Laminate flooring is considered one of the best and therefore is very popular amongst millions of home owners. It also is used in offices and commercial premises quite extensively. In fact the process of making laminate flooring is very interesting. It involves fusing together four layers and they are pressed together at temperatures of over 300 degree Fahrenheit. The process for making laminate flooring is known as DPL construction or Direct Pressure Laminate construction. Till date, DPL remains the most common method for manufacturing of residential grade laminate flooring. Let us look at each of the four layers to learn more which make up the wonderful laminate flooring in your home.

Backer Paper

At the base of any good laminate flooring plank is a layer which helps to keep the board to remain straight. Becker paper is used to seal the back of the board. This ensures that its dimension stability is kept in good condition and it stays protected from moisture. Some quality laminates may also add foaming pad to it. This could do away with the need for another underlayment. Padding or underlayment could improve the acoustical performance of the floors as you walk on them.

HDF Board Or Core

The core or the central layer of laminate flooring is made from HDF or High Density Fiberboard. Some manufacturers also use MDF or medium density fiberboard. Both these are made from softwood fibers which are again broken down. They are combined with resin binder and wax. The panels are fused with the help of pressure and heat. HDF is considered better compared to MDF for production of laminate flooring. The flooring looks much better. Milling process is important as far as the HDF core making is concerned. The edges also need to be cut for specific profiles.

Decorative Paper

The next is decorative paper layer. This is to give shape to a high quality printed design which helps the laminate plank to get a distinctive appearance. The appearance could be a reproduction of wood, marble or stone. They can be made in different patterns and colors. The designs and patterns are left to our imagination and there are no strict guidelines to it.

The Overlay Layer

The overlay layer is the top layer of any laminate flooring. It helps in giving the laminate flooring that lustrous finishing. Apart from making the flooring look good to the eye it also has several other functions. The overlay layer is also referred to as the wear layer and it protects the laminate floor surface from minor wear and tear. It also protects it from scratches, scuffs and scrapes. These are mostly caused by shoes, furniture legs, shoes, pet claws and vacuum cleaners.

It could also offer protection from harmful ultraviolet rays which could lead to color fading. Homes often have big windows and many windows face either southwest or south. Hence, the laminate floor is often exposed to long periods of sunlight on a daily basis. This leads to ultraviolet absorption. This could result in fading which is also known as photo degradation.

To sum it up, the durable, good looking and easy to install laminate has to go through quite a bit of processing, grinding, and pressing before it takes a final shape.

We have a few tips about how to clean your laminate floor. If you would like to know more, please get in touch with us today.

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