Laminate Flooring Simulating the appearance of real wood, laminate floors have a printed foil surface showing a wood grain pattern, covered in a tough, transparent layer of melamine. Essentially a man-made solution, laminate flooring has a high- density fibreboard (HDF) core making it strong and flexible. It’s backed with cellulose paper for stability. Laminate flooring is perfect for anyone wanting a durable floor for a fraction of the price and installation time of a hardwood floor, but with the attractiveness of real hardwood. This construction also makes laminate flooring more environment-friendly as it uses less wood in its construction and makes more efficient use of the wood fiber that is used.
There are many types of edge joining systems used to connect laminate flooring panels together. Some laminate flooring connections snap together by hand while others require a light tap with a mallet and a tapping block. Still others use a combination of a “snap” click edge and a “bang” or “tap” click at the end of the panels. While most of the various systems work well to secure your laminate floor, it is important to read your laminate flooring installation instructions carefully. Familiarize yourself with how your flooring locks together before starting your installation.
Laminate flooring is an extremely versatile flooring product. It can be installed in virtually any room of your home, above or below ground, over wood or concrete. However there are few locations that are not recommended for laminate flooring. Because laminate flooring is a wood flooring product, it is not recommended that laminates be installed in wet locations such as bathrooms, washrooms, saunas, enclosed porches or verandas.
Because laminate flooring is derived from wood, it is subject to expansion caused by room temperatures and humidity levels. An expansion gap is a necessary part of any successful installation because it allows space for the expansion of the floor as it responds to these external influences of temperature and humidity. When it is exposed to warmer temperatures, or to increased humidity, laminate flooring planks expand outward. Leaving out the essential element of an outside gap can cause the buckling of the individual laminate flooring planks as the planks push outward against walls or other obstacles.
In an average installation, approximately 7% to 10% of the total area to be covered will be wasted for several reasons, typically cuts, planks damaged during installation.
There are several things to consider before you begin to install a laminate floor. Careful preparation before beginning will make installing your laminate floor a quick and easy process. Ensure that your subfloor is flat, dry, and smooth. Always use underlayment under your laminate floor for soundproofing. Laminate flooring and underlayment/vapor barrier can be installed over concrete, wood flooring, vinyl tile, linoleum, tile, or virtually any other hard, flat surface
If the plank that needs replacing is close to the edge of the room, simply disassemble the floor to the position of the plank to be replaced and then reinstall the plank(s). There is a more complicated procedure if you need to replace a single hard-to-get-to plank.
High density fiberboard, HDF, is basically a high-density, moisture-resistant fiber panel. It is made of wood residues (sawdust, shavings and wood chips) from wood processing factories. This ligneous material is ground into a pulp to which a melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin is added. This pulp is then dried and pressed into panels.
Abrasion Class (AC) Rating, used for laminate flooring is a measure of a floor’s resistance to abrasion, impact, and stains. These ratings also indicate that the floor has been tested for the effects of furniture legs, castors, and swelling along its edges. Any floor that has an AC rating will have passed all the test criteria, as failing just one will disqualify it. AC hardness ratings are a standardized measure adopted by The Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring (ELPF)
To decide where to begin the layout of your floor, consider incoming light. It is usually best to install laminate flooring with the planks running parallel to light coming in windows or glass doors. For any installation, the starting wall should be as long and straight as possible.
No, all carpet and padding should be removed completely prior to installation.
dakks Laminate flooring is a beautiful, low maintenance, long-lasting flooring. To keep your laminate flooring clean and to ensure that you get many years of service from it, simply dry or wet mop or vacuum daily with a soft brush or wood floor accessory to keep your laminate floor clean from dust, dirt or grit.
Engineered wood flooring represents all the traditional aesthetics of solid hardwood with an innovative design. Here each board is made from multiple layers of wood pressed together. Engineered board is available in a wide range of wood types, finishes and thicknesses. The core layer of engineered hardwood is made up of pine and spruce woods, which allows the engineered flooring to expand and contract with changing temperature and moisture levels without affecting your floor. The engineered flooring has been designed to provide greater stability.
The top layer hardwood, can typically be 1.5mm to 4.0mm or more in thickness.
engineered flooring can be installed in different ways: (i) nail down if over plywood subfloor; (ii) glue down if over plywood or concrete subfloor. For nail down installation, ideal plywood subfloor should be ¾” thick, and a 15lb roofing felt should be placed underneath (or alternatively our MoistureBlock that we carry). If gluing the floor directly on the subfloor, use 100% urethane based adhesive with an integrated vapor barrier. Please note that the explanation above is a general guide. Please refer to your installation instruction for details..
In addition to the top hardwood veneer, engineered wood flooring typically has three or more layers. Generally, there is greater stability with more layers. The core layers may be plywood, high density fiberboard, or hardwood.
Wooden flooring comes in plank and each plank has fixed length and width. On external packaging of wooden flooring, length and width of planks is mentioned. Some hardwood flooring comes in fixed length of planks and some has random length of planks but width remains constant. In case of random length external packing indicates the shortest length and longest length of the plank. This means planks inside the box can fall in between those two lengths. Generally, fixed lengths flooring comes at higher cost.
Solid wood floor represents a homogenous construction of wood. The product expands and contracts due to weather and therefore it is seasoned well to allow for such expansion and contraction. Solid wood comes with seven coats of formaldehyde-free acrylic lacquer which is UV-cured so that the product does not get dusty or stain and scratch easily.
Moisture can cause many different problems for a hardwood floor, such as cracking, cupping, and crowning. Over time, excessive moisture will destroy a wood floor, so it is suggested not to use excessive water to clean the hardwood floors and to mop up spills immediately.
Yes, but only if the flooring is engineered hardwood. Solid hardwood floors should not be installed below grade due to excessive moisture that will cause them to contract and expand.
There is water caught between the wood flooring and the subfloor if crowing or cupping occurs. Crowning is when the center boards are higher than the outer boards. Cupping is when the outer boards are higher than the center boards.
Maintain hardwood flooring by establishing a consistent cleaning routine to prevent dirt and debris from scratching the surface. Use only recommended cleaning solutions, and avoid getting water on the floor. In high traffic areas, use a rug. Do not use harsh detergents on the floor and avoid using any abrasive materials to clean the floor, such as steel wool.
Hardwood flooring can be installed in virtually any room of a home except the bathroom. Essentially any area that is prone to wetness should avoid using hardwood. Only an engineered hardwood should be installed in the basement, as excessive moisture in these areas will cause solid hardwood to expand and contract. Highly trafficked areas should use a harder wood to ensure durability.
There are many benefits of hardwood flooring including: an increased home value, variety of options and styles to customize the appearance, several installation methods, easy to clean and maintain, hypo-allergenic, warmth and durability.
Color variations will be present in all grades of hardwood, as it is a natural product and cannot be controlled.
While it is true many home owners who have hardwood in their homes also have pets, this type of flooring can be scratched or dinged by pet claws. A lot also depends on the type of the pets. Obviously, two Great Danes will have a bigger impact on a hardwood floor than a Toy Poodle.
While it is true many home owners who have hardwood in their homes also have pets, this type of flooring can be scratched or dinged by pet claws. A lot also depends on the type of the pets. Obviously, two Great Danes will have a bigger impact on a hardwood floor than a Toy Poodle.
If the house is being built or restored, save the hardwood installation until the end to avoid potential issues with damage and moisture as other projects are being completed.
These different moldings are known as accessories of flooring. They come in different shape and sizes depending on requirement of room.
Composite decking has a long lasting life with a minimum of care and maintenance. It is a composite material of bamboo fiber and plastic but with no preservative chemicals to worry about, and no splinters that can cause painful slivers.
You can clean your Composite deck occasionally with a detergent or deck cleaner, a brush, and a hose to keep it looking fresh.
A. The plastic encapsulates the wood fiber protecting it from water and the elements that can swell or rot natural wood decking. IT comes with a 10-year limited warranty against decay and water damage.
Composite decking cuts just like wood with a normal tool such as a skill saw, and will accept screws similarly to wood. Screws should be applied at the thick support areas to ensure full contact and holding power.
There is no need for special tools. Regular woodworking tools are all you need for cutting and building a Composite deck. Our installation instructions have a short list of simple tools that will help.
Composite decking is fire resistant, but like wood, the product is not fire proof and will burn or melt at a high temperatures. As with other materials, caution should be taken to ensure BBQ’s and other potential sources of fire are safe.
This depends on the temperature range from the time of installation to what may be the maximum temperature expected. For the width gaps, a spacing of 3/16”- 1/4” is enough to allow movement and also make sure water and dirt will not collect. For the length gaps, we would recommend a 3/16” to 1/4” to protect against buckling due to expansion in hot weather.
Composite decking has UV protectors which will protect it from fading, but as with all things, the color will fade somewhat over time.
Your Composite deck will last many years depending, of course, on how much you use it. It has a 10-year limited warranty but since there is no decay or loss of structural integrity on this product, we believe it will last well beyond the time.
The best way to keep any type of flooring clean is simply to stay on top of it. You should clean floors a minimum of every two weeks. If shoes are allowed indoors or if you have pets, you will need to clean more often. Keeping a floor mat at every entrance to your home can help control the excess dirt.
To clean laminate wood floors naturally, especially when they are really dirty, try using baking soda. “Baking soda mixed with water is a mildly abrasive, eco- friendly cleaner, which can be applied with a soft cloth or sponge,” Gregory says. “Mix a solution of one tablespoon baking soda per one cup of warm water and stir before using.”