Choose the right art laminate

The increased interest in the art laminated floor with imitation of solid block parquet is due to its unsurpassed decorative qualities. Exquisite and luxurious flooring exhibits a rare combination of pleasant wood texture, beautiful natural colors and expressive classic patterns.

Such options for finishing the floor are successfully integrated into the interiors of the most different stylistic directions, from classic to minimalism. Despite the fact that the imitation of compressed parquet is referred to the category of finishing coatings of the premium segment, the purchase of an elite laminate is several times cheaper than the original. The topic of today's conversation: choosing the right art laminate.

Art laminate is a compromise solution that combines the beauty of an expensive parquet floor and the practicality of a modern laminated flooring.The key feature of the laminated floor for palace flooring is the stylistic design.

Finishing coatings are available with two types of drawings:

• Rapport - repeatedly repeating like an ornament due to the use of identical decors.
• Compound. In this case, the one-piece picture of fixed sizes is assembled element by element in accordance with the artistic scheme, which allows one to achieve a more interesting decorative effect.

Coatings are also classified according to the type of ornaments, which are distinguished by a large variety. Prefabricated segments are made using various elements in the form:

• Borders - they are indispensable for zoning and design of the contours of three-dimensional drawings.
• Outlets - round / oval parts are used to highlight the central part of the room or individual segments.
• Modules. The advantage of modular laminate is quick and easy assembly. The modules are large squares, from which a general drawing is assembled according to the principle of a children's puzzle.

For the manufacture of laminate goes high-density moisture-resistant fibreboard HDF with 4-5-ply structure. As an initial layer, moisture-proof paper is used to stabilize the structure and impart rigidity.

The inner part — the fiberboard core is faced with decorative paper with melamine or acrylic — polymer resins increase the strength of the panels. Modern printing technologies have reached such a level that they can reproduce any textured embossing (stone, wood, carpet, tile, marble, parquet) as realistically as possible.

The task of the face layer in the form of a non-electrifying high-strength film (laminate) is to protect the coating from external factors. The use of the DPL pressing method allows achieving a striking parquet texture with a characteristic chamfer.

The art laminated board can have the different thickness, length and width. Coating performance is affected by panel thickness. When choosing their width and length, the reference points are dimensions of the room and its geometry. The most common laminate thickness is 8 mm, lamellae from 6 to 7 mm thick are considered thin, and more than 12 mm thick.

The range of panel widths varies from 90 to 400 mm:

• Laminate flooring with narrow lamellas imitating parquet floor - from 90 to 160 mm;
• Models with simulated wooden floor - from 185 to 195 mm, they are considered the most common sizes.
• Models of wide laminate for ceramic floor tiles - 300 mm, and for artistic parquet - 400 mm.

When choosing a color solution of laminate, first of all they are repelled from the color of the doors, platbands and fillets.

The traditional colors include shades:

• birch;
• cherries;
• oak;
• wenge;
• dark and light walnut.

Of neutral and pastel colors, shades deserve attention:

• ash tree;
• birch trees;
• light alder;
• light oak

The choice of panels of shades of cherry, linden and Milan walnut requires a well-thought-out style decision of the interior. It should not be pink, purple or lilac. Ideal duets they form with green, brown, orange, terracotta.

The palette of cold colors is very diverse, the most current colors of this type:

• dairy;
• cream;
• grayscale grades;
• shade of white oak.

The difference between the art laminate drawings is in their functional purpose:

• In dining rooms, in kitchens and utilitarian premises, coverings with imitation of ceramic tiles, plank floor or stone cut are appropriate.
• The interior of the living room or the lobby of a country house looks luxurious finish floor, imitating the palace flooring mosaic.
• Diversify the design of the children's bright laminate will help with fabulous characters or fantasy drawings.

Moisture resistance and abrasion resistance are the most important characteristics of laminate flooring, which are determined by their class:

• From 21 to 24 classes - coating models designed for flooring in domestic premises.
• From 27 to 32 - coatings with medium strength.They are designed for operation in conditions of high relative humidity up to 70%.
• Class 33 - coating with the best strength, sound insulation and moisture-resistant characteristics.

The scope of application of models under marking 32 and 33 is the design of trading floors, offices, hotel halls, entertainment venues, beauty salons, restaurants.

Initially, the laminate fit only with the use of adhesives. When the MDF plates changed the high density HDF plates, the lock joints appeared on the panels. With the use of dense slabs, high precision milling of complex shaped locks became possible.

There are three types of locking systems:

• Lock-lock, fitted with latches for fixing panels on the thorn-groove principle.
• Click-lock is a collapsible system of fasteners, a feature of which is the adhesion of boards at a 45-degree angle.
• 5G-mount - an improved version of the Click-lock with a plastic tongue on the end. When docked, it is assembled into the body of the panel, and after coupling the boards comes back and closes the fasteners.

Creator of beautiful decors with imitation of parquet, texture of maple, cherry,Oak and exotic wood - panga panga and zebrano - is not nature, but designers.

If the priority is to purchase an unusual laminate, then It is worth looking at the collections of decors with imitation:

• parquet - such a coating is chosen in country residences, where the squares allow you to demonstrate in all its glory intricate patterns or compositions of rosettes and borders;
• wood textures of different species: bamboo, oak, painted wood effect;
• Fir cones.

Very interesting decors:

• With inserts under the skin of a snake or crocodile from the series "breakfast" or "dinner with an alligator."
• With a geometric pattern - cover in the form of a square under a tiled floor.
• With 3D-images - illusory pictures on the floor look spectacular in the ultra-modern kitchens and bathrooms.

The design of the laminate is selected taking into account the stylistic orientation of the interior.

Types of laminate, which are best suited for certain styles:

• Classic: with imitation of marble, parquet, the traditional version - under the oak and beech, under the tree with the effect of "stresed".
• Art decor, neoclassic: under the palace mosaic, under the tree and with narrow slats.
• Ethnicity: under the dark or white skin of reptiles.

• Vintage style: imitation of an old wooden floor.
• Country, ecostyle, scandi design and retro: under the bleached oak floor or with various combinations of wood textures.
• Hi-tech and loft: under the "deck" floor, with a metallic sheen, imitation masonry.
• Minimalism: in monochrome white, black, gray colors.

When choosing a laminate you need to take into account the specific conditions in the room:

• For bright rooms matte neutral natural tones are suitable. On a white, bright or dark surface, the slightest accumulation of dust will be evident.
• The lack of light in the room - the reason for finishing the floor with a glossy finish in bright colors.
• It is important that the size of the slats do not contradict the dimensions of the room. Here is the rule: the more modest the footage, the smaller the size of the picture.

The demand for artistic laminate explains its high performance and endless possibilities in interior design.

Strengths:

• extremely beautiful;
• environmentally friendly and safe;
• abrasive resistant;
• maintains the intensive loadings and pressure created by furniture, heels, claws of pets;

• Insensitive to UV rays, fire resistant;
• has antistatic properties;
• undemanding in service;
• easy to fit;
• suitable for flooring on the system "warm floor".

Weak sides:

• Unnatural, as the composition contains resins, and the base itself is made of synthetics.
• Compared to parquet, it provides worse noise and heat insulation.

The greatest demand is for coatings from leading European manufacturers and companies from China.

TOP 5 brands:

• RichMan`S (Hungary). Coatings of 33 classes with an enlarged protective layer are distinguished by a magnificent brushed texture. Interesting colors are oak, especially silver-gray for models from the Floor collection and single-strip laminate of the Long series with the patented MegaMaster lock.

• Claccen (Germany). A solid range of designs, colors and decors - more than 400 varieties. Reliability of laying provides the Megaloc lock.

• Balterio (Belgium). Production is presented by 16 collections and decors over 150 types. The popular Xperience Plus series are beautiful matte finishes and Tradition Sapphire with an imitation of roughly treated floor.

• Floorwood. A variety of decors and lamella formats, rich colors and unique structural solutions - all this expands the choice of high-quality laminate from a joint German-Chinese brand.

• Uniqstep (Germany). It is worth looking at the Flower collection - royal laminate solutions for artistic parquet with floral themes. Imperial series - models with imitation of piece parquet in the best traditions of German quality.

Analysis of the reviews showed that the owners of artistic laminate for the most part Satisfied with the purchase. Some were satisfied with the price-quality ratio, others note the affordable installation, others rejoice at the transformation of the interior due to the ideally chosen shade of the coating.

And everyone in the voice admire the beauty of the floor, which often becomes the object of the envy of neighbors and enthusiasm from the guests. Young couples especially like reptile skin imitation and oak coatings, but in bright shades of red, yellow, green - this laminate looks great in a nursery.

We picked up the most successful ideas of the original design of the floor with artistic laminate. in the interiors of country houses and apartments:

• Laminate flooring with imitation parquet harmoniously complements the interiors of different styles. But royally luxurious, it looks exactly against the background of the palace styles of the era of European classicism.

• Laminate with imitation oak texture - the undisputed sales leader. Why? Everything is simple: the oak board is an interior classic that exists beyond the vagaries of fashion. Buying a natural array is expensive. Out of the situation - laminate flooring.

• Laminate flooring is an aged floorboard - a favorite of interiors in the trends of country design and chebbi-chic style. In addition to creating an authentic setting, the coating with scuffs and chips will add expressiveness to the ordinary design of the room.

• Gray palette never ceases to inspire designers. The current trend was supported by the manufacturers of laminate, as a result, all-new color solutions of artistic laminate in fashionable gradations of silver, smoky, anthracite shades appear.

Recommendations for the installation of panels:

• The main requirement for flooring covers the quality of the preparation of the base. It should be flat, clean and dry.
• Before laying the laminate is allowed to lie down for a couple of days in the conditions of the room where finishing work will be carried out.
• Installation is performed along the wall and parallel to the main sources of illumination.
• During installation, it is important to control the panel, the pattern in the joints should be exactly the same.
• The presence of gaps up to 0.1 cm between the walls and the canvas of the panels is a prerequisite for flooring.
• Plinths are always attached to the walls.

For an overview of Kaiser art laminate, see below.