Laminate for the kitchen

The kitchen is the most atmospheric place in the house. Here, the hostess sacredly acts on the preparation of delicious dishes, the whole family gathers at the table for evening tea parties. At the same time, increased humidity reigns in the kitchen, sometimes oil or water spills, stains appear from splashes of fat. And most of these loads are on the floor. Hence the requirements that the kitchen floor must meet: practicality, ease of care and, of course, beauty. What material to choose for the floor? Recently, the list of floor coverings has been replenished with a laminate. Are you not sure that a laminate for the kitchen is a smart option? In vain. If you can choose the right flooring, the kitchen will delight you with its beauty for a long time.

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The composition of the laminated coating

Laminate is a multi-layer floor covering:

• Top coat made of acrylic or melamine. Its thickness does not exceed 1 mm. It serves to increase the wear resistance of the coating.
• Decorative layer. This paper is printed on it, impregnated with melamine resin.
• Damper - a layer that acts as a sound insulator. In addition, it increases the impact strength of the material. It is made of kraft cardboard with special impregnation.
• The HDF board is a wood-fiber layer having a thickness of 6 to 8 mm.
• Stabilizer - a layer of paper impregnated with paraffin or resins. Prevents the reaction of the fiberboard to changes in humidity and temperature.

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Why do many people like laminate flooring?

If you need to describe this material in a word, then perhaps the “many-sidedness” is best suited. Laminate for the kitchen can delight even the most fastidious and sophisticated people:

1. On sale there is an imitation of not only wood, but also ornamental stone, and ceramics.
2. The texture can also be different: smooth or repeating the texture of natural material.

That is, you can get the perfect flooring for you. At the same time, the cost of the laminate is several times lower than the natural material.

Important! Laminate flooring is extremely easy to install. You do not have to spend days and weeks installing the cover. Laying the floor in the room will take several hours.

In addition, there is a laminate, which goes well with warm floors. It is only important to choose the right material.

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Advantages of laminate flooring for the kitchen:

• Aesthetic appearance.
• Abrasion resistance.
• Affordable price.
• A possibility of use with the "heat-insulated floor" system.
• Easy installation.
• Hygiene laminate has a pronounced antistatic effect and almost does not attract dust.

The material fits well even in eco-design, because it realistically imitates natural materials. With a limited budget, this is a perfectly acceptable option.

For practical and economical owners, the most attractive feature is the ease of installation. You can install the flooring yourself, with minimal building knowledge, following the instructions. Mistresses like the fact that the laminate is easy to care for. It does not respond to changes in air temperature, it is easy to clean, it is easy to remove a variety of spots from it.

Important! Laminate for the kitchen is much more pleasant to the touch than ceramic floor tiles. It is nice to walk on it barefoot. This is especially true for families with small children. In addition, the material is combined with a warm floor system, which is impossible, for example, with wooden floors. And finally, the laminated coating in any case looks aesthetically pleasing and respectable.

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Laminate Cons

Despite the large number of advantages, this material has certain disadvantages:

• Sensitivity to getting wet (not all categories!).
• The presence of formaldehyde resins in the composition of the material (for moisture resistant modifications). For this reason, it is not possible to call a laminate an environmentally friendly material.
• Poor soundproofing qualities.

Important! If you used a moisture-resistant laminate for the kitchen, then with proper care it will last quite a long time. However, in the event of an accident, the floor will be damaged. Will have to replace it completely.

Is it possible to level these shortcomings? - There are always options:

1. To minimize the disadvantage with insufficiently good sound insulation, it is recommended to use shoes with soft soles.
2. As for the formaldehyde content, thanks to modern production technologies, the material can be used without fear of undesirable consequences, including in the kitchen.

Important! When purchasing a coating, be sure to ask the seller for a hygiene certificate. Do not be too lazy to also study the instructions. It indicates in which rooms the laminate can be used.

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How to choose a laminate for the kitchen and hallway: requirements

Consider the criteria that you need to pay attention to first.

Wear resistance

Depending on the wear resistance, there are two categories of coating:

• For residential premises - classes 21, 22, 23.
• For rooms with a large floor load - classes 31, 32, 33.

How to choose a laminate for the kitchen so as not to regret your decision? - There is nothing very complicated here:

1. If you are limited in money, you can use a class 23 laminate, but its service life for the kitchen will be from 5 to 7 years. If you like to often change the interior, it will not scare you.
2. A more acceptable option is a laminate of classes 31 and 32. It is designed for installation in cafes, offices, shops and restaurants. Therefore, such material can withstand the load in the kitchen.

Moisture resistant

In terms of significance, this indicator is equivalent to wear resistance, because the kitchen is inferior only to the bathroom in terms of humidity and the amount of water flowing onto the floor. The moisture resistance of the laminate is indicated by the inscription Aqua. According to this indicator, a laminate is distinguished:

• Moisture resistant.
• Water resistant

We will figure out how to choose a laminate in the kitchen in terms of moisture resistance. What is the difference between these two floor coverings.

Moisture resistant laminate

It is based on a dense MDF board of increased strength with a fibrous structure, and the locks are covered with special impregnation containing wax. The polymer coating makes the surface of the material resistant to wetting, but not the joints between the boards.

Water entering the joints causes swelling of the wood structure, which subsequently leads to deformation of the outer layer. Even after complete drying, the appearance of the floor is not restored.

Important! Can a moisture resistant laminate be used in a kitchen room? “Yes, but with careful care.” In order to prevent swelling of the material, you need to quickly wipe up the spilled water and treat the joints with special mastic.

Waterproof laminate

The water repellent properties of this material are much better than that of moisture resistant. The basis of the waterproof laminate is not wood material, but plastic. It does not absorb water, which means that deformation of the laminate does not threaten with long-term contact with water.

The plastic base is covered with a waterproof adhesive, on top of which a decorative layer and a high-strength polymer with a water-repellent effect are glued. The resistance of such a laminate to mechanical stress and moisture is extremely high.

Important! We must not forget about the fakes of the laminated coating. Unscrupulous manufacturers make the plastic base of the panels not hollow, but hollow. A fake can be recognized by the mass of the product (the hollow panel, of course, has a lower mass).

A waterproof laminate is the preferred option for the kitchen. In particular, if the owners are often not at home, and sometimes the neighbors from above forget to turn off the water.

Laminate: finishes

When thinking about what to choose a laminate for the kitchen, do not forget about the finish. For a more realistic imitation of the structure of wood, the following types of material finishes are used:

• Embossing.
• Brushing.
• Stamping in the register.
• Chrome zone.

Embossing

The lamellas are covered with a thick protective layer, the surface of which is cut or pressed through. This results in a plausible imitation of natural wood. Such a flooring can be washed much less frequently, since dirt is less visible on it.

Case stamping

The grooves cut on the protective layer coincide with the woody pattern. This coating looks very impressive.

Brushing

After embossing, the grooves are re-coated with a protective layer. This makes the material especially resistant to abrasion and mechanical stress.

Chrome zone

Provides decoration of grooves on lamellas with chromium compounds. This makes the material not only more wear resistant, but also gives it additional effect.

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Laminate in the kitchen - care

How to choose a laminate in the kitchen is understandable. A few words about caring for him:

1. Since the material hardly attracts dust, daily care is to wipe the floor with a damp, well-wrung cloth.
2. If the dirt is severe, you can wash the floor with plenty of water, followed by wiping it dry.
3. So that water does not penetrate the joints between the laminated panels, they must be regularly treated with special wax-based products. These formulations are suitable for masking scratches and removing stubborn stains.
4. To prevent the floor covering from being damaged, it is advisable to stick special felt linings on the legs of the kitchen furniture and the refrigerator.
5. A rubber mat placed near the sink protects the floor from excessive moisture.

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Stock footage

If you do not get involved in unjustified savings and purchase high-quality flooring with a high degree of wear resistance, the laminate in the kitchen will delight you for a long time. And having the useful information from this article, you will no longer have problems with the right choice.