The contents
This cover recently appeared on the market of building and finishing materials and immediately attracted attention. On the one hand, it was expected. Manufacturers of flooring are aware that competition for the extremely popular classic laminate may be only a material with characteristics better than laminate, while the new material is going to be as easy to installation and future maintenance. On the other hand, consumers have long made the idea of cheapness and simplicity of PVC tiles, and «break» this stereotype was not just.
What is a vinyl laminate? ↑
It is similar to the classic panels of the laminate. The panel may consist of a layer of pressed vinyl, reinforcing mesh, quartz sand, decorative layer with printed printing pattern and the protective layer of polyurethane varnish with the addition of aluminum oxide. This flooring has a 43 class of wear resistance and thickness of about 4 mm.
Different manufacturers offer a vinyl laminate made according to different technologies. The panel may be composed of a substrate, the HDF-plate, a layer of vinyl, decorative and protective layers. In this case, the panel thickness is 10 mm.
According to the method of attachment varies and castle self-adhesive coating. In self-adhesive laminate is advocating for the panel sizes special adhesive film (smart tape). The second type has a Click-lock connection, and its styling differs little from laying laminate with the same lock.
The advantages of the new material ↑
The main advantages of vinyl laminate flooring due to its composition:
- Has exceptional wear resistance, manufacturers guarantee for 10-25 years of operation.
- Has great strength, practically not subject to mechanical damage, it is impossible to scratch. On vinyl laminate does not leave marks on the furniture, women’s heels, claws of animals.
- Has good resistance to water and permitted to be laid in bathrooms.
- Resistant to chemical influences.
- Resistant to fire.
- The undoubted advantages include a huge selection of colors, patterns and textures.
- Approved for use in children’s and medical institutions. To say that vinyl laminate is a same organic material like wood or ceramics, probably not worth it. But vinyl (PVC, polyvinyl chloride) in this state, inert. He even electrical charges do not accumulate.
- Has good sound and thermal insulation properties. The feeling is «warm» material.
- It is simple in installation and does not require special care in the future.
The relative disadvantage of its higher cost compared to other floor coverings. This is partly kompensiruet a very long lifetime of the material.
Requirements for the base surface ↑
The base surface must be solid, free of defects and damages and to have rigidity. As example, different types of Foundation and ways of their preparation before laying:
- Cement-sand screed floor. All cracks and holes are sealed cementitious mixture, the surface is leveled.
- Plywood, wooden flooring, linoleum, chipboard. The surface must be clean, dry, smooth, durable (strong). The linoleum shall be firmly attached to the floor. More serious defects are not allowed.
- Ceramic or stone tile should have a textured surface. The joints between the tiles and surface defects are filled with a cementing compound or putty.
The height difference should not exceed 2 mm for every 2 meters. Allowed uniform slope, 4 mm on surface 2 meter.
All types of surfaces prior to installation require careful cleaning. Dust and dirt prevent quality installation of vinyl laminate, especially with a self-adhesive edge.
Laying vinyl laminate ↑
The packaging material is recorded in the room where it will be styling, and there are 2 days to adjust to temperature and humidity. The room temperature should not be below 15°C. Open the package immediately before laying.
For laying self-adhesive coating it is necessary to prepare:
- Scissors.
- Knife.
- Roller for rolling the panels.
- Mallet.
- Roulette.
- Gon.
- Plastic limiters.
- Pencil.
- Chop saw.
Before laying the panels are extracted from the packages and laid out on the floor so that they took the original shape and straightened.
The first panel should be cut 1/3 of the length for installation with an offset of one-third of the Board. So the floor will have a neat appearance. To comply with the distances between walls and flooring around the room along the walls are covered by plastic restraints. After laying remove them.
With the side panel that will be facing the wall, cut the adhesive tape. Fit the first row, the second begins with the cropped part of the panel. The panel should hold for the laid tiles at an angle, and carefully stick to acting smart tape. After the series stacked, laminate the joints between the panels with a special clip. If the rules for stacking is obtained by a smooth, solid surface.
If the panel is easy with the displacement (uneven), within 10 minutes it can be removed and replaced, with smart tape not to damage.
For laying in areas with a complex configuration is best to use the template.
Laying vinyl laminate with a locking connection Click is made on a substrate (substrate strips between them are fixed with adhesive tape). Stacking technology corresponds to the technology of laying laminate flooring with Click lock.
Conclusion ↑
On the market there are new interesting flooring option. Attract stated by manufacturers of the material properties, a variety of patterns, textures and colors, ease of installation and undemanding to further care. While some confuse the cost. One hopes that soon the producers will start to reconsider the pricing policy, as it usually happens with the beginning of mass production.
