How to choose a laminate for an apartment yourself

When choosing a floor covering, it is necessary to solve a number of issues related not only to the cost and complexity of the installation of a material, but also its appropriateness. For example, many do not want to know how to choose a laminate for an apartment, not out of idle curiosity. After all, if you go to the store and see the offers, then you can easily get lost in them. Moreover, which is even more confusing, each manufacturer in every possible way advertises its products, cites the results of tests for durability. If you do not know how to choose a laminate for an apartment, but simply read the characteristics on packages, then there may be a situation where any cheap model of an unknown Chinese manufacturer turns out to be several times better than an expensive coating from an eminent firm. Thus, before buying, you should understand the question: " How to choose a laminate for an apartment?"

Right choice

In general, it can be said that at present laminate is one of the best flooring options. At least because if you compare an inexpensive linoleum and a cheap laminate, you can damage the first literally with your fingernails, but the second such test will survive without damage to yourself. Of course, to purchase inexpensive coating should be only in specific cases, but this fact itself indicates reliability.

How to choose a laminate for an apartment

As we have already indicated, the specification should be read last. Even eminent manufacturers sometimes cunning, using nonstandard tests of wear resistance. One of the options to choose a good brand is to get acquainted with the opinions of people on the forums, as well as ask the opinions of those who chose laminate flooring in their own house or apartment. So, inexpensive laminate brands have a number of features:

- often difficult to install, because sometimes an extra half a millimeter of thickness of the edge does not allow to properly connect the locks;

- require an ideal preparation of the base surface, otherwise quickly diverge at the junctions, forming small, but noticeable crevices between the panels;

- after 3-5 years at an average load, the top coat begins to wear off.

The conclusion is the following: when studying how to choose a laminate for an apartment, it is necessary to remember that cheap models are suitable only for temporary repairs (for example, in a rented apartment). By the way, that's why there are not too cheap models in the assortment of well-known manufacturers.

Characteristics

One of the important points in choosing is the thickness of the panel (strip). Usually it varies from 6 to 12 mm. Obviously, the thicker the strip, the higher its thermal insulation properties. In addition, the thin coating is more "boisterous". Conclusion: the thicker the coating, the better. It should be noted that under the panel you need a lining and it is important that the thickness of the resulting "sandwich" does not interfere with closing the interior doors.

The next characteristic is the wear resistance class. The higher it is, the slower the erasure of the upper layer occurs. To designate a class, the numbers 21, 22, 23 and 31, 32, 33 are used. Sometimes the designation "commercial" etc. is indicated. This is the same as the code, but more understandable to the person unfamiliar with the terms. The higher the class, the better.

There is also a moisture resistant laminate. It is designed for styling in the kitchen. In other rooms it is inexpedient, since the cost of such models is higher.