Do you know how laminate flooring came to life? It was in a similar way to every other important step in humanity; IT WAS NEEDED!
Yes, the swedish company Perstorp Corporation was about to close. Its sales were reducing during and after the 1973 crisis, known as the oil crisis. Like many other companies at that time, Perstorp had difficulties staying in business, so they had a desperate brainstorming session to find any solution to their problems. When they finished brainstorming, they had more than one hundred ideas. But they chose the one that would change the way we walk about our homes, forever. Its name (in swedish) was “Perkett laminatgolv” which literally means, laminate flooring.
After having the great initial idea, it took 2 years, and many tests and redesigns to get to something similar to what we have today (it has evolved a lot!). And the first name, was Perstorp Golv GL80.
After that, several brands started to create their own lines of laminate flooring. Sometimes even doing things completely differently from what they had been always doing.
You could say laminate flooring was a revolution!
I think that is enough history, and some of you may be asking yourselves about how laminate flooring is made. And it is quite simple! It is made of wood layers, except the last layer. The one you step on is harder and more beautiful. This one needs to resist the abrasion of stepping everyday, children playing, pets, and anything else that flooring should resist. Plus, they need to be beautiful, so this last layer has different finishes simulating any wood or even tiles and sometimes even images.
Going back to resistance and history, you should know the European Union created an ISO to regulate its resistance to abrasion. To test it they use a device which rubs the plank. So the amount of times this device can rub it before you can see the white layer, will determine its resistance like this table:
More than 900 times – AC1
More than 1.800 times – AC2
More than 2.500 times – AC3
More than 4.000 times – AC4
More than 6.500 times – AC5
Anyway, it is better to use other the other classification which is used nowadays. It classifies the laminate flooring according to its use. In other words, it is not the same to use the same laminate flooring in your living room than in a pub. So the categories estimate a durability according to this. They all start with Class 3x as it follows:
Class 31 – Heavy domestic use/Moderate commercial use
Class 32 – Heavy domestic use/Normal commercial use
Class 33 – Heavy domestic use/Heavy commercial use
Class 34 – Heavy domestic use/Industrial or very heavy commercial use
So the best thing you can do when checking its quality, its to ensure it’s got a good value in both scales, to make sure it will shine as it does on the first day for many, many years.