Flooring For Dummies

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is not real wood, at least not in the way that hardwood and engineered wood are. It's comprised of a thin top layer of resin-infused paper, all on top of a wood-chip composite. So, technically it is wood. But it's wood in the same way that sodas with 5% juice are called juice.

It is however an amazing simulation of wood. The resin layer is essentially a photograph of wood. You can examine it with a magnifying glass and still be fooled. It's also a great cost effective alternative to wood flooring.

Among the advantages of laminate flooring are its scratch-resistance and the fact that it works well in all areas (unlike hardwood). And let's not forget: it's laughably easy to install.

1. Resistant protective overlay
2. Decor paper
3. Dense HDF fibreboard
4. Dampness-impending stabilisation film

Did you know?
Floors Direct, the leaders in wood and laminate flooring, provides a few tips on why you should go the laminate flooring route

great value for money.
is cool in summer, warm in winter, easy to clean, hygienic and anti-allergen
is easy to install with no glue and no nails-DIY Friendly.
is colour fast and natural looking
has excellent wear characteristics and is fully guaranteed for life*
is made from environmentally friendly HDF board made from recycled wood only.
Can be walked on immediately after installation. No waiting for cement or grout to dry.
Laminate flooring is a non-porous surface that’s completely sealed and therefore does not allow the breeding of dust mites, micro-organisms or bacteria, unlike some other floor coverings. It also doesn’t trap dirt, oil and grime, creating a healthy environment.
Laminate floor coverings are produced without pesticides, organo-chlorinated compounds and harmful heavy metals. There is no chance that users can come into contact with these harmful substances.
Environmentally friendly HDF board-made from recycled wood only
Laminate flooring is extremely durable and is resistant to moisture and can handle almost any stains, spills, scratches, impacts, cigarette burns, chair castors and dirt and is very easy to clean. Dirt and dust can be quickly and completely removed from the smooth surface with a broom, vacuum cleaner damp cloth or microfibre mop, keeping the floor in an absolutely clean and perfect hygienic condition.

In summary, laminate flooring makes the ideal floor covering for homes, bedrooms, baby nurseries, offices, gyms, shops and allergy sufferers or any indoor area that requires flooring and because it is so durable it will give you years of good service.

Is laminate flooring suitable for use in a kitchen?

Yes, but you need to take extra care and precautions and success depends largely on:
- Correct selection of the flooring product – 8mm AC4 recommended.
- Proper installation.

Careful aftercare maintenance.

The less the laminate floor is exposed to excessive water the longer it will last.
Occasional accidental spillages and drips that are wiped up reasonably quickly will not normally damage the floor. The surface of laminate flooring is sealed and therefore impervious to moisture ingress. Laminate flooring is also highly stain and heat resistant and will not be affected by oil spillages or hot kitchen pots and pans.
Extra precautions: Installers should apply silicone to the exposed edges of flooring panels where these abut the kick plates and walls in a kitchen. Never use sponges, squeegee type mops, scrubbing brushes or abrasives on laminate flooring. Use a laminate mop or a damp cloth to clean the floors.

Danger points in the kitchen to watch out for include:

Leaking washing machines and dishwashers.
Washing machine overflow pipes that are improperly secured.
Overflowing sinks and wash bowls.
Defrosting fridges being allowed to spill water onto the floor in copious quantities.
Kitchen doors that have not been fitted with weather guards to stop wind blown rain from leaking underneath and damaging your floor.

Installation Checklist

1. Lay the Premilay underlay and vapour barrier when required.
2. Lay floor using FLOORS DIRECT fixing kit, spacers and adhesive where required.
3. Fit FLOORS DIRECT transition mouldings and skirtings.

TIP: Use FLOORS DIRECT felt pads and cleaners to maintain the finish of the flooring.

Examine the space between floor and door to ensure that there is enough space (at least 1cm), so that after laying the laminate floor, the door can still be opened and closed. If necessary, shorten the door.
The space where you are going to be installing the product needs to be suitable e.g. no damp rooms.
Pre-treating the sub floor. Only install flooring on sub floors that are absolutely dry, even, solid, stable, and clean. Minor unevenness will be equalised by the underlay. Unevenness of greater than 3mm should be sanded down or smoothed out with filler. Lay new planks in such a way that they run perpendicular to the existing ones.
Allow for expansion joints – planks expand or contract in all four directions. Consequently, on all surfaces to which flooring is applied, expansion joints of at least 10mm or 1.5mm per running meter must be allowed for all vertical surfaces i.e. pipes, conduits, thresholds, columns, room dividers etc.
Spaces that measure more than 12m and/or 8m require an extra expansion space of a minimum of 10mm or 1.5mm per running meter. This also applies to doorways, openings between rooms and corridor corners. We recommend removing plank tongues in the area around the expansion profile in order to allow for sufficient expansion space. Mouldings should be attached to the wall only, and not to the flooring.
After installation, remove spacers and cover any expansion spaces. Your FLOORS DIRECT dealer can supply you with matching and colour-coordinated trim.
Install mouldings with nails, screws or adhesive. When doing this, make certain that you do not inadvertently fasten down the flooring planks with the trim. This will prevent the floating laminate surface from moving freely.