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To make selecting and
installing new laminate flooring as easy as possible, follow these
Efloors.com Qwik Facts below to aid you in making your laminate
purchase.
Laminate flooring is one of the hottest trends to hit the residential flooring industry since area rugs! Younger generations of homeowners looking to modernize the look and feel of their decor have accepted laminate flooring, as it has become one of the hottest consumer products in the housing market. It is a relatively new trend in flooring, having been introduced in the U.S. about 10 years ago. For those of you who have never heard of laminate flooring, you may have heard of Pergo. They are one in the same, Pergo was just the company who started the trend. Laminate flooring offers the look and feel of real hardwood floors, without the maintenance, upkeep, and price of hardwood floors. It is designed to withstand more than average wear and tear. Laminate floors can withstand a lot of foot traffic and other activity compared to other types of floors. Most laminates come with warranties against wear and tear, staining, and fading for the life of your home. In a majority of cases, a self-installed laminate floor is cheaper than having a hardwood floor professionally installed. Below are additional benefits to homeowners:
An acoustical underlayment is recommended to deaden the “tapping” sound when walking on a laminate floor. This “tapping” is a result of the installation of a laminate floor, usually installed as “floating” (see installation below). Efloors.com offers the Quiet Walk underlayment as one of the better products on the market for this purpose. Laminate flooring is composed of four layers, fused together in a direct pressure manufacturing process. 1. The back layer is reinforced with melamine for structural stability and moisture resistance. 2. The fiberboard core provides impact resistance and stability. It usually is made of MDF or medium density fiberboard. It also features an edge sealing treatment that provides even further stability. 3. The decorative layer is actually a detailed photograph that gives laminate the appearance of wood. 4. The wear layer is a tough, clear finish made of melamine and aluminum oxide, a naturally occurring mineral compound, that resists staining, fading, surface moisture, and wear. Installation Laminate flooring is normally installed as a “floating floor”. The laminate boards are placed over a layer of plastic that serves as a moisture barrier on the subfloor, and then the boards are clicked together at the tongue and groove joint. Laminate flooring does not need to be glued or nailed down to the subfloor, and can be walked on immediately after installation. Laminate flooring can be installed over concrete, plywood, or OSB subfloors, as well as existing floor coverings such as ceramic tile and vinyl. Use laminate transition and molding pieces to finish off the room. It is important to leave an expansion joint along walls in order for the floor to expand and contract properly. Also, you may need to purchase enough laminate flooring (normally 10% more than what you estimated) to account for installation errors and repairs later on. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional installer, all of the cartons of laminate flooring that Efloors.com offers in its assortment contain detailed installation instructions. Laminate Floor Care Simply vacuum or dust mop your laminate floors on a regular basis. This will prevent loose dirt and grit from scratching your floors. Also, laminate floor protectors should be used under chairs and table legs to prevent scratching, and door or floor mats will help prevent dirt from coming into the house. Never use scouring substances, abrasive cleaners, pastes, waxes, or polishes on your laminate floor, nor should you use an excessive amount of water. Mop and shine products will leave a dull film on your laminate floor. For a more complete and thorough cleaning, for example, for removing scuff marks and more stubborn dirt, visit Efloors.com Floor Care and Maintenance products. Remember that this information serves only as a guide. The manufacturer is the primary source of more detailed information, and any damage resulting from failure to follow care and maintenance recommendations will not be covered under warranty. AC Ratings Laminate flooring AC ratings is a standard developed by European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF). The ratings can range from AC 1 to AC 5, with AC 1 being the lowest level of durability. Laminate flooring with this rating would be suitable for low traffic areas like bedrooms. AC 5 is the highest level of durability and is best suited for high traffic, commercial applications. Any rating of AC 3 and under is suitable for residential applications. Radiant Heat Subfloors and Underlayment The addition of in floor radiant heating systems has increased dramatically in recent years. As you may know, not all types of hardwood floors can be used over a subloor with a radiant heat or hydronic heat systems installed. It is also difficult to find information on which flooring underlayment to use over a radiant heat. Efloors.com has done its research on this, and has determined that the Quiet Walk underlayment and the Mohawk Silent Gard underlayment, has little effect on the heat transference from the radiant heat subfloor to the top of the flooring surface. Because of it’s open cell technology, they allow moisture and heat to transfer to the upper flooring layer. As long as the surface temperature of the concrete does not exceed 85 degrees F, you will not compromise the underlayment’s effectiveness. The moisture barrier component of the Quiet Walk is about 1.5 mm thick, not enough to prevent heat transfer through the vapor barrier. Also, for an underlayment to be effective for this application, it must not have an R value greater than 2.5. Quiet Walk has an R-value of less than .5. However, Visqueen is normally about 6mm thick and may prevent a portion of the heat from these systems from transferring to the upper flooring layer. Also, any closed cell underlayment may block some heat transfer from radiant heat subfloors. Also, there is no off-gassing by-product from the use of Quiet Walk or Mohawk Silent Guard over radiant heat subfloors. In a documented formaldehyde test, there was actually 0 gas emission. The Quick Step Uniclic Combi Floor is actually rated for underfloor heating, and also claims that no odors or harmful gasses are emitted with its use. Decorating With Laminate Flooring Decorating with laminate flooring is similar to decorating with wood flooring, but since laminates do not have as much texture or depth as hardwoods, decorating comes down to color selection. Remember that the color of your floor will be the background and foundation of your decorating scheme. If you have dark furniture, you may want to consider a lighter colored laminate floor. With lighter colored furniture, a medium or darker laminate may be a better choice. There are certain style elements to consider before picking out your new laminate floor:
For dark woods, you may want to lighten up the room; consider a brass or pewter easel or another favorite metal in the room, and a picture of nature ,such as-flowers, grasses or the ocean, to move the eye off of the floor and give the room a lighter airy feeling. Add metal pots with tall grasses or silk flowers. For lighter floors, you may want to add contrast to the room. Dark can be fine as long as it is not on the floor. In the bedroom, consider a bedspread full of outdoor colors. Where possible, use matching transition pieces, that is, from carpet and hard surfaces, to other hard surfaces in your room. T-molding, Square Nose Reducers, and Hard Surface Reducers are transition pieces you will want to consider. With baseboards, the contrast offered with a painted baseboard is a nicer touch than with a matching baseboard, since the baseboard is installed vertically on the wall, not on the floor. Whatever you choose, it is important to obtain a sample of the product before selecting your choice. The color and texture as it appears on the website may not be a true representation of the actual product. If you have any additional questions, contact us at:
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