Your Guide to Laminate Flooring: A Durable and Budget-Friendly Option

When it comes to flooring options, Perfect Flooring has a variety of styles to choose from, including a type of flooring called laminate. Laminate flooring, also referred to as “floating wood tile,” is a synthetic flooring product comprised of multiple layers that are fused together using a lamination process. Before choosing a laminate flooring option, it is important to understand what laminate flooring is and how it is manufactured in order to make the best decision for your home flooring needs.

Lamination Process: Providing You with a Durable Flooring Option
Laminate flooring is comprised of four different layers, each serving a unique purpose for style and durability. The lamination process begins with the first layer, referred to as the balancing layer. This layer offers stability for the floor plank while also protecting the boards from moisture to prevent warping. The second layer is called the core layer and it is made of high density fiberboard that has been soaked in resin, to give the core durable and water resistant qualities.

The third layer to be applied in the process is the pattern layer that is comprised of a thin sheet of paper with a specific wood design printed on it. This layer adds the natural look of wood to laminate. The fourth and final layer that is applied is called the wear layer which is typically made of melamine resin and offers a clear protective coating against moisture, scratches, gouges, and daily wear and tear that the flooring may encounter.

All four layers are assembled together permanently with high heat and high pressure, forming sheets. After the sheets are heat treated, they are left to cool. This cooling process allows the sheets to cure properly and helps avoid imperfections in the finish. After cooling the sheets are stacked and left to rest so they can adjust, which helps to increase the stability of the boards. These boards are then cut into planks and sawed with a profile saw to create grooved edges that allow the planks to lock together for installation.

Benefits of Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is versatile with many finish options, like embossed or distressed, and can be easily installed in planks that simply snap together, over any type of base surface. This is a relatively cheap flooring option since the installation process is quick and requires less labor. The laminate surface is easy to clean, but it is recommended to stick with dry cleaning methods and use wet cleaning sparingly, avoiding excess water that could cause warping.

Call Perfect Flooring today at (412) 927-1011 to speak with our flooring consultants to learn more about our laminate flooring options.