Laminate Flooring

What is laminate flooring? Laminate flooring is a cost-effective alternative to hardwood or stone materials. Laminate flooring is constructed of four layers of materials, stacked one on top of the other and fused through heat and pressure:

• The top layer is the wear layer. This protective layer resists scratching, fading, damage from daily wear and is easy to clean. In higher quality laminate flooring, surface texture is added to the wear layer through embossing process.
• The decor layer is the layer after wear layer. It presents the pattern and image in high resolution to resemble the actual wood or stone.
• The core layer or wood core gives stability. This is the layer of floring made from high density fiberboard that is reinforced with binders or resin to further enhance water resistance and increase durability.
• The bottom layer is called backing layer, which is an additional support made of a thin laminated material to resist moisture and to prevent board warping.

There are two types of laminate flooring based on manufacturing methods:

• Direct Pressure Laminate (DPL). The layers are assembled all at once, then pressing all four layers together at about 200-400 degrees Fahrenheit (93 °C - 204 °C) and about 300 pounds per square inch of pressure. Direct Pressure Laminate Flooring is cheaper, but it is less resistant to scratches.
• High Pressure Laminate (HPL). Wear layer, decor layer and backing layer are separately treated and fused to the core under high heat and pressure. The pressure applied to it is more than 1000 pounds per square inch and at temperature over 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 °C). High Pressure Laminate Flooring is more impact- and scratch-resistant.