Laminate Floors: Practicality Plus

Laminate flooring manufacturers say their synthetic planks look like wood, feel like wood and even sound like wood when you walk on them. But what sells a lot of people on laminate flooring has less to do with how well it mimics wood and more do with practical considerations.

First, most configurations of laminate wood fit together like a simple jigsaw puzzle and are easy to install (no nailing) for handy do-it-yourselfers. Second, laminates come prefinished, which eliminates wrestling matches with floor sanders and temporarily parking people and furnishings somewhere else, sometimes for days, until the last coat of polyurethane finally dries. Third, the best laminates are highly resistant to moisture, dents and stains, and need no more maintenance than periodic dusting.

This week, we'll look at laminate products. Next week we'll go into the details of a typical installation.

Laminates have become increasingly popular since their introduction in the 1980s. Sales have risen 10 percent to 15 percent each year over the past few years, according to the Washington-based North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA). The category now represents about 10 percent of the overall residential flooring market.

Laminates work almost anywhere in a new house but have extra appeal for remodelers because they can be laid over any sound, existing floor covering except carpeting. One of the largest manufacturers, Pergo, says its products can be installed "over most existing floors including ceramic tile, vinyl and wood."

Typical laminates are built up with layers of paper and decorative film, a dense fiberboard core, base panel and resin, all bonded together under heat and pressure to a thickness in the 1/2-inch range. The resin, usually melamine (a component used in countertops), provides good resistance to denting, scratching and staining. Some flooring manufacturers say the wear layer on the surface is 10 to 20 times harder than that on laminate countertops.

Laminates are sold as planks mimicking different hues and grain patterns of wood, and also as tiles simulating stone, marble and such. Planks typically are about 47 by 8 inches or double wide at 16 inches, and tiles are 15-by-15 or 24-by-24 inches. Products are widely available from major manufacturers, including Bruce, Pergo, Mannington and Wilsonart, with an array of edging, sills and other matching trim.

Typical retail costs (materials only) are $3 to $4 per square foot, according to NALFA. The association says costs generally rise with the thickness of the core material and warranties that run from 10 years to a lifetime free of wear, fading or staining. Many flooring Web sites offer laminates starting at less than $1 per square foot up to about $7.

Several manufacturers offer samples so you don't have to buy by picture only.

Shopping can become a little complicated as you pick through the different types of laminates. Here are some of the major distinctions.

* DPL vs. HPL. Direct-pressure laminate (DPL) is made in one step where all materials are joined to the core under heat and pressure at the same time. High-pressure laminate (HPL) is made in two steps where the print film (yes, it's only a picture of wood) and papers are glued together first.

Some manufacturers say HPL is better for commercial interiors because it offers better impact and chip resistance than DPL. Pergo reports that "in our experience, we have found them to be equal as far as scratch resistance is concerned."

But most HPL products have higher wear ratings than DPL products. Generally, HPL planking is rated AC4 or AC5 (the highest rating), considered suitable for all residential and even heavy-duty commercial installations. Most DPL planking is rated AC3, considered suitable for all residential installations.

* Locking vs. gluing. Tongue-in-groove joints formed along the sides of laminates allow the pieces to snap together, giving rise to a term you may hear: click floor. Standard laminates require glue in the joints (not between the planks and the subfloor). Many newer versions simply snap together, while some, such as Pergo Paradigm, have preglued joints activated by wet-wiping as the components are snapped together.

Water-resistant glue generally creates a better, more water- and moisture-tight joint. But equally important factors are how stable the subfloor is, how thick the laminate is, and, on non-glued products, how tightly the joints lock.

With or without glue, all laminates join to themselves and not to the subfloor. It's called a floating floor, and unlike traditional installations with 3/4-inch strip oak, laminates float on the surface as a single unit, typically over a thin underlayment.

* Underlayment options. Depending on the floor material to be covered and its condition, you can use different underlayments. The most basic application starts with a 6-mil or so plastic sheet that acts as a moisture barrier. The plastic is covered by a thin foam pad to smooth over irregularities in the existing floor. Suppliers also offer combination underlayments that can increase insulating value and damp sound transmission.

But laminate planks don't have enough strength to bridge sags or otherwise beef up a weak floor; they're decorative, not structural. Higher quality, thicker products with more positive locking systems (that cost more, of course) will do better in adverse conditions.

But whatever the product, it is wise to gather materials and acclimate them to the room conditions, NALFA says 48 hours before you start the installation, which we'll check into next week.

Mike McClintock
Special to The Washington Post
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