The history of laminate
There are now countless types of floors and each of these floors requires special care. There are floors made of wood, plastic and natural stone. The different materials therefore require individual care. In the upcoming flooring series, we will go into the material and the correct care. Today we start with laminate.
Laminate was developed by the Swedes in 1977 and then came onto the market in 1980. The new floor spread rapidly in other European countries. In the beginning, laminate didn’t have a particularly good reputation, but the laminate continued to be developed and great advances in quality were made. Later, the click laminate was developed, which can be laid without glue. The innovative development not only makes laying easier; it also makes removal much easier and non-destructive. Nowadays, laminate is available in a wide variety of looks and structures.
What is laminate actually made of?
The term laminate can be derived from the Latin term “lamina”, which means “layer”. The name describes the structure of the laminate because it consists of several layers. The top layer forms the protective layer, which usually consists of melamine resin and protects against impacts and dirt. Next comes the decorative layer, which can display different motifs. The last layer consists of a carrier board made of wood fiber board or chipboard. The first two layers are pressed onto the carrier board.
Laminate is suitable for these rooms
Laminate is ideal for living and commercial spaces. Depending on how much the respective room is used, there are different quality levels. Laminate is not suitable for basement rooms and all rooms that can get damp, because it can warp due to the moisture. There is laminate with swelling protection for these rooms.
Pros and cons of laminate
In addition to being easy to lay, there are other advantages. One of them is that it is ideal for underfloor heating as it has very little insulation and therefore allows the heat to pass through. Laminate is also very hard-wearing and easy to care for. It doesn’t need to be oiled or anything like that. Laminate is now available in a wide variety of sizes, colors and price ranges. So far, laminate seemed to be a perfect floor, but there is still a small disadvantage, namely the poor sound insulation, so that additional footfall sound insulation has to be laid under the laminate. But thanks to constant further development, there is now laminate with integrated insulation.
