Laminate wear resistance class: which is better?

Laminated flooring, often referred to simply as a laminate, is the most popular method today for finishing the floors. The number of those who produce and sell laminate is impressive. Therefore, for a competent choice, one should take into account some of its important characteristics.

First of all, in the description of this product, the wear resistance class of the laminate is indicated. Let's try to figure out what these figures mean and how this should be taken into account when buying.

Laminate - a multilayered material

Finishing material for the floor in the form of individual plate-boards, which are laid on a special substrate and are combined in a single unit on the glue or by snapping in special grooves, appeared in the second half of the last century in Sweden. It got its name from the Latin word laminate, meaning "layered". This word perfectly explains the design of each board.

Usually the laminate board consists of 4 layers, glued under pressure with special resins. The main core of the structure, which gives it mechanical strength and proper geometry, is made of high-density fiberboard (HDF). Less quality laminate grades are made from MDF and even hardboard. The density of these materials is lower. Their use reduces the wear resistance of the laminate, because In this part of the board there are locking joints of the plates. After some time, unacceptable backlashes may appear.

From the bottom, the slab protects the melamine resin layer from moisture. In the premium laminate, this layer is supplemented by soundproofing from a porous polymer or cork.

Above is a resin-impregnated paper or artificial veneer. It is this layer that largely determines the appearance of the coating, its design. In addition to the usual imitation of a variety of types of parquet, it can be fabric, metal, tile, stone and various decorative prints.

The top part of the "pie" (overlay) takes on the main mechanical effect that occurs when the floor is used. A strong polymer film protects the laminate from abrasion, punctures, bumps, etc. Often this layer also carries a decorative function, determining the texture, surface microrelief. It affects the tactile sensations from the floor surface. But the main purpose of the overlay is protective. From the thickness and strength of the top coating, the wear resistance of the laminate depends directly.

Who determines the class of laminate

Since the invention of the laminate, the number of manufacturers and buyers has grown rapidly. There was a need to introduce norms and standards to protect the market from unscrupulous sellers and help the consumer to choose a worthy product.

In 1999, European flooring manufacturers merged into an association (EPLF). Membership in this organization is one of the indicators of prestige for laminate producers. In Russia, the norms and rules developed by the EPLF are also taken into account. At us the classification of a laminate on areas of application, developed on the basis of tests on abrasion is actual.

The Taber Test

Samples of the laminate are installed in the device (Taber abrasimeter), where they are treated with disks with pasted emery paper. Determines the number of revolutions of the disk, for which the face is damaged to a certain extent. This number is an indicator of the quality of the coating. There are five classes of abrasion: AC1, AC2, AC3, AC4 and AC5. In accordance with them, the wear resistance class of the laminate is assigned. AC4 in this case means, for example, that the coating can withstand 4,000 revolutions of the abrasive disc.

In addition to the Taber test, other laboratory tests of laminate samples are also carried out. This reaction to the impact resistance, resistance to the effects of household chemicals, tests using wheelchairs, etc.

Classification of laminates

According to the results of the tests, the finishing material for the floor is assigned the wear resistance class of the laminate. Which is better suited to a specific situation - you can understand from the summary table. The corresponding index and a graphic symbol are placed on each package with a laminate that has been certified by the EPLF.

This is the official classification from the EPLF. It shows, for example, that a 32-grade laminate is designed for use in small offices and shops with an average traffic intensity.

Six categories, six classes

European standards identified six main classes of laminate: 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33. The class was assigned according to the results of tests conducted in strictly standardized conditions. Therefore, the labeling on the package was certainly trusted. Each category was matched perfectly adequate for the quality of laminate. The wear class 33 was assigned to the most durable and expensive coating.

This classification was adopted in Europe. American manufacturers of laminate, which appeared soon after the ocean, developed their own regulations for their activities.

Laminates-senior pupils

It is generally accepted that this classification is obsolete. So the production of laminated coatings of classes 21, 22 and 23 is discontinued due to low performance. At the same time, laminate types appeared with higher quality indices than the 33 class coating. Therefore, for the device floors in commercial and industrial premises, where mass flow is assumed, it became quite possible to find a suitable finishing material. In this case, the wear resistance class of laminate 34 is not just a good idea of a marketer. This index is real and correct, it is recognized even among professional builders.

Laminate wear resistance class is conditionally

Do not always believe the numbers. Often unscrupulous manufacturers label their products on the basis of independently conducted tests and tests. In this case, the class of wear resistance of the laminate, declared by them, raises reasonable doubts.

Recommendations of manufacturers of laminated floor on the application of their products, made based on technical characteristics, are sufficiently specific and justified. But practice has shown that, even for professionals, other factors may be crucial in choosing a laminate grade. This brand of the manufacturer, the availability of a laminate in a specific design and, of course, financial opportunities. Most often it is considered comfortable to have a margin for the strength of the coating, and where a minimum traffic intensity and sparing operating conditions are assumed, a more expensive laminate is put. The wear class 33, for example, is excessively high in such a situation and its use is economically unjustified.

Progress can not be stopped

The search for ways to create building and finishing materials with previously inaccessible properties continues. There are new laminated panels for the floor of various shapes and properties appearing on the market. They possess unprecedented mechanical strength, high resistance to abrasion, full water resistance, chemical inertness, fire resistance and environmental friendliness.

It is a question of more complex composites. The base material, which is woody in nature (HDF, MDF), is replaced in them with more modern vinyl and quartz-vinyl. The structure of the "sandwich" is introduced glass fiber and fiberglass. Protective coatings are treated with UV radiation, which improve the quality of the face of the panels. Strictly speaking, this high-tech product can hardly be called a classic laminate floor, but the application areas of such a coating are unattainable for the usual laminate, even the highest class. "Ideal laminate" and a vinyl stove are covered with dance floors, supermarkets and airports. They successfully replace more expensive granite and artificial stone. Therefore, the wear resistance class of laminate 43 declared by the manufacturer corresponds to the truth.

Thus, the emergence of at least three more classes of wear resistance becomes urgent: 41, 42, 43.

conclusions

The class of laminate, of course, can affect the choice of a particular type of flooring. It is useful to remember that the first digit means the scope of this finishing material, the purpose of the room where this flooring is supposed to be exploited. The second figure refers to the conditions of exploitation of the floor, the level of load on the laminate.

Information about the class of wear resistance should not be a decisive argument when buying laminate, but to help make the right choice can.