How To Tell Thickness Of Wear On Laminate Flooring

This is the surface of the floor the one you actually walk on.

How to tell thickness of wear on laminate flooring.

Like other types of floor covering many different grades and styles are available. If you find thicker than 12mm it s an inaccurate measurement possibly including attached padding. Most of the various styles are installed by just snapping together the planks no glue or fasteners required. There are five ac ratings for laminate floors ranging from ac1 for low traffic areas to ac5.

These four layers pressed together under high heat to form a laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is one of the great developments in home improvement of the past 50 years. This gives the flooring its stability and main thickness. Finally the wear layer which is a clear overlay is on the top of the plank.

It is made of aluminum oxide or cellulose paper mixed with melamine resins. The durability of laminate flooring is measured with the ac rating which is an abrasion rating system. The level of wear on a vinyl plank is measured in mil one thousandth of an inch a mil is not the same as a millimeter as roughly 40 mil equals 1 0 mm 39 4 mil to 1 mm to be exact. Laminate is considered by flooring industry professionals to be one of the toughest types of surfaces on the market.

A thicker layer is more resistant to scratching and denting. The wear layer is what is used to measure the durability of vinyl plank flooring. Better quality flooring tends to have the highest wear layers but is more expensive. The next layer is the fiberboard layer.

Some laminate flooring board will have an attached underlayment pad attached to. Impact resistance or the ability of a laminate floor to withstand the impact of a falling object is related to plank thickness. The wear layer makes the laminate floor able to stand up to foot traffic and minor abrasions thus improving its durability. This layer is topped with the decorative paper that gives the laminate floor its look.

Laminate flooring is between 6 12mm thick. The higher the ac rating the more durable the flooring will be. All laminate flooring has a wear rating denoted by an ac abrasion class followed by a number. When we talk about laminate flooring thickness we refer to the inner core part mentioned above.

Laminate flooring is available in many types of textures and finishes to simulate the look of real hardwood flooring. Embossed or embossed in register eir. It s inexpensive durable and prefinished but best of all an intermediate diyer can install it with just a few tools.