How to choose the right laminate for an apartment

Laminate class

In production, to determine the abrasion resistance class of a laminate, a special Taber device equipped with a grinding wheel is used, and a Taber test is carried out with its help.

The laminate class is assigned depending on how many revolutions the grinding wheel made before the top layer of material began to wear off. The laminate surface can withstand such revolutions from 900 to 20,000.

The number of revolutions determines the resistance of the material to abrasion:

• laminate class 21-22 can withstand from 7000-11000 revolutions,
• 23-31 grade – 11000-15000,
• and class 32-33 coating can withstand from 15,000 to 20,000 revolutions.

Manufacturers produce six classes of laminate. Laminate classes are determined by the degree of wear resistance of the material to abrasion. Each type of material has its own purpose; there is a distinction between laminate for domestic and commercial use.

Which laminate is best for an apartment?

For flooring in an apartment, class 21, 22, 23 laminate is suitable; for commercial premises, class 31, 32, 33 laminate is used.

If commercial laminate is installed in an apartment, the service life of such flooring will be longer than the service life of household laminate.

But commercial laminate is much more expensive, so in many cases its use in home areas is unjustified.

Low load. Bedrooms Average load. Living room High load. Entrance hall, corridors, kitchen

In a room with little traffic, for example, in a bedroom, you can use class 21 laminate; the service life of such a coating is on average 5 years.

In a living room or children's room, class 22 laminate will last 4 - 6 years.

And class 23 laminate is designed for residential premises with high traffic intensity; it can be laid in the hallway or kitchen; such flooring will last up to 6 years.

If you use commercial laminate class 31 in a residential area, its service life can be 12 years, class 32 will last 15 years, and class 33 can last 20 years at home.

When choosing a laminate according to class, you need to pay attention to the intensity of the load to which the floor covering is subjected in a given room. You should also decide how long you want to use this material as a floor covering.

The performance characteristics are affected not only by the class of the material, but also by its thickness. Therefore, the next criterion for choosing a laminate should be the thickness of the material.

How to choose a laminate and what to look for

1. The manufacturer must be a brand that inspires trust. Google will help you, review sites, etc. A price tag or product on a store’s website with the inscription “Sand Oak Laminate” without a manufacturer’s designation should be alarming, as should an unknown brand. The DIY network often features custom-made products from a well-known manufacturer, but at a reduced cost. That is, their quality will be lower.
2. Design is, of course, the most important criterion, but it’s still worth first excluding frankly low-quality products. And then choose what you like - bleached oak or dark walnut.
3. The wear resistance class will show where this laminate can be laid and where it is better not to. Class 31 - for home rooms where there is little traffic. Class 32 already includes all the home premises, even the corridor, and you can even go to a small office where a couple of people sit and work. Class 33 is suitable for shops, restaurants and other commerce, but you can also buy it at home.
4. Warranty - at least 10 years for home premises.
5. Board thickness. Here, often even sellers cannot explain what it affects. It has been verified that 6-7 mm cheap laminate does not have a long service life, it is not durable and not reliable. They saved on thickness, but nothing good came of it. Laminate from 8 to 12 mm is optimal for the home. The thicker it is, the more resistant to impacts and heavy furniture; the floors are of higher quality and the sound insulation is higher.
6. Moisture resistance. HDF board in laminate is something that should be carefully protected from water and moisture. You don’t have to take my word for it, you can check it. If the locks are treated with wax (touch a sample, scratch it with your fingernail), then the laminate is moisture resistant. Don't want to pay extra for this property? As you wish. But be sure to coat the joints with sealant after installation.

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Having decided on the main criteria and design, you will narrow down the range of choices, which will be easier for both you and the seller. Here you can already think about whether a chamfer is needed, whether it will be on two or four sides. Choose a shade that best suits your plan.

It’s better to choose it in person, look at the boards on the floor, and take it outside into natural light. So you will “see” for sure. If you are far from the store and want to choose on the website, you can call Antares. It's the 21st century after all! They will not refuse you here and, if necessary, they will send you photographs and videos of the specified article in different lighting conditions.

• On the thickness of the board, but it must be at least 8 mm, the most extreme case is 7 mm.
• In the wear resistance class, 32 is enough for home; you don’t have to spend money on 33 and 34. But it’s better not to buy for commercial premises below 33.
• For moisture resistance. Use sealant and protect floors from water and humidity changes.

First you need to determine what characteristics the future floor should have - whether it will be waterproof or moisture resistant, what kind of relief and thickness of the panels is needed. To ensure a successful purchase, you should pay attention to the following characteristics:

1. Price. A good and healthy laminate will not be cheap. In the price range below 400 rubles. 1 m² often turns out to be low-quality Chinese products.
2. Smell. You can conduct a test by lowering a piece of lamella into water. If a pungent odor appears after 20 minutes, the quality of such products is low. It is also better to smell the laminate before purchasing and if there is an unpleasant odor, refuse to purchase it.
3. Dimensions. The most popular laminate models have a length of 120-170 cm and a thickness of at least 6 mm. The manufacturer must indicate the exact dimensions of the products on the package. Knowing this information, you can easily calculate how much laminate flooring is required per room.
4. Information on the packaging. Before purchasing, you need to carefully study the data from the manufacturer: when and by whom the product was produced, what characteristics the material has. It is also important to have the legal and actual address of the manufacturer.

Haro laminate surface textures.

Thickness

Many properties of the floor covering depend on the thickness of the laminate.
The thicker the material, the more:

• soundproofing and thermal insulation qualities,
• resistance to loads,
• strength.

The optimal laminate thickness for an apartment would be 8 millimeters.

For rooms that are not used intensively, a flooring thickness of 7 mm is suitable.

It is also worth noting that a thick laminate is much more expensive than a thin coating, so it is not advisable to use it in rooms with little traffic.

Which brand of laminate is best to choose for your home: real customer reviews. Manufacturers rating

Over the course of decades, large companies producing laminated floors have formed. Each manufacturer has its own history, its own developments and innovations. Below we present a rating of laminate brands based on our sales experience and reviews from our customers.

Currently, you can purchase laminated floors in various thicknesses, textures and colors.

We rightfully give honorable first place to the Belgian brand. Laminate of this brand is not as widely known in Belarus as, for example, German manufacturers Classen, Tarkett or EGGER. However, these laminated coatings are truly distinguished by the highest quality, natural structure and innovative solutions such as:

• Uniclic locking system (lifetime warranty on locks)
• Water-resistant Hydroseal technology (1 or 24 hour spill warranty)
• Scratch Guard coating (up to 10* times more scratch resistant than competitive brands)
• Protection against stubborn stains Stain Guard

The price of Quick-Step laminate is quite high, but as they say: “Good things are worth the money.” These coatings are worth every penny spent on them. Based on our practice, there is practically no marriage. This suggests that a modern plant in Russia produces high-quality products, and the equipment meets the highest production standards.

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“We installed laminate flooring two years ago, model CLM1655 Cuban Oak. There were no problems during installation, the locks were good, the boards were even. The color is very beautiful. Since we have a cat, we were afraid that he would quickly ruin it with his claws, but fortunately this did not happen - the coating is very reliable and durable!”

Evgeny Vorobyov, Minsk

Laminate coating and base

Laminate, as already mentioned, is a multilayer material. Its surface coating is made of melamine-formaldehyde resins. Chipboard, MDF, HDF boards are used as the basis of this material.

Fiberboard and MDF for the base of the laminate are used with medium density with a value of 650-850 kg/m³. When choosing a laminate based on the density of the base, you need to take into account its further operating conditions.

The density of the base affects such properties of the material as:

• impact resistance,
• moisture resistance,
• resistance to loads,
• fracture strength.

Therefore, for rooms with high traffic, for example, an entrance hall, it is better to purchase a material with a high base density, and for a bedroom a laminate with a lower density base is suitable.

The price of a laminated coating also depends on the density of the base. Therefore, there is no need to buy an expensive laminate with a high base density for a residential area with low traffic.

If you need to lay flooring in a room with high traffic, then you should not skimp on laminate, and it is better to purchase material with a dense base.

If a large family lives in an apartment and the flooring is subject to high external loads, then it is worth purchasing laminate flooring with HDF.

The density of HDF boards exceeds 850 kg/m³.

Due to such a high base density, a laminate with HDF has better performance characteristics than a laminated coating with fiberboard and MDF, but it is also more expensive.

Various technologies are used in the production of laminate, but the most common is direct pressing technology DPL.

According to this technology, a decorating layer of paper is first applied to the base of the laminate, a surface layer is placed on top of it, and a stabilizing layer is placed under the base.

After this, the product is sent to the press. At a pressure of 2000 kg/m² and a temperature of 200°C, the layers are sintered in 30 seconds and a monolithic sheet is obtained.

To give extra strength to the laminate, some manufacturers add kraft paper between the base and the decorative layer. Such technologies are called CML or RML technologies.

If you dream of buying a particularly durable floor covering for the hallway or any other room of your apartment, then laminate with an additional layer of kraft paper is what you need.

Substrate

Any laminate must be laid on a substrate. This provides slight leveling, enhances thermal and sound insulation, and increases service life. Among the most popular, it is worth noting the following types of substrates:

• cork;
• polyethylene foam;
• special.

Cork covering is chosen in cases where high thermal insulation performance is required. It is easy to install, affordable and does not lose its shape over time, which means that the laminate flooring in the apartment will not sag. The only drawback is the formation of condensation if the humidity is very high.

The second option is convenient because it has a budget price, is easy to install and at the same time retains heat and provides average insulation. It must be taken into account that over time it may sag, and this will negatively affect the appearance of the floor covering. The special underlay has excellent parameters, but you will have to spend a lot of money on it. This version of the substrate cannot be called a budget option.

Selection by panel connection method

Laminate parquet panels can be connected to each other in two ways - adhesive and locking. Therefore, when choosing a laminate for an apartment, you need to decide which connection method will be preferable for you.

It is easier to lay laminate using the adhesive method, but glued panels cannot be replaced if they are damaged during use.

If you buy laminate panels with a locking connection method, then, if necessary, you can easily replace a damaged panel.

Locking connection methods can be driven in (Lock) and with snap locks (Click).

The latter method of interlocking is easier to install. But, in addition, panels with click locks (Click) are less damaged.

Panels with a Click connection system with a self-leveling tongue-and-groove profile are the best solution for those who decide not to resort to the services of craftsmen and lay the laminate with their own hands.

If you choose panels with the Lock connection system, you will have to turn to the services of a specialist. Such panels must be connected to each other using a hammer and other special tools. Therefore, panels with snap locks (Click) are in great demand.

Color palette

When the owner has decided on the main parameters of choice, the topic becomes relevant. what color of laminate is better to choose for an apartment so that it looks good in the interior. To decide on a color palette and wisely select the appropriate option, it is worth considering several important aspects of a particular room:

• natural and artificial lighting;
• general color scheme of the room design
• interior styling;
• geometry.

In any case, choosing a laminate for an apartment requires a serious and careful approach. The laminate should fit into the interior as well as possible and be invisible and at the same time an integral part, decorating the room with its presence. Pay attention to the style, since different styles require different colors.

A modern style like hi-tech or pop art will require clearer and more interesting options. So, any type of wood or natural stone in white or black will fit perfectly into them, and you can play with the texture by using gloss or matte. For country, those types of wood that have the structure of natural wood and slight abrasions are great, which creates comfort and a certain charm.

For small rooms where there is not ample access to natural light, it is better to opt for light shades that will visually expand the room and add some airiness and lightness. It can be cream wenge, light oak or white pine.

If the interior contains cold tones, then it is not necessary to select flooring in such shades. You can add a little light and warmth by laying laminate flooring in a reddish or orange hue. It could be cherry, walnut or alder.

But for a spacious, large and well-lit room, designers recommend choosing dark shades of flooring. In small rooms, a good laminate flooring for an apartment in a dark shade can play a bad joke, since it will simply oppress morally and add dejection and even more darkness to an already small room.

Laminate Kronostar (Kronostar)

The top laminate manufacturer continues to be the German-Russian brand Kronostar. Despite the rather small operational experience (in April 20117 the company will celebrate its 15th anniversary), the Kronostar project is one of the most profitable, given that the enterprise is focused not only on the production of laminated products, but also chipboard, MDF, and wall boards.

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The plant was launched in Russia in the year of its founding (2002) in the Kostroma region, in the city of Sharya. Kronostar laminate consists of eight practical and elegant collections that meet the requirements of durability and environmental friendliness.

Benefits of coverage:

• Possibility to choose from several decors: from classic to authentic. The color range is also quite wide, with the exception of exotic and eccentric shades.
• Standard simplified DoubleClic and 5G locking systems. The first allows installation without accompanying tools and devices, as they say, “with one click,” and the second is distinguished by a kind of “floating tongue” located in the main lock.
• Excellent technical characteristics that meet consumer needs, in particular moisture resistance, strength, light and color fastness;
• Service life – 15 years.

Cons of Kronostar laminate:

• Lack of variety of designs compared to the Tarkett and Quick-Step brands;
• Production of panels with standard sizes;
• Defective products are quite common.

Rating 7.4 points out of 10.

https://youtu.be/_NBm0QUQl3Q

The best domestic manufacturers or joint productions

To take their place in the domestic market, foreign developers needed to resolve the issue of cost. In order to reduce production costs, joint ventures are being created on the domestic market.

Quick-Step

The Belgian-Russian manufacturer is popular thanks to its adhesive-free floor coverings, which have appeared in its product range since the 1990s. During its existence, its own technological developments were introduced. For example, a V-shaped chamfer. The first collection was made in 2001. The laminate imitated a plank floor, which caused the prevalence of such volumetric covering.

Pros:

• patented snap-on system that eliminates the need for glue;
• long-term use;
• quite an extensive selection, constantly updated with flooring series;
• adequate cost;
• increased strength and immunity to liquids and cigarette ash.

A manufacturing company from Austria has been supplying products to the international market since the mid-20th century. The concern with modern factories produces high-quality products and other materials from chipboard. Experts assess the scope of laminate production on the domestic market.

Laminated panels are produced under the Egger brand, as well as on order for large enterprises and trade organizations. To install floor coverings, the developer’s line contains the required accessories (decorative elements and care products).

Pros:

• has increased strength;
• a large selection makes it possible to choose a coating for a specific interior;
• long-term use;
• the floor covering is highly water resistant;
• most products are made in Germany;
• there are a large number of accessories;
• adequate cost.

Ritter

The emergence of the brand in question occurred relatively recently. Experts highly appreciate the uniqueness of the manufacturer’s developments and unusual style. The brand occupies a leading position in the ranking thanks to its unusual leather-like embossing, as well as the high quality of its laminate. Due to the use of modern German technology, the domestic developer manages to achieve stability in dimensions and precise execution of locks.

In a short time, laminate has conquered its own niche in the domestic market. Experts tend to attribute such progress to the use of high-quality raw materials, in-house developments and the presence of a production laboratory.

Pros:

• unusual developments;
• adequate cost;
• long service life.

Minuses:

• small selection of decor;
• There are no smooth coatings in the range.

Kronostar

Good laminate flooring under the brand in question is produced by domestic manufacturers, but is controlled by a large international concern. Due to the availability of European technology and the use of modern technologies, floor coverings, wall panels, MDF and other high-quality materials are produced.

The developer confidently enters this rating thanks to solving complex problems posed by the manufacturer. Efforts are made to produce high quality as well as safe laminate flooring. This approach directly makes it possible to gain international recognition. Most experts consider such products to be the most environmentally friendly.

Pros:

• environmental friendliness;
• adequate cost;
• high technical indicators.

Minuses:

• small range of designs;
• collections have the same size.

Tarkett

The appearance of this developer dates back to 1987. The main activity for the manufacturer will be the production of soft floor coverings. Subsequently, the company expanded its own product line and now produces laminated coatings.

Experts consider this developer to be a leader for its high-quality products and affordable prices for the user. The floor covering is distinguished by long-term operation (20 years), which is enough until subsequent repair work. The use of simple but effective locks makes it possible to install floor coverings yourself.

Pros:

• high quality products;
• adequate cost;
• long-term operation;
• wear resistance.

Minuses:

• There are cases of defective products.

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Developers from China have recently improved the quality of their products while maintaining an adequate cost. Most models are created by well-known European concerns that control the production process.

Goodway

The manufacturer in question is confidently included in this rating due to its own originality. The developer's innovation is that each country has its own laminate line. Floor coverings for Arab countries are considered the most luxurious and rich. Each product is made with a special U-shaped chamfer. 8 collections were produced, taking into account the colors of the countries.

The products in question are characterized by high strength and long service life. The flooring has classes 33 and 34, and the warranty period for the products is 25 years. To make the products more accessible to domestic consumers, 2 collections are produced by domestic specialists.

Pros:

• originality;
• meet international standards;
• long warranty period.

Minuses:

• You can find low quality locks.

Floorwood

The manufacturer in question from Germany makes high-quality coatings that are affordable for any consumer. Laminate with a long warranty period is produced in various countries, but the bulk of the products are produced in China. German quality ensures strict control, but achieving it is not difficult due to the most advanced technology and high-quality wood.

The products in question are ranked due to their rich range of shades and structures. The model line is constantly updated. The user is offered wide panels and short, tapered slats. A comfortable lock makes it possible to install the laminate yourself.

Pros:

• a large number of collections;
• long warranty;
• 3D 5G fixation.

The question often arises, which laminate is better to choose. To know which class of laminate is better, this list has been compiled. The list includes the best models. They are characterized by efficiency and quality.