Laminate Wood Flooring
Almost all laminate floors are installed as floating floors, meaning that the laminate planks or tiles are attached to each other, but not to the sub-floor.
Wood laminates floors such as Pergo® are a rigid floor covering with a surface layer consisting of one or more thin sheets of a fibrous material, impregnated with thermosetting resins. These sheets are pressed as such on a substrate.
Wood laminate flooring is normally finished with a backing primarily used as a balancing material.
The surface wear layer on synthetic laminates such as Pergo® is typically aluminum oxide.
The pattern of the flooring is a photograph applied to a melamine laminate.
The thickness of laminate flooring varies. Generally speaking the range in thickness is from 1/2 inch (12 mm) to 5/16 inch (8 mm) and even 1/4 inch (6 mm). Planks that are below 5/16 inch (or 8mm) will lack sufficient stability. A thicker, higher quality laminate will also sound less hollow than a thin laminate.
Sales of all laminate flooring in 2010 was 957.5 million square feet! Average price had dropped to 92¢ per square foot because of thinner cheaper imports.
Laminate flooring is generally easy to keep clean. Routine cleaning requires just vacuuming, dusting with a clean microfiber mop cloth to prevent loose dirt or grit from scratching the floor's finish.
Laminate Floor Care and Restoration Products:
- LamanatorPlus
- Wood-Solv Instruction/Training Manual with DVD
- Wood and Laminate Flooring Care and Restoration Training Materials
