Top Ten Reasons to Shop at Factory Direct Carpets
1. Family Owned and Operated since 1946
3. Free Sample Checkout Service so you can compare samples in your home
6. Experienced and Knowledgeable Sales Staff
7. Honest “No Surprises” Pricing
8. Lifetime Installation Guarantee
Laminate Construction
Laminate flooring has become a popular choice for many homeowners due to its ability to closely emulate today's most popular hard surfaces, especially hardwood planks and ceramic or stone tiles. Besides the great textures and designs, laminate flooring offers improved durability, easier maintenance and affordability compared to other types of hard surface floors. These floors are extremely resistant to wear, stains and sunlight fading. The beautifully rich textured finishes make these floors a great alternative for most areas in the home.
Having arrived from Europe over a decade ago, laminate flooring was inspired by countertop materials, only it's at least 20 times stronger. With a direct pressure laminate surface it is virtually impossible for spills and scuffs to leave a mark. The clear surface layer protects the pattern underneath and is highly resistant to cigarette burns and scratches from pets. Maintenance is quick and easy using a damp cloth or vacuum and most household cleaning chemicals will not harm a laminate floor. The surface is hygienic and is excellent for people suffering from allergies.
Specially engineered with layered construction, laminate flooring can be installed almost anywhere in the home, including over dry concrete slabs, wooden subfloors and many types of existing floor coverings. The low clearance space height means laminates are particularly suited for renovation and restoring old houses where floor thicknesses can be a problem.
Factory Direct Carpets offers a wide selection of rich colors and designs in several different grades, including laminates with pre-attached underlayments to help deaden sound and keep the floor warmer and "embossed-in-register" designs in which the surface texture exactly matches the image texture for highly realistic look and feel of real hardwood, tile and stones styles.
Laminate is constructed of four layers:
Laminate flooring has a layered construction:
A) Wear layer: This easy-to-clean surface contains aluminum oxide which protects the floor from stains, fading and wear.
Look for an abrasion classification (A/C) rating of at least 3 for adequate residential use protection.
B) Image design layer: A photographic image of wood, stone, or virtually anything you can imagine.
C) Inner core layer: The core provides the floor's structural strength and stability. It is made from high-density fiberboard (HDF). The core is often impregnated with a plastic resin called melamine to increase the floor's strength, stability and resistance to moisture. Products that have high levels of melamine do not require acclimation before installation.
D) Backing layer: Found beneath the inner core, the backing is made with resin saturated paper. It creates a moisture barrier that protects the floor from warping.
All laminate floor layers are fused together using one of two processes. DPL, or direct pressure laminate, is the most common construction for residential use. HPL, or high-pressure laminate, is an extra-hard construction. The difference between the two relates to cost, performance and design realism. DPL is less expensive, has the same gouge resistance as HPL when objects are dropped at or below counter height, and is easier to emboss for more realistic texture. HPL is more expensive and less likely to gouge if items are dropped from above counter-top height, but is harder to emboss, so it doesn't look as realistic.
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