Laminate is one of the most popular and demanded floor coverings which allows to change a floor at the same time, without having spent a lot of money. Laminate has a number of advantages: the long term of operation, moisture resistance, ease in installation, simplicity in leaving is made of eco-friendly material. When the person makes the decision to make repair, first of all, it is necessary to begin with a floor. And there is a question how to choose laminate for the apartment.
Often laminate is an optimal variant for the apartment. Besides it is possible to choose laminate for premises.
How it is correct to choose laminate?
Quality laminate has practically no differences from natural wood on appearance, to the touch. He is let out with various drawings, the invoice and there is he different shades. Laminate does not constitute danger to people and animals, it has no specific smell of chemistry and it does not emit hazardous substances. It is quite simple to look after him as he is not afraid of humidity and it means that to wash it – it is a pleasure.
It should be noted that laminate has several classes and it is necessary to know what to choose from them for the apartment. Today there are such classes of a floor covering: 31, 32, 33, 34. The first two will become ideal option practically for any rooms in the apartment. And here other two classes use generally in places where the increased passability: shopping centers, hospitals, movie theaters, hotels, bars, cafe. To understand to what covering to give the preference it is necessary to decide on where it will be applied.
Let's say in rooms where often there are people, it is recommended to put laminate of the top class. And here for bedrooms, wardrobe and storerooms there will be 31 or 32 classes enough. Positive characteristic is that if it is correct to look after a covering of 31 classes, then it can serve up to 12 years. And here the 34th class does not need replacement within 25 years.
What laminate to choose for the apartment?
For a right choice of laminate it is necessary to take all aspects which belong to its size, to be exact thickness into account. At a covering of this type it happens 5, 8, 10 or 12 mm. Certainly that the laminate is thicker, the it is stronger and more reliable. It is the best of all to put laminate of the greatest thickness in rooms where the old covering already asks on a dump. But it is necessary to understand that material with big thickness will have much high cost, than thinner covering.
There are certain recommendations which will answer a question how to choose good laminate for the apartment and to give preference to a high-quality covering.
- Having estimated its smell. Quality laminate has practically no smell.
- Check of moisture resistance. At 32 and 33 classes there has to be an identical moisture resistance which is not exceeding 18%.
- Product cost can also help with the choice of quality laminate. The European laminate has high cost.
- Size assessment. If length of a board of 12.15 mm, thickness – 12.3 mm – it demonstrates that laminate is manufactured in China.
- Marking check. On the Chinese laminate often nothing is written. The European covering has marking.
- To pay attention to color of laminate from a reverse side. The European option is issued beige color, Chinese – brown.
- Check of repeatability of the drawing at a floor covering. Producers of laminate try to achieve the maximum similarity with a wooden floor board. Each plate has an individual drawing. If having opened a pack, it will become clear that boards with the drawing under a tree no more than six, then it speaks about greed of the producer, according to him – about economy. If he decided to use cunning in this situation, what to speak about characteristics of the laminated covering.
And as for what substrate to choose under laminate, it is necessary to consider such nuances:
- parameters of humidity and temperature;
- concrete type of laminate;
- the basis on which the covering will be mounted.