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LAMINATE

The Laminate Brands We Carry Are Known for Their Durability

312 Flooring inSchaumburg, IL uses the best quality flooring so your floors will last for years and years.
  • Shaw Laminate
  • Berry
  • Columbia Laminate
  • Mannington Laminate
  • Alloc
  • Pergo
  • Quick-Step Uniclic
  • Wilson Art

Durability Counts

Laminate flooring is incredibly durable and can be installed over nearly any kind of sub-flooring. To learn more about how it’s constructed and how it would work in your home or business, read our article on “Laminate Basics.” If you want to know, even more, you can move on to our other articles or videos, or go to our FAQ and Live Chat areas to get answers to more specific questions.

Essentially all laminates are composed of three layers.
Laminate Floor And Tools — Schaumburg, IL — 312 Flooring

The Surface Wear Layer

The surface layer is typically made of extremely tough-wearing aluminum oxide. The pattern that you see as you look at the floor is actually that of a printed photograph adhered to the clear surface. Many people consider the pattern an additional layer, but for simplification, we consider them as one. Many laminates look like wood floors, but it’s merely a photograph of a wood floor applied to a melamine laminate. Because you can photograph nearly anything for a floor, there are few limitations. Most, though, are wood-, stone-, brick- and tile-based.
The Core
The core board or “carrier board” is made up of a variety of materials, depending on the manufacturer. Most manufacturers use HDF, or high-density fiberboard, which is a durable engineered wood product that resists moisture. Others can have a high-density wood particle core. While the HDF may be slightly more structurally sound, the particle core absorbs glue slightly better at the joints. Both materials, if manufactured by dependable companies, provide a durable, trustworthy core.
Backing
The backing board varies depending on who makes the floor, but it ranges from a paper layer to a full plastic laminate layer. Those with a laminate or melamine backing may be better against potential water damage than those with paper backings, and the laminate is more stable.

All of these layers are fused by heat and pressure either by direct-pressure or high-pressure construction. A direct-pressure laminate (DPL) is assembled at once, then heated and pressed to form a bond. High-pressure laminate (HPL), on the other hand, involves treating the top and bottom layers separately and then fusing them to the core layer under extreme pressure. HPL is a more recent innovation and is often found in the more expensive premium brands.
Why Choose Laminate?
Where cost is concerned, professionally-installed laminate floors cost approximately the same as a Swedish-finished hardwood floor. So why choose it in the first place?

Depending on the subflooring, solid wood may not be a possibility.

Also, laminates are extremely durable and are great for homes with a high degree of foot traffic (children and pets add significantly to traffic in a home). They are incredibly easy to maintain and will not fade, even in direct sunlight.

Most laminate flooring comes with a triple warrant against wear, staining, and fading. Some manufacturers also offer moisture warranties, but look closely at the warranty itself. Many are really just an extension of your homeowner's insurance. But if your insurance company doesn’t cover the damage (but they usually will), the flooring manufacturer may cover a portion of it. Either way, make sure you know what you’re getting before you buy.
Laminate Limitations
At North Shore Carpet & Flooring, Inc. (NSCF), we don’t recommend installing laminates in wet areas such as bathrooms and laundry rooms. Water on the top layer will not damage it as it would hardwoods, but problems can develop when moisture works its way along the edges or underneath. With some installation modifications, laminate can work for a wet area. But do check with the installer. In general, though, we recommend tile or vinyl for wet areas.

Another issue, which some people consider a limitation, is strictly a matter of personal choice. Because laminate is a floating floor, they produce a slight tapping sound as you walk on it. Some manufacturers have introduced acoustical padding to muffle the sound with varying results. It’s a good idea to test it by walking on a dealer display floor and imagining how it will sound in your home. We recommend cork underlayment for any floating floor as the BEST method of reducing the echo effect or tapping sound.
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