Which company to choose a laminate for an apartment

Each of us, as soon as we start repairs in our dwelling, dreams of making everything quickly and efficiently. Sometimes it's hard to choose a floor covering. In stores there is such a huge choice of laminate that it is very difficult to understand the brands and properties of popular flooring. Which company to choose a laminate for an apartment? Today we will talk about this.

What is laminate?

This is a popular floor covering with which you can easily and quickly cover the floors and give the room a complete look. The combination of quality and cost of the laminate make it possible to choose a coating to your taste, which is the answer to the question why the laminate is so popular nowadays.

Laminate was specially designed as an artificial substitute for a parquet board. Completely to say that the laminate consists only of synthetic materials, it is impossible in any way, since it consists of 4 layers, and the lowest one can be made of wood or plastic impregnated with special materials resistant to changes in temperature and moisture. The lower layer still acts as a shock absorber and provides rigidity. The middle in the laminate is a layer of wood fiber, which determines the degree of durability and strength of the coating as a whole.

The top layer is decorative, can be of different shades, with or without patterns. There is another layer - the fourth, it is designed to protect the coating, consists of polymer materials.

Advantages of the laminate for the apartment

There are a lot of advantages with this material, first of all it's an affordable price. And this is not all - the material is considered environmentally friendly, it serves a long time, it is easy to fit and does not require special attention.

The optimal solution for living space is the purchase of a laminate. To choose a suitable floor covering is simple, you just need to delve a little and study all the properties of this coating. If we consider a high-quality laminate, the value of which is slightly higher than the average, then you can see that outwardly it is no different from an ordinary tree. Even if you spend your palm on a laminate board, it's hardly possible to understand from the first time what kind of material the laminate is made of: it can be a canvas for a tree with a smooth or rough surface, also you can find a laminate that imitates a natural stone and with various patterns.

If we consider a medium-price laminate, then it can be noted that the material is environmentally friendly, so this floor will be safe not only for people, but for small children, as well as for animals. It does not have a specific smell, and there is no need to wait for it to erode in a new place.

Care of the coating is very simple, the laminate flooring is a pleasure to wash, which is very important for families with children and pets. If to compare a laminate with a carpet covering or a parquet board in care this material easy and does not demand acquisition of additional means.

If you pay attention to the marking of the laminate, it becomes clear that the product is divided into classes that indicate the degree of wear resistance. So, on sale in the construction market, you can find a laminate with the marking З-1, З-2, З-3, З-4-го class. The first two options are suitable for styling in an apartment or in a house( more for a nursery and a bedroom), a laminate with a marking Z-3 and Z-4 is best purchased for installation in rooms with increased cross-country capacity - corridors, hall, kitchen, living room. This floor covering can even be used in small cafes and bars, as well as hotels and hospitals.

Which company to choose a laminate - you'd better start with the reviews that you can read on the forum on the Internet, you need to enter in the search bar "Which firms choose a laminate."If you want to get an answer to the question of which class of abrasion resistance is better, then the answer may be ambiguous. The fact is that everything will depend on the location for which the laminate is needed. If it is a bedroom or a children's room, then the load on the cover is assumed to be minimal, which means it is enough to purchase a laminate of class Z-1.By the way, the floor in the whole apartment can be covered with a floor covering of this class and the laminate will last a very long time, of course, subject to proper maintenance.

There is not only the marking of the wear resistance class, but also the service life. So, for a laminate with marking З-1 it is allocated 12 years of operation, a laminate of mark З-2 will serve till 15 years, and with mark З-3 - till 20 years. The most durable laminate flooring is Z-4, the floor covering can not be changed for 25 years!

What are the disadvantages of the coating:

1. Very low resistance to moisture. Literally an hour later, if you spilled half a cup of coffee or water on the floor, then the laminate can absorb liquid and swell in this place. The most high-quality and expensive laminate is able to withstand contact with water for 6 hours.
2. Low noise absorption. Laminate is very "noisy", especially if you used the chipboard as a substrate. Then each step will be heard by everyone at home.

How to choose a laminate

When choosing a floor covering, you need to consider not only the class of wear resistance, but also the thickness of the board. A laminate with a thickness of 5 to 12 mm is available. Of course, the thicker the coating, the stronger will be the floor. But this does not always meet expectations. For example, a thick laminate( thickness from 10 to 12 mm) is more suitable for installation in those rooms where the floor is uneven and has not been prepared in advance( when laying on old linoleum, bad screed, there are differences).Yes, you can buy a thick laminate. But then you have to pay 2 times more for covering only one room, because the cost of the laminate will be higher than the price of a thin board. It turns out that it is more profitable to pay attention to the preparation of the floor, and then put on a perfectly flat surface a thinner laminate( thickness 5 or 8 cm).

By the way, if you want to install a "warm floor" system at home, then note that the thin floor covering will warm up faster, which means that you do not have to turn on the toggle switch for the full power. Accordingly, thick laminate will warm up more slowly, which is not very profitable.

Which laminate company is best to choose for an apartment? The best quality and best laminate is produced in Norway, Germany and Sweden. For example, the artificial parquet floor of the Norwegian company "Alloc" is considered the most hardy and high-quality. Naturally, the cost of such laminated parquet is too high for the average buyer. The guarantee for their goods Norwegians give perpetual. This means that even after 100 years of operation, the floor covering will not deteriorate.

The second place is occupied by parquet made in Sweden. Its cost is as high as that of a parquet manufactured in Norway, but the quality is somewhat lame. Parquet «Pergo» though it is considered very strong, but at packing joints will be appreciable. If this does not bother you at all, you can safely buy a floor covering of this company.

In third place is the popular laminate of the company "Tarkett", produced in Germany. A variety of colors and types, plus good quality and reasonable price - these are the main advantages of this laminate. The construction market offers consumers a wide choice of laminate of this company.

Practice has shown that the answer to the most popular question of buyers "Which firm is the best laminate flooring" consultants in building flooring shops can do so - only firms "Tarkett".This is the most affordable laminate for price and quality.

By the way, studying the feedback of buyers, which firm to choose a laminate for an apartment, it is worth mentioning and the budget line of laminate is the producer of "Kronoshpan" produced by Belarus. The cost of laminate of this company is slightly lower than "Tarkett", and the quality remains the same high. So you should pay attention to the laminate of this company.

And one more company can claim positive feedback from customers - this is a floor covering of the company "Classen".What is special about this coating? The manufacturer( Germany) tried to make the laminate meet all the requirements. Most importantly, it is an imitation of the texture of natural wood, as well as a high degree of protection of seams and the whole cloth from the penetration of moisture and chemicals. And all this at a very reasonable price.

If you delve deeper into the reviews on request: "which laminate company is better to choose", then one can also find people's opinion that it is better to choose one of the products of Chinese production - it's inexpensive, the exterior board does not differ from brand models. It is clear that you can choose a floor covering not only to your taste, but also a purse.

One understanding of the brand of flooring is sometimes not enough, it is necessary to know for which room which coating is suitable. For example, for one room you need to buy a laminate of light shades, and for another - dark, somewhere to put more durable and thick, and somewhere - moisture resistant. In order not to have any discrepancies, it is necessary to buy laminate of one manufacturer for the apartment, since the laminate of different companies can differ in thickness.

What kind of cover to buy for the kitchen?

Laminate can also be laid in the kitchen - it's practical and inexpensive, it's very easy to look after the laminate in the kitchen. Since the kitchen, this is the place where you often have to wash floors, it is best to buy a laminate with increased moisture resistance. To be sure of this property, the joints need to be additionally treated with grout.

Advice: that on a floor it was not visible spots and prints, and it was not slippery, it is best to buy a laminate with a ribbed surface. The optimal class is Z-3, since the load on this room is high.

Which laminate is suitable for a bathroom?

Moisture resistant floor covering is suitable for a bathroom, such a laminate will not be afraid of moisture and will not lose its original appearance even after several years of operation. The coating is made of PVC boards that do not absorb water - this is the main advantage of a laminate board. If you compare the characteristics of the coating, then the laminate is on a par with the ceramic tile. To achieve complete protection against moisture, pay attention to the laminate board with an additional rubber strip.

Laminate for living rooms

Children, bedroom and living room - it is important not only to choose a laminate to your liking, but also pay attention to noise-absorbing characteristics. By the way, to reduce noise when walking will help additional laying of the substrate. Pay attention to the laminate with an additional layer - protection from noise.

Laminate in the hallway and corridors

These rooms are considered to be highly passable areas, dirt and dust accumulates on the floor, which is brought into the house from the street. The floor has to be washed every day. For these premises it is better to buy a laminate with a high degree of wear resistance( Z-3 or Z-4) and preferably moisture-resistant.

Overview of premium laminate:

1. The laminate of the Austrian company "Kaindl" is a quality that has been tested over time. Laminate fully meets the safety standards, it does not contain formaldehydes and resins( they are present in the floorboard).The artificial board is difficult to distinguish from real parquet not only externally, but also tactile. To lay this coating is a pleasure. By the way, the board can be laid both on the floor and on the wall. Of the disadvantages is to allocate only a high price.

1. Floor covering of "Quick-Step" joint production of Russia and Belgium. It differs in that this laminate was the first to be produced with a locking system. Wear-resistant, not scratched and not rubbed even after several years of operation. Many color variations, imitation of surfaces under a stone, a tree and even a skin. Of the disadvantages can be noted high cost. If you lay the laminate on a large area, the coating will be sensitive to humidity and temperature drop, which means that over time the edges will begin to turn out.

1. Germany's HDM floor covering is characterized by high performance - this absolutely smooth glossy surface is not afraid of scratches and moisture. What are the disadvantages: on the glossy surface of the floor, nothing can be hidden: even prints of bare feet and dust particles will be clearly visible on the floor. Need increased care, the price remains consistently high.

Parquet laying: