What are laminate floors? Discover the benefits of laminate flooring.

Many people dream of having a wooden floor, but it is difficult to maintain and not very resistant to mechanical damage.  If you’re thinking about choosing a floor for your flat that will last for many years, but aren’t entirely sure about the specifications and uses of specific floor panels, be sure to read the text below. Here you’ll find information about laminate flooring – what laminate flooring actually is, what its advantages are, and what to look out for when buying it. 

What are laminate floors?

Laminate flooring is a multi-layered flooring system based on high-density fibreboard (HDF), which is characterised by its high density. This type of flooring consists of four basic layers (from the top):

1. A transparent, wear-resistant
coating 2. The floor design – paper or a printed pattern
3. HDF board – the core
4. The floor design – paper or a printed pattern

3 key advantages of laminate flooring

Thanks to the advanced patterns embossed into the wear layer, laminate flooring resembles natural wood flooring in appearance and texture, whilst being far more resistant to scratches, stains and dents. Laminate flooring is characterised by easy installation – the planks feature a milled ‘click’ joint, which allows the floor to be laid as a ‘floating’ installation, meaning it does not need to be glued to the subfloor. You can easily install Vilo laminate flooring yourself – watch the installation video here.  

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What should you look out for when buying laminate flooring?

When buying laminate flooring, pay attention to the following specifications. Choose panels appropriate for their intended use.

1. Floor thickness – panels ranging from 6 to as much as 12 mm are available on the market.
2. Wear class – AC3 is for bedrooms, AC4 for the living room and hallway, and AC5 is for highly durable flooring, e.g. for offices, shops or hotel rooms. 
3. Texture – laminate flooring comes in various textures, ranging from simple patterns, similar to those found on furniture boards, to deep, synchronised textures that make the laminate resemble natural timber.
4. V-groove – check whether the flooring you’ve chosen has a V-groove. This adds a touch of elegance to the floor. 
5. Remember to use a suitable underlay. Check out Vilo’s range of underlays.

Bear in mind that laminate floors are not waterproof, so they cannot be used in bathrooms (unless they are specifically designed for this purpose). We also do not recommend this type of flooring for kitchens. Unlike natural wood flooring (with the exception of so-called 3-layer flooring), laminate flooring can be used with underfloor heating. Importantly, laminate flooring (depending on the manufacturer) is up to four times cheaper than solid wood flooring and twice as cheap as three-layer wood flooring.