Laminate floors are some of the popular options for people who are remodeling or building their homes. They can be commonly found in people’s hallways, dining areas, kitchens, and even bedrooms. As long as there isn’t too much moisture in an area, a laminate floor will work amazingly.

What many people do not know is the structure of this type of flooring, and how PVC film is applied on laminate floors. If you are one of the people who are in the dark when it comes to these things, you do not have to worry anymore. This post will give you some in-depth information.

What Are Laminate Floors?

Laminate flooring was invented by Swedish company Perstorp back in 1977. They came up with it when they tried using waste wood projects and a lot of heat, high pressure, and binding chemicals, and the results were used for floor coverings. Ever since, multiple other companies started making laminate floors for consumers.

These floors represent a type of hybrid floor covering that consists of a particleboard wood base. This contains an image layer on top, and then a transparent wear layer. People love these floors in areas where there isn’t too much humidity, like kitchens, bedrooms, or hallways.

What Features Do Laminate Floors Possess?

There are several features that you can find in laminate flooring. The base material is usually either HDF or MDF. Then, there are four layers used in total: a balance paper layer, high-density fireboard, decorative paper, and lastly, wear layer.

At the same time, there are different types of wear resistance. For instance, there is AC0, AC1, AC2, AC3, AC4, AC5 of the standard of EN13329. Also, you have different surface treatments to choose from. These include embossed, crystal, mirror, EIR, marble, matte, hand-scraped, and many others.

Different colors are available, respectively more than 2,000 shades. There are also different sizes for your requirement. So, if you need a particular size for your space, you will most probably find it.

The thickness can vary, but the thicknesses available are usually 8mm, 11mm, and 12mm. The special treatment is soundproof of EVA/IXPE and waterproof of wax seal. What makes it even better is that you can find the flooring at a low price and still have the best quality.

The application is widespread. That being said, it works for salesrooms, conference rooms, boutiques, offices, schools and kindergartens, and many others.

Structure of the HDF/MDF Laminate Flooring

The structure of the laminate floor is as follows: wear layer, decorative paper, high-density fireboard, and balance paper. All these layers are necessary to make the flooring durable and stay fixed, but also to make it have a nice aspect and match the environment it’s in.

Let’s go into more detail about the layers that make laminate floors.

• Wear Layer

This is basically the top layer of the laminate floor, and the material it’s made of is crystallization AL2O3. Therefore, this has a very high wear resistance, which is why it’s used as the top layer. It helps protect the flooring against friction.

The layer is clear, meaning it will not be that easy to see at first.

• Design Paper

Design paper is exactly what its name suggests – paper that gives the floor a unique design. It comes in different colors, and it helps give the flooring more diversity, allowing people to choose the design they love the most.

Most people get excited about this particular part because they have so many options to choose from. Everyone is attracted by beautiful designs, after all, and why wouldn’t they? You want a floor that looks great. However, the structure of the overall board is more important than the design. While the good looks are great to have, it’s still better to ensure the construction is high-quality and durable so it lasts for a long time.

Usually, this PVC decorative paper is applied over the core board and is there simply for design purposes. Since this material has so much complexity, people can choose from different colors, textures, and patterns for their flooring, leading to the incredible designs you can see when browsing laminate flooring.

• The Core Board

This is pretty much the base of the flooring. The PVC decorative film that creates the whole design is attached to this board.

It is really important to pay attention to this part because it will influence the overall floor and its quality. You will feel when a floor is a low-quality one, and you will even see the consequences after a while.

For example, a low-quality material will feel very soft under your feet, and it will not have too much stability. In very bad situations, this core might be made of cardboard. So, if there is any imperfection in your subfloor, it can turn into a real problem very quickly. After some time, you might notice that the floor is unattractive and uneven.

High-quality cores are made to be solid and durable, and after installing them, you should get a very solid feel under your feet, as well as stability.

• Balance Paper

The balance paper is added as the overlay and decorative paper are made of melamine paper. Therefore, the flooring needs this layer to keep some balance, making sure that the floor is straight and does not bend.

So, this layer acts as light insulation, and this is a very important part that shouldn’t be ignored. On top of keeping the balance, it also serves as a shield for the core board, preventing it from being exposed directly underneath and from getting damaged.

What Is the Difference Between HDF and MDF?

When installing laminate flooring, you might notice that you have two different options – HDF (high-density fireboard) and MDF (medium-density fireboard).

Let’s start with HDF. This is a type of engineered wood product. Basically, pulped wood waste and chips are used in this, as wood fiber is extracted from them to result in the creation of the core. HDF is pretty hard, even though it’s similar to MDF or particle boards. It is much harder than any of the two. The density is higher than 800 kg/m₃ or 50 pounds/ft₃. Therefore, it is great for laminate floors because it is a stabilizing material.

However, there are a few disadvantages to HDF. For example, it cannot be used outside. That is because it absorbs water. The only way to use it outside is by adding a tempered form of hardboard that has better resistance to moisture and is more durable. This form can be obtained by adding oil that then becomes a polymer when the board is formed using high pressure and temperature.

Meanwhile, MDF is also an engineered product, but it is obtained a little differently than HDF. Wood wastage fibers are compressed together with glue or resin under heat and pressure, and that is how the MDF is created. It has similarities with particle boards, but MDF is denser.

The great thing about it is that it does not swell or warp in areas with high humidity, which is why it’s such a popular type of board. As a result, it works amazingly as a core layer material for laminate flooring. Now, of course, that does not mean it should be placed in areas where everything is constantly wet – still, it will be ruined instantly if there is a bit of humidity.

What else makes the two different? Well, MDF is much cheaper, for instance. Apart from that, HDF is much thinner due to its higher density, and it is not the best in all applications. Even though MDF has a bit of moisture resistance, HDF is much stronger and more durable overall.

How Are Laminate Floors Installed?

Usually, laminate floors are installed as floating floors, as this helps the boards connect to one another. The installation process has some similarities to the solid hardwood flooring installation process. They connect to one another but not to the subfloor, as there is a tongue-and-groove style to join the boards together.

The cool thing is that laminate floors are much easier to install and they do not necessarily require a professional. In fact, you might do all the work yourself. As long as there are some basic tools around, installing the floor will be a piece of cake.

The Bottom Line

HDF/MDF laminate flooring has a structure meant to keep the floor in place. The backing layer is there to balance the structure and make sure it does not start bending. Also, it protects the core from any potential damage that might be caused from underneath.

The core is the base of the flooring, and then PVC decorative film is applied over it for design purposes, and lastly, there is a wear layer for protection, so friction does not damage it. All in all, laminate flooring is a great option for areas without too much moisture.