Types of Wood Laminate Flooring

Wood laminate flooring has changed the flooring industry over the past decade. The flooring provides the look of hardwood in an economical package, so not only are more consumers able to update their homes on a budget, less forests are being destroyed by wood harvesting. There are various styles and colors of wood laminate flooring, but from a manufacturing side, there are basically two types of laminate: direct pressure laminate (DPL) and high pressure laminate (HPL).

Laminate Floor Makeup

Whether DPL or HPL, the components of laminate flooring are the same. The top layer is the wear layer. It is clear melamine infused onto a paper to take the everyday abuse that flooring receives. The next layer is the decorative layer, where the color, pattern and texture is printed. The core provides the strength of the floor, usually a fiberboard or particleboard, and last there is the structural layer. This is another paper or melamine layer that stabilizes the flooring and provides a barrier for humidity and temperature changes so the flooring won't warp.

Direct Pressure Laminate

The layers of DPL flooring are all assembled at one time, making it less expensive than high pressure laminate. Yet this process allows for greater design variations, so choose this one if there is a texture and pattern that complements your room and is not available in high pressure laminate.

High Pressure Laminate

The components of HPL flooring are assembled separately, and then brought together with heat and pressure. The separate assembly process allows for a thicker top layer, thereby creating a tougher and longer-lasting top or wear layer. Use this flooring for extremely high traffic areas that may not require a special pattern available with DPL flooring.

Colors, Patterns, Textures

Wood laminate is available in varieties from oak to teak to bamboo, and every shade of stain from natural to cherry to mahogany. You are limited only by your imagination. The installation is easy for wood laminate. It is constructed so that each plank interlocks with the next. Glue and nails are not required. It can also be installed on most sub-floors, including plywood and concrete.

Care

Not only will you save money and the forests, but there is less maintenance required for laminate flooring than for wood flooring. Laminate flooring does not required staining, waxing or oiling. But as with hardwood floors, keep laminate dry and free from dust. Water will seep in between the planks, so it is important to clean up spills immediately.

References

• Wood Laminate Flooring
• Wikipedia