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Top 7 common mistakes when choosing a laminate
We figure out how to choose the right floor covering.
Laminate was invented by the Swedes in 1977 to preserve their forest. Over 40 years, the new generation of flooring has evolved significantly and has become a high-quality and fashionable alternative to parquet. True, in order for the laminate to serve for a long time and look impressive and expensive on the floor of the apartment, you need to avoid typical mistakes when choosing it. Which ones, said Ilya Chkheidze, an expert of the OBI hypermarket chain for repairs and dachas.
Expert of the network of hypermarkets for repair and dacha OBI
Mistake number 1. Choosing not by class
The range of floor coverings is now huge. However, you should not rush to buy the first option that you like by design, even if it fits perfectly into the room or suits the price. First you need to decide on the class of the laminate. The higher it is, the more durable and dense the coating you get, the longer it will last and the later you will have to change it next time. There are 33 laminate classes in total. At the same time, the most durable are the 33rd and 32nd grades. The 31st class is the most affordable, but it is also less resistant to moisture and stress, so it is recommended to use it in low-pass rooms, for example, in dressing rooms or storerooms. The most durable laminate of the 33rd class is ideal for housing; it can even be put in the hallway, which takes the brunt of it in bad weather. The 33rd class can also be used in the kitchen, where the humidity is high all the time, and something is often spilled on the floor. In the rest of the premises – a living room, a bedroom or a nursery, if there is a need to save money, you can take a laminate with a lower class – 32nd.
Mistake # 2. Saving on thickness
Having decided on the class, we move on to the thickness of the laminate. It ranges from 8 to 14 mm, like a good parquet board. What is the difference? Firstly, in sound insulation. With a thickness of up to 6–8 mm, your downstairs neighbors will think that after the renovation you have rented out your apartment to an ensemble of tap dancers. With a thickness of 10-12 mm – that you bought an apartment in the south and moved there forever. Secondly, a thin board is not designed for massive heavy furniture. From a constant static load, a thin laminate will sooner or later begin to bend and deform. Therefore, it is worth remembering that when choosing a laminate, it is better to stay in the body positive trend: the thicker the better. The only exception is underfloor heating. If you plan to lay it under the laminate, then you should not take a very thick board and when choosing, you should always look whether the chosen coating is compatible with a warm floor.
Mistake # 3. Cheap backing
The substrate has several missions: to smooth out the unevenness of the concrete on which the laminate is placed, to improve heat and sound insulation and, by softening the shock load on the board, to extend its longevity. And decently – up to 5 years. At the same time, the desire to save money by buying an inexpensive substrate made of synthetic material is quite understandable. A cheap option is quite suitable, for example, for a glazed balcony, which is not planned to be insulated. In all other cases, it is worth choosing more expensive natural materials. For example, for a nursery, a cork backing would be an ideal solution – it retains heat perfectly, does not transmit noise and is not a source of allergens. Also in the apartment, you can use a substrate of leaf needles – it is also absolutely environmentally friendly and durable.
Mistake number 4. We do not take into account humidity
Laminate, especially thin, can be moody. And the ingress of water can affect its condition, unless, of course, the resulting puddle is quickly wiped off. Every year manufacturers are trying to improve technology, striving to make high-class laminate flooring as moisture resistant as possible. It is important to understand here that “moisture resistance” and “water resistance” are different concepts. Moisture-resistant laminate perfectly tolerates wet cleaning and even a small flood like an overturned bowl of water, but, of course, provided that the consequences of such an oversight are promptly eliminated. If you leave the water to soak for several hours, then the fibreboard will simply deform, wave and begin to delaminate. In this case, nothing will help except replacement. Therefore, when choosing a floor covering for the kitchen and hallway, it is better to focus on moisture-resistant options. At the same time, one should not think that such a solution is also suitable for a bathroom: the humidity in this room is too high even for the most expensive and durable laminate – it is still better to use traditional tiles here.
Mistake # 5. Inharmonious color
Laminate flooring perfectly adapts to new trends in interior design. The collections, in which you can find boards of all main classes, different thicknesses and moisture protection properties, are regularly updated. For example, natural materials in light, gray and natural tones with wood imitation are in fashion now. Moreover, it is ideal if the pattern matches the texture, that is, the wood cut on the surface is not only visible, but you can also feel it. By the way, dirt is less visible on the gray surface. Many manufacturers make laminates with a chamfer – a groove that appears between planks during assembly. The chamfer creates the illusion that the flooring is assembled from many neat planks. Also, for many years, light “worn” floors have remained in fashion – they bring to the design a sense of French elegance of the middle of the last century. However, such a coating is demanding on furniture; chairs of the late Soviet period will look at least ridiculous on it.
Mistake number 6. Wrong size
The size of the room for which the laminate is chosen is important.
Laminate widths range from 116 to 194 mm, and professional designers pay attention to this. If the room is small, then it is better to choose a narrower option so that the room appears a little wider. In a spacious room, a wide board will look more impressive.
Mistake number 7. Missing measurement
It is by no means recommended to take building materials back to back, centimeter to centimeter. Experienced builders advise you to buy a little more than you need, and keep receipts: in this case, unused and unpacked packs of laminate can be easily returned. Any of the three known methods of laying this covering involves a small margin for undercutting. So, when laying in a straight line, lay a margin of 4-7%. With a diagonal – 15%. The rarest, curly layout, when the laminate is laid in a pattern like a real parquet, generally requires a special calculation and a certain locking system. If an extra pack remains after the repair, it is better to leave it in reserve. What if you need to update part of the damaged coating in the nursery or hallway? In general, one of the main advantages of laminate flooring is that it is relatively easy to replace. Moreover, the new collection, which will change the color and texture of the floor, is able to completely transform the space and give it freshness.