How To Choose The Best Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring installation is creating an unheard of do-it-yourself buzz in the home improvement industry. Thanks to the glue less, easy installation technology, home remodeling rookies turn into flooring aficionado's overnight. However, the diversity of ranges, qualities, designs and pricing structures can fluster a weak- kneed novice trying to decipher laminate flooring lingo. The first question you may ask is what exactly is laminate flooring? Laminate flooring tiles or planks look very much like hardwood planks. It usually consists of four or five bonded or fused layers. For the bottom layer, melamine is used as reinforcement. This substance is partly responsible for the stability of the floor. Its other main function is to protect the all-important core of the floor from moisture.

The second layer is the medium or high density fiberboard core with a thickness of between 6 and 12mm, impregnated with sealing substances or resins. These resins give the plank the hardness that makes the innovative tongue and groove technology possible. In the third layer you will find the design. This is a detailed photograph that gives each plank its authentic real wood or stone tile appearance. The final layer of the laminate tile or plank is what is known as the wear layer. Here you will find a mixture of cellulose paper and melamine plastic resins. This combination gets a durable aluminum oxide coating. You want the best wear layer you can afford, as this is where the resistance to staining, moisture, scratches, and fading comes in.