Laminate
As the great Goethe once said: “The music is found so high that no human mind has ever experienced it. The music has the power to overwhelm all of us and none can understand its nature.” With laminate floors one can experience all the beauty within the space.
What is laminate?
Laminate is a material mostly composed of wood – wood makes 80% of the middle layer, while the laminate surface contains decorative layer of printed paper which largely determines its quality and appearance.
The laminate consists of four layers:
- The upper, surface layer, provides laminate durability, resistance to wear and stains.
- The decorative layer made of printed paper that gives excellency in appearance and allows countless possibilities for creating designs.
- The third, carrying layer is made of high-density wood fibreboard, thanks to which the laminate achieves its firmness
- The last layer is the balancing layer which protects the floor from moisture penetration
The laminate floors have plenty of advantages:
- Very comfortable floor which provides high thermal stability
- Acoustic lining that keeps the noise outside your living space
- Improved impact resistance – ideal floor for children’s rooms and kitchens
- Maintenance is very simple – only wiping and vacuuming is enough
- The laminate is treated according to a special method in order to be resistant to water penetration
- Thanks to new printing techniques, the laminate offers wide spectrum of models: wood, stone, graphics, overturned edges and variety of surface effects – glossy, matte, relief effect, anti-slip surfaces.
- Economical floor
- With the new connection systems, the installation of laminate is very simple.
Wide selection of laminate designs
When it comes to designing the space, the laminate offers lots of possibilities. The upper layer which is made of decorative paper offers unlimited possibilities for printing – tiles design, stone, parquet, graphic design…
Is the laminate comfortable?
The high percentage of wood in the laminate structure provides natural thermal isolation which makes the laminate a comfortable floor. If you install an acoustic base below the laminate, you will gain more comfort under your feet and you will eliminate the noise from your living space.
Is the laminate resistant?
The laminate construction ensures resistance to damages and scratches during normal everyday use in your home. Laminate floors are manufactured to endure heavy furniture without damaging the floor. The upper layer of the laminate is also resistant to scratches and color changes which makes it suitable for busy areas such as living rooms, hallways, children’s rooms etc.
Is the laminate practical?
The firm locking system of laminate boards prevent from dust and dirt cumulation. The laminate surface is stain-resistant, and the melamine surface coating stops growing of bacteria at the laminate surface. Regular cleaning and vacuuming is all it takes for maintenance of the laminate floors.
Laminate installation
Before installing the laminate, it is necessary to adjust the floor to the temperature of the room in which the laminate is to be installed. The packed laminate boards should be left in the room at least 48h before installation. After their acclimatization, use the opportunity to decide on the direction of the installation. The source of light must always be taken into consideration, as well as the main view direction.
Before the installation takes place, few simple checkups should be done.
The surface on which the laminate is installed must be dry, flat and clean. The laminate may be installed on vinyl floors, parquets, laminate or tiles. Prior installation the surface must be flatten, and in case of installing laminate over existing flooring, it is necessary to make sure that all boards/panels are well glued and flat.
The laminate floors are suitable for installation over underfloor heating systems in cases where the heating is installed in concrete or other surface. Laminate flooring is not suitable for installation over heating foil placed on a concrete or other surface, unless otherwise specified by the underfloor heating systems manufacturer. The temperature of the laminate surface should not exceed 28°C.
Laminate cleaning and maintenance
Laminate cleaning is very simple. Regular laminate maintenance requires periodically vacuuming and wiping with a dry cloth. Use laminate cleaning agent, rinse the cloth well and wipe the laminate floor with dry cloth.
Cleaning of rubber, plastic and high heels stains
To start with, wipe the stain with a dry cloth. If necessary, you can use acetone. Once the spot is dry, clean it with white nylon coating.
Cleaning stains made of fruit, milk and beer
Remove the stain by using absorbing dry cloth. If the stain is dried, clean it with appropriate cleaning solution and then dry the surface by wiping it with a dry cloth.
Cleaning blood stains
Clean the stain with lightly moist cloth. If the stain is dried, wipe it with dry nylon pillow.
Чистење на дамка од восок и гума за џвакање
Once these stains are hardened, they can be removed by using a blunt plastic scraper.
