Laminate Advice
Texture
Textured:
These types of Laminates offer authentic appearances with visible wooden or stone grains. Every individual design feels unique and indistinguishable from the real deal. Textured surfaces also provide greater amounts of grip, and therefore make this type of laminate flooring slip-resistant. Overall, this is a brilliant choice of flooring for any home, especially if you have children, pets or elderly family members around.
Embossed:
Embossed Laminates feature authentic looking grains, knots, bumps and unique patterns, which give them a rich, distinctive look similar to that of Hardwood flooring. Embossing can vary among different companies; it can either match a certain ‘wood grain’ design or provide a ‘distressed’ appearance. Although the embossed texture can be felt easily, it tends to be particularly smooth and comfortable to walk on. Embossed textures are therefore the perfect option for those who are after the closest thing to real wood, but want the practicality of Laminate; and of course, at a fraction of the price.
Hand Scraped:
These types of Laminates come with refined rippling surfaces, which mimics the old-fashioned appearance of crafted hand scraped flooring. Traditionally, this form of texture was applied to floorboards using a handheld scraper, commonly known as the ‘ripple effect’ appearance. These particular characteristics offer a heavier textured finish, with an authentic antique feeling that not only provides a superior look, but also a noticeable feeling at your feet.
Smooth:
Laminates with this type of finish have a flat top layer with a ‘satin’ finish effect. This is one of the simplest styles of laminate on the market, which can easily compliment any room and also makes cleaning very straight forward, as there are no grains or knots where dirt can be trapped.
High Gloss:
Our high gloss range lives up to their name; they are gleaming, shiny and have a smooth surface all the way around. The absence of grains, knots and ridges means that this type of flooring is very easy to clean. However, due to the heavy lacquered top layer, glossy floors are usually prone to marks and require a bit more care. Nevertheless, the high gloss range offers a unique, classy and modern look like no other, which unquestionably stands out.
Plank Effect
Single Strip:
A majority of your modern floor coverings are now designed in a single/1-strip plank effect, which resembles the look of individual hardwood planks. This particular Laminate design offers the most natural appearance in style and certainly looks impressive in large areas.
Multi Strip:
This multi-strip design simply appears as if many individual strips of wood have been stuck together on one single plank of flooring. We suggest the use of Multi-strip planks in smaller areas, since they can appear to make rooms feel bigger.
Stone / Tile effect:
These types of Laminates vary in size, style, texture and dimension, meaning that they can astonishingly mimic the realistic effects of marble, slate and stone tiles, but in a durable and cost-effective formula. This is the perfect floor for those who love the look of tiles but want the practicality, ease and warmth that laminate has to offer.
Board Dimensions
Thickness:
When choosing your desired Laminate, it is very important to consider the thickness of your flooring, which is normally measured in millimeters (mm). Our Laminate flooring ranges from 7mm, all the way to 12mm thick. Whether you go for a thin or thicker laminate, during production, the same manufacturing excellence is applied to all thicknesses. However, thicker floors are known to be more stable and quieter to walk on, as well as being easier to install and can help balance/level any imperfections in the subfloor without causing complications.
We advise thicker floors (8mm and above) to be used in areas where there’s normally more foot traffic, such as hallways and living rooms. Alternatively, many use thinner floors too, but commonly in areas where there’s less footfall such as bedrooms, conservatries, basements and utility rooms.
Width:
Our Laminate flooring comes in a variety of widths to complement any style or design that you may have in mind. There is no right or wrong when choosing narrow or wide planks, it’s all down to personal preference. Some people prefer smaller planks, as they can make a room feel bigger, and some prefer wider planks due to their more simple and modern appearance.
- Laminate flooring is usually found in varying widths of 90mm – 200mm.
Durability
A majority of Laminates on the market today will have an ‘AC rating’ known as the Abrasion Class. This particular grading is purely based on the performance of individual Laminates under various tests, which concentrate on impact, heat, moisture, scratches, sound and so on. The outcome of the test determines the AC rating, which in turn indicates the durability and how well a Laminate can withstand foot traffic. The AC grading is therefore an important factor, especially for those who look for durability when it comes to making a decision.
AC1 (Moderate Residential)
Laminate products with this rating are only suitable for light residential use, e.g. appropriate for guest rooms, closets, utility rooms etc.
AC2 (General Residential)
Laminate products with this rating are suitable for general residential use such as bedrooms, and landing spaces where there isn’t a great deal of foot traffic.
AC3 (Heavy Residential)
Laminate products with this rating are able to withstand all forms of residential use, including high traffic areas such as hallways and living rooms.
AC4 (Light Commercial)
Laminate products with this rating are built to endure hefty residential use, as well as covering light commercial spaces such as small offices and boutiques.
AC5 (Commercial)
Laminate products with this rating are built for any commercial usage; especially areas with medium to heavy traffic such as retail stores, salons, showrooms and restaurants.
AC6 (Intensive Commercial)
Laminate products with this rating are fairly rare, and offer complete confidence and assured durability across all heavy commercial spaces. They are known to perform best in heavy trafficked areas such as train stations, airport terminals, supermarkets and hotels.
