FAQ: Frequently asked questions about laminate
What does laminate flooring consist of?
Why does my laminate flooring creak?
Can I lay laminate on top of underfloor heating?
What laminate thicknesses are available?
Can you also use laminate as wall panelling?
What is the V groove with laminate flooring?
What does floating installation mean with laminate?
Who lays laminate?
You can have laminate laid by professional floor fitters whom you can employ in the same way as other tradesmen. If you buy laminate from a specialist dealer, you can normally take advantage of installation as part of their service.
People who buy laminate flooring frequently decide to simply lay it themselves. Click laminate, in particular, can be installed without any prior knowledge or special DIY skills. In the DIY scene, installing laminate is regarded as definitely feasible.
Instructions for laying click laminate
Who invented laminate?
The Swedish company Perstorp in Trelleborg developed a laminate material as a floor covering in 1977 and launched it on the market in 1980. The first HPL floor (High Pressure Laminate) with particle board and a wood veneer was produced. Previously, laminate had been used since the 1920s for work surfaces, window sills and wall panels.
Laminate – What is it exactly?
What does laminate flooring consist of?
Laminate consists of several layers fused together to which paper is attached with different patterns or decors. As High Density Fibreboard (HDF) is used as the substrate for the paper, laminate flooring has a wood content of around 90 percent.
Laminate – What is it exactly?
How is laminate disposed of?
Laminate can be simply disposed of with non-recyclable waste. If the volume is so high that normal waste bins are not sufficient, please take the old laminate to the recycling or refuse disposal centre. Some local authorities also offer bulky waste collections where laminate can be included.
If your new floor is laid by a specialist company, the tradesmen will in most cases take charge of disposing of the old laminate.
If you are carrying out renovations or refurbishments on a larger scale and you order a skip, you can also throw your old laminate into it.
How can laminate be cut?
Laminate can best be cut with a laminate cutter. Such devices can easily be transported, and the laminate can be cut quietly without dust or shavings by employing a simple levering action.
You can also use a handsaw with a mitre box. However, this requires greater expenditure of force, takes longer and causes shavings.
If you are experienced in the use of a circular table saw, you can also use one. Cutting is then fast but it is loud and raises dust and shavings.
You can also use a jigsaw. However, here too it is advisable to be experienced in handling one. But it can cut laminate quickly and flexibly.
Whatever tools are chosen, the decor surface should face downwards to ensure it does not flake off when cutting.
Instructions for laying click laminate
How long will laminate last?
How long laminate lasts depends on its performance and abrasion class and on the wear and tear it is subjected to and how well it is looked after. The German Tenants’ Association (Deutscher Mieterbund) states 10 years as the life expectancy for laminate flooring. KRONOTEX offers up to 30 years warranty on its laminate.
Why does my laminate flooring creak?
If your laminate flooring creaks or squeaks when you walk on it, the reasons may be as follows:
- distances from walls, door frames, heating pipes, expansion profiles have not been adhered to
- sub-floor uneven
- sub-floor consists of old floorboards
- tongue and groove not correctly connected
- faulty impact sound insulation
Can I lay laminate on top of underfloor heating?
Yes, if both the laminate is suitable for underfloor heating and the underfloor heating is suitable for laminate. KRONOTEX laminate is excellently suited to hot water underfloor heating and also to most electric underfloor heating. You will find everything you need to look out for here:
Laminate on underfloor heating
Instructions for laying click laminate
What laminate thicknesses are available?
KRONOTEX laminate panels are available in thicknesses of 8 mm, 10 mm and 12 mm. Thinner laminate is usually required, for example, when it has to fit under doors. Thicker laminate is naturally more stable and also quieter. The thicker the panels, the more stable the connection as the click connection for KRONOTEX laminate matches the thickness of the panels.
From Performance Class 33 (commercial) onwards, KRONOTEX panels are at least 10 mm thick.
Can you also use laminate as wall panelling?
Yes, you can also install laminate on walls. You will either need a substructure for attaching them, or the panels are glued directly.
But beware: If you fit laminate flooring to walls, you are not using it for its intended purpose. This will invalidate any guarantee or warranty.
What is the V groove with laminate flooring?
The join between two laminate panels lying side by side is around 1 mm deep and is termed the V groove. It is created by the flattened edges of the panels where we also talk of 45 degree fibres. When you fit the panels together, a join is created which is V-shaped in cross-section which is how it gets its name.
V grooves typically occur with solid floorboards. As laminate also uses these grooves, in appearance it is a perfect imitation of floorboards.
What does floating installation mean with laminate?
In the case of floating installation, the laminate is not fixed to the sub-floor but just laid on top of it. This allows the wood material to “work”. This means the material has enough play to expand and contract like wood depending on the temperature and humidity.
Floating installation is also a simple alternative way of laying laminate flooring. And it is also easy to remove again.