What is a good laminate for an apartment? Which laminate is better? Customer Reviews

Life in a civilized society requires the observance of many social protocols. One such - living indoors. A house is what makes people people, in fact. But the times of simple dugouts and even shacks remained in the past, at least for the majority. Now it is customary in the house to create coziness. This is correct, and you can achieve the result in a whole string of different ways. But everything starts from the ground - the floor, the walls, the ceiling.

Now we will talk about the first, as flooring is a very important aspect of home comfort. You can use a variety of materials, but the time of traditional wooden and stone floors is left in the past. Just because it's too expensive. They are replaced by more convenient to use coatings, for example, laminate.

The popularity of laminate

At the end of the last century, this coating was looked upon as a cheap substitute for wood. This is not surprising, because the natural floor is expensive enough to show both the consistency and taste of the owners. Now people are wondering what kind of good laminate recommendations are advised to take, since natural materials are not affordable for everyone. Use it almost everywhere.

The latter is due to the fact that the quality of this coating has grown greatly since the moment of its invention so that now one can not be afraid of the rubbed places after a year of service. But, now everything is measured by very different criteria. So the question is which laminate is better to choose, everything is gaining momentum.

Criterias of choice

This material can be quite diverse, like a tree, in the image of which it was created. The criteria for selection are:

• Manufacturer.
• The presence or absence of a pattern on the surface.
• Price.
• Wear resistance.
• Resistance to mechanical damage.
• Resistance to moisture.
• Shock resistance.

It is with these factors in mind that you must decide what good laminate, and which is not very good. Further, it will be described in more detail, what is worth paying attention in this or that case.

Ecological compatibility

This criterion was not included in the list, but it is also decisive. If you plan to cover floors in living quarters, then you have to decide which laminate is best to choose for an apartment, then the environmental friendliness of the material will play its role.

The point here is that to reduce the cost of production, some brands use phenol-formaldehyde resin. This material is bad enough, because formaldehyde is continuously released from it. This gas can lead to severe poisoning, which is fraught with serious consequences - up to a lethal outcome.

European brands in this regard are quite safe, because the content of harmful substances in the laminate is strictly controlled. So there are no differences from the parquet in general.

How to determine the environmental friendliness?

To decide which good laminate to choose, you need to find out whether it is safe to use it. To do this, you can listen to these tips:

• First of all pay attention to the smell. If there is a sharp and unpleasant odor during the opening of the package, this clearly says not in favor of quality. A slight smell of sawdust is allowed, but no more. If your nose smells chemistry, do not use such a laminate in the apartment.
• You can immerse one plate in the water, which is enough for twenty minutes. Again, if there is an unpleasant smell, then the use of such a coating will not be safe.
• Pay attention to the price - the cheaper the laminate, the less it meets the requirements. Such products can be found even in large supermarkets of construction products, especially if the responsibility for your condition is borne by the supplier, not the seller.
• If you are thinking about the European coating - what good laminate to buy, then also look at the prices. If some species is much cheaper, it can mean its poor quality. Everything is tied to the requirements for the material - in Russia they are lower than in Europe, which means that it is possible to sell such goods. In spite of the fact that a huge fine can be paid out for the sale at home to the manufacturer.

Wear resistance

Solving the question of which laminate is best to choose for an apartment, requires some knowledge. This applies to different classes of laminate. In total, there are four of them, at least, connected with this factor.

For apartments is usually used 32-th class - this is enough. However, you can buy the 31st, especially if you do not do major repairs, and plan to change the design after a while. The 33rd and 34th grades for apartments are excess. Indeed, they are extremely resistant to wear, but it's not worth using them in a residential, not a commercial space.

How to determine the class of wear resistance?

According to what has already been said above, you can choose a suitable model for yourself. But this choice is a little more complicated than you might think. The essence here is the way to determine the wear resistance.

Influence has two factors: the time of appearance of the first noticeable scratches, as well as the time of complete destruction of the protective layer applied to the laminate. The difference is that different methods are used to improve these two indicators. The first includes the addition of corundum in the composition, and the second - just an increase in the protective layer.

In this quiet pool and lies the devil - the technology of using corundum is quite expensive. But the appearance of the first scratches is more important for the consumer. Thinking which laminate is best for an apartment, pay attention not only to the class, but also to the price. More expensive models, even class 32, can be more stable than Class 33.

The thickness of the protective layer can be ignored - it is always large enough. And in general, to achieve complete abrasion in the apartment is difficult. This will take twenty years, if not more. Of course, this does not apply to the most "popular" places of the floor.

Strength and resistance to moisture

Before deciding what good laminate flooring is best for an apartment, you need to learn a little about the technology of production. This coating is made multilayered.

The main material here is HDF-plates. Above, they are covered with a pattern imitating a wooden surface and a protective transparent layer that guarantees resistance to wear. From the bottom there is only one layer - stabilization. There are more specific ways of assembling, but they are not very common.

For moisture resistance is responsible for HDF-plate, or rather - its quality. Here everything depends on the density of the material - the higher it is, the longer the laminate will last. But one should not forget about the direct influence of the quality of such plates on the price. So you have to choose between savings and moisture resistance.

How to determine moisture resistance?

Uneducated people can tell you that it's all about waxing impregnation castles. In fact, everything is quite different. This impregnation is made to facilitate laying and the absence of creaks during subsequent use. This practice is widespread, but it does not protect the laminate from moisture, at least, such a procedure will not be the determining factor.

The main thing that is worth paying attention to is the accuracy of laying and the geometry of the plates. Adherence to each other should be maximum, because the presence of cracks often leads to trouble from moisture.

Another look at the quality of the locks - this factor also depends on the density of the HDF-plate. The stronger the connection provided by the lock, the longer the laminate will last.

The last of the moments is the presence of moisture repellent in the material itself. Manufacturers usually indicate its quantity in the technical characteristics of their products.

It is worth remembering that all this greatly influences the price. Hence, the more expensive the laminate is, the higher its moisture resistance and impact resistance.

Design

Of course, in the question of what good laminate to choose, a significant place is given to design. This is not surprising, because the laminate is purchased precisely to imitate the real tree, hence, it is required to comply with this criterion.

Typically, drawings of common tree species are used.

Of course, to ensure that each plate has an individual pattern, it is quite difficult. Because manufacturers usually include in production plates with several different patterns.

Especially appreciated design models, so if you think which laminate is better to choose, then the author's options will suit perfectly. Embossing repeats the structure of the selected tree up to absolute accuracy, but the price for such a purchase can unpleasantly hit you.

How to determine the quality in appearance?

The quality of this coating is highly dependent on the repeatability of the pattern - the lower the proportion, the better the laminate. For a European manufacturer, the approximate quality is six types of patterns for one set of flooring. If you use more, it means better product quality.

Domestic and Chinese manufacturers prefer a different proportion - three types of drawings for one type of board. In addition, on such a laminate there will be no knots, flaws and all that makes the tree special. So there is no need to expect much in the case of such a purchase.

It is not necessary to speak about author's models - they are always performed only on a qualitative basis. So if you are willing to pay, when you see what good laminate floor you are offered, do not worry about the quality.

You can also use the relief - good models always have it. Embossing also implies roughness. However, if the laminate is glossy, this way you will not know anything, because smoothness is one of its main indicators.

Which laminate is better: reviews

Feedback from customers about laminate - this is certainly an important factor in choosing a cover. Indeed, who can better know the material than the person who already used it?

So, European brands deserve exceptionally positive recommendations.
However, the negative side is still present - this is the price. Although there are enough budget, and even economical models, but this affects their quality.

Chinese manufacturers, in turn, were the same as they usually are. That is, the quality is quite low, however, like the price of the product itself.

Which laminate is better?

Decide here is difficult because of the number of brands of manufacturers. Also plays a role and the fact that the customer audience for different brands is different. So, for example, Kaindl and HDM are premium brands that have a corresponding price.
More inexpensive models are, first of all, Quick-Step, Wineo and Parador. If for you the price is a painful issue, then choose Alsafloor, Egger, Haro, Faus and Kronotex. There are economical options - it's Tarkett and LaminatPark.

Determine which laminate is best, reviews will help best. Despite the recommendations above, look at other brands, consult with consultants. The main thing here is not to rush, and then your sex will be reliable and beautiful for many years.

So, we found out how to choose a good laminate for an apartment from well-known manufacturers and not only.