floorboards. Just like floating floors, floating floorboards are a method of installation that is in most cases used synonymously with the laminate flooring.

The Structure of Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring features various layers which include a top wear layer, decorative or photograph layer, fiberboard core, back layer, and the underlayment. The top wear layer is the invisible surface which rests over the material. It protects it from scratches as well as other damages. The layer is primarily made from aluminum oxide chemical treatment.

A decorative or photograph layer is a surface that provides the laminate with its actual appearance. It’s created when a pattern or an image is printed on a paper-like material that is embedded in resin. Fiberboard core is the heart of laminate material, and it provides it with the structure, depth, and stability of the entire surface covering. It is primarily made up of sawdust or wood chips ground into a fine powder and then coated with resin before being pressed into flat sheets.

Most laminates have moisture barrier back layers. They work closely with water-resistant wear layers to sandwich the picture and fiberboard layers of the laminate forming a water seal around the core materials. Back layers also provide much-needed stability in the installation process. Laminate flooring is installed over the underlayment layer which is most often a foam or cork rolls.

The History of Laminate Flooring

Laminate is a material that has been used on various surfaces like backsplashes and counters since the early 1920s. Initially, the material wasn’t strong enough to be used in flooring installations, but over time, technological advancements as well as innovations in their manufacturing process refined the process and made it durable.

In 1977, the first laminate flooring materials were invented in Sweden by Perstorp Company. The company started marketing its products in 1984 in European countries under the name Pergo. By mid-1990s, the product had spread across the United States. Currently, the term Pergo is synonymous with laminate flooring, but there are many other manufacturers of these materials.In 1996 and 1997, glueless interlocking laminate flooring materials were invented at the same time in Europe by two separate companies. As a result of this, the Perstorp Company in Sweden and the Unilin Company in Belgium have had various conflicts over the years.

Since the invention of the interlocking laminate floors, the two companies have fought for many years over the patent rights as to which among them was the first to introduce the new technology. Currently, almost all laminate floors are marketed and sold by one of the two companies.

The Applications of Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is stain resistant, durable as well as mold resistant, which means that it is perfect in high traffic areas. You can use them in your living room, entryways, dining room, and hallways.

Laminate flooring is also water resistant, making it appropriate for baths, kitchens, laundry rooms and other water-heavy environments. When shopping, check with the retailer for specific characteristics of the material you are buying.