What Is Laminate Flooring?

Before deciding if laminate flooring is right for your home or business, it's important to first have an understanding of laminate flooring.

For starters, laminate flooring looks like most hardwood flooring. However, it is not hardwood flooring. It's actually a multi-layered synthetic wood product.

Laminate flooring is fused together in a lamination process. Laminate flooring can be created to look like actual hardwood or stone flooring. The flooring begins with a surface layer of two thin sheets of paper combined with melamine. The surface layer is a photograph of wood grain, usually covered by a hard transparent layer. Under the wood grain surface layer is about a half-inch of wood chip composite. This is the wood portion of the laminate flooring.

Laminate flooring is made with high density fiberboard, a moisture-resistant material. The photo on the top layer is a high resolution photo of wood flooring to give it that realistic wood flooring look. The HDF and wood flooring images are then finished with a clear hard coating. The coating can be either resin-coated cellulose or melamine. This can vary depending on the manufacturer.

One big benefit to laminate flooring is durability. Laminate flooring gives the appearance of a hardwood floor, without using any actual solid wood in its composition. Quality laminate flooring is scratch and stain resistant, making it easier to clean and maintain. Laminate flooring is also easier to install than regular hardwood flooring. Many types of laminate flooring also have glue-free options. The flooring can also be found in different patterns and surface structures.

Contact Hurst Hardwoods
Convenient Online Ordering 24 Hours / 7 Days a Week
888-704-8778