A Scandinavian Heritage
Laminate flooring represents the most significant flooring entry
in the past twenty-five years.
The product we know today as laminate flooring was originally developed as another possible use of high-pressure
melamine laminate.
This occurred in Sweden in the early eighties. A product was created with a base of several layers of paper impregnated
with special resins which were pressed together under high pressure into a highly wear resistant composite material.
The decorative paper determined the design. The finished laminate was then glued onto a carrier and cut into sections
with extremely exact dimensions. |
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Decorative laminate was a product that was widely used on kitchen
countertops, tables or wall paneling, but obviously not as yet for floors. This clearly created an opportunity,
but a flooring application brought new technical challenges. The initial concern to be solved was the wear factor.
It is obvious that floors are walked on and therefore suffer a lot more normal abuse than furniture or counter
tops. A laminate floor clearly had to be more durable. |
| A reinforced laminate that was approximately ten times stronger
than counter tops was created and the first flooring began to be sold. As research grew, the relative strength
of flooring laminate increased dramatically to at least twenty times that of countertops. |
| Important parallel developments were also taking place during
these early days. Packaging was one. Wood flooring at the time was normally sold in long strips of approximately
eight feet and installed only by a skilled professional. Laminate flooring was different right from the beginning.
It was packaged eight planks to a carton that was approximately half this length (about four feet). The easy to
handle carton was fairly lightweight and could be transported by car or in an elevator with ease. Its carton contents
equaled approximately twenty square feet (two square meters). |
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| Because of these revolutionary factors and ease of installation,
a large do-it yourself market was created in Sweden that exists today. In fact, over ninety percent of laminate
flooring in Sweden still is self-installed! |
Reasons for Acceptance
The system of gluing, using a tongue and groove method that,
when done properly, creates a single unit that is impervious to normal household spills or tracked in rain or snow.
This single unit expands or contracts with changes in humidity. (This movement, by the way, cannot be seen).
The strength of the bond in creating the single unit permits heavy objects, such as refrigerators or bookcases
to be placed directly on the flooring. |
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Provided that the glue is applied correctly, there is no problem
with gaping. This process of installation is called a floating floor. The laminate floor can be laid or "floated"
over the existing floor without being glued to the surface. This system also encapsulates the original floor. In
most cases, (with the exception of textile), the older floor is not removed. This further saves time and installation
costs! Both the professional installer and the do-it-yourself customer quickly embraced the floating floor method
because of the simplicity of installation and removal as compared to a glue down (to the sub-floor) floor. |
| An easy removal process replaces the laminate floor at which
point it can be destroyed with no danger to the atmosphere. Laminate floors contained insignificant quantities
of elements that affected indoor air quality, plus it could be installed in a minimum amount of time. |
| The final success ingredient (and an important one) is in the
aesthetics of the floor. In the beginning virtually all the floors replicated were wood species. Why? Simply because
these patterns were desired by the public. As laminate flooring grew in popularity, other looks were introduced,
including marble and stone. One of the interesting aspects of laminate flooring is that the designs are limited
only by the imagination of the producers. |
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| This has resulted in a product that is now recognized by the
design and decorating community for its ability to create an atmosphere of great beauty along with durability. |
The European Spread of Laminate Flooring
Three important attributes - durability, design and installation
ease now assured the popularity of laminate flooring in Europe. Following the early success in Scandinavia, other
northern European countries, primarily Germany and the Benelux countries began to market laminate flooring. Distribution
then spread quickly throughout the rest of Europe and continues today. Standards in Europe are being created by
the CEN (Comité Européen de Normalisation or The European Committee for Standardization) group and
will have the force of law. NALFA maintains a relationship with this important committee as well as EPLF (European
Producers of Laminate Flooring). The interchange of ideas and technical data is viewed by NALFA as one of the most
important areas of contribution.
Into North America
Laminate flooring crossed the Atlantic to North America
in the early nineties and was brought quickly to the market. The results of this introduction surpassed even Europe.
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The North American consumer discovered that she could have a
product of beauty with incredible wear and unmatched stain resistance. American and Canadian kitchens quickly became
the primary room for laminate floors. Our consumer found out that virtually nothing could stain this beautiful
floor, nor would sun or ultraviolet cause fade; and wear patterns were a thing of the past. And yet there were
more discovered benefits.
The resistance to indentation from heavy objects or shoes was far greater than popular existing wood or vinyl floors.
The floor was incredibly easy to clean - vacuuming or damp mopping are needed. There is no need for waxing or stripping
of the old wax buildup. |
The retailer enjoyed unexpected ease of stocking and servicing. Dye lots, found in ceramic or textile, are non-existent
in laminate flooring. This retailer benefit also assured the consumer of exact match in tone and color, even if
additional matching flooring was purchased and installed a year later!
Besides importers, US and Canadian manufacturing operations began to produce the product. Laminate flooring was
on its way to another success. North America took to this new category of beautiful flooring with its remarkable
qualities in unparalleled numbers.
Today, laminate flooring continues its remarkable growth. Virtually every room of the house, including bathrooms
is benefiting from a laminate floor application. The commercial marketplace is now exploring the aspects of laminate
flooring for its demanding situations.
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