First introduced to the European market in the early 1980s, laminate flooring filled a gap in the market for those who couldn’ t afford the higher price tag of solid wood flooring. However, it quickly became associated with low quality, difficult installation methods and poor aesthetics. Here, John Carney, Managing Director at Cheshire Mouldings, explores how new technologies are making laminate a new flooring favourite once more.

When Swedish company Perstorp developed laminate flooring over 30 years ago, it quickly flooded the European market due to its attractive price point. As the very nature of lamination is to create a single material that is collectively stronger through the combination of various materials, the different layers promised outstanding durability and resilience that was affordable for all.

Laminate flooring quickly became costlier and time consuming than initially thought, as the challenging installation method often required significant carpentry skills. Combined with the low-quality finish of the photographic image on the top layer of the flooring, laminate became synonymous with a type of flooring that both professionals and their customers were keen to avoid, leading to some manufacturers removing the product from their range altogether.

Fast forward to today and laminate has undergone something of a revolution, with suppliers adopting improved manufacturing processes and innovative photographic technologies to create denser, more durable

and better-looking planks that are a far cry from the unrealistic laminate flooring options of the past.

Perhaps the most significant technological advance made by manufacturers is the development of click and install systems, which have made laminate one of the easiest products to lay, as the previous requirement for nails or adhesives has been eliminated. New installation methods, such as 2G and 5G click systems, allow professionals to create a‘ floating floor’ that doesn’ t require any form of physical fixing. This makes the product more attractive for installers and their clients, as not only can laminate flooring be fitted significantly more quickly and easily, the flooring can also be walked on immediately after installation.

The nature of laminate flooring also offers professionals the potential opportunity to

secure add-on sales. A 10mm expansion gap should be left around the perimeter of the room to allow the planks to expand and contract through the seasons. An easy way to conceal this gap is through the installation of new skirting, which, if purchased in a complementary finish from the same manufacturer as the flooring, can create a coordinated finished look and means the products can be ordered, collected and installed in one go.

Therefore, Cheshire Mouldings has developed it’ s one-stop-shop approach, offering installers an extended product offering including flooring, skirting, architraves and mouldings all available in complementary finishes and styles.

Laminate was previously considered to have a typically short life span, due to the thin image layers and boards that struggled to cope with general wear. However, today’ s laminate flooring features a new fibreboard construction that provides greatly improved resilience, with the bonus of being suitable for use in conjunction with underfloor heating systems. Demand for underfloor heating continues to increase year-on-year according to latest research by the AMA, making compatibility more crucial.

The high density fibreboard used in Cheshire Mouldings’ laminate flooring is offers a plank thickness of up to 12mm, making it possible for laminate to now carry an impressive warranty of up to 25 years, dependent on the range, for additional peace of mind.

On top of improvements to durability and long-term performance, laminate suppliers

have also taken on board the need for better aesthetics, which remains one of the key considerations for end-users when selecting new flooring.

The development and use of modern photographic and printing technologies has led to laminate finishes that are now remarkably similar to real wood. The ability to apply synchronous pore printing to the material also enables real wood style grooves and grains to be printed into the boards, whilst synchronised wood grains also offer a higher level of realism. Plus, longer plank dimensions offer a more authentic appearance and help to avoid the unsightly pattern repeats that laminate was once synonymous with.

The timber effect and colourway is an important decision for customers, and new technologies have also enabled installers to offer a wider range of styles. With oak-effect finishes and grey tones continuing to go from strength to strength, manufacturers are now offering a range of shades, from dark charcoal right through to natural oak.

With laminate flooring currently, the largest product category within the wood floorcoverings market according to recent AMA research, installers have the ideal opportunity to capitalise on its resurgence. Now easier to install, longer lasting and more aesthetically appealing, laminate is a strong flooring option that, when sourced from a one-stop supplier offering complementary timber products, results in a quality flooring installation.

www. cheshiremouldings. co. uk

The Guide to Best Practice in the Specification and Use of Fire-Resistant Glazed Systems covers how Fire-Resistant Glazing systems are used to control the spread of fire and smoke, which

allows enough time for a safe escape, as well as safe access for fire safety services.

The Best Practice Guide is closely associated with Approved Document B for Fire Safety which, following the tragic incident

at Grenfell Tower in 2017, is currently the focus of the glazing sector. Fire safety has been brought to the fore in the national agenda, and the FRGG remains committed to providing the best industry guidance to protect

people from fire and the effects of fire.

Download a free PDF version of the guide here: https:// www. ggf. org. uk / publications / fireresistant-glazing