What is the best laminate floor ? Surprisingly, that is a very subjective question which has more than one answer. The best laminate floor depends on each individual situation. Here we will discuss the different types of laminate floors and the areas to which they’re most suited.
The general quality of a laminate floor is often dependant on two things, the AC wear rating and the click system which locks those floors together; one of these is as important as the other because if one fails, your entire floor will suffer as a result.
AC wear ratings:
AC stands for abrasion class, which means how much wear and tear each floor is capable of taking. Ac ratings are graded on a scale of 1-6 where 1 is the lowest quality and 6 is the highest.
AC1-AC2: A floor with an Ac rating of 1 or 2 are ones you should try avoid at all costs. Because of their low abrasion rating they are generally only suitable for use in areas such as walk in wardrobes.
AC3: AC3 rated floors are the lowest quality floors which you should consider for your home. They are suitable for use in light to medium domestic situations. So an AC3 rated floor would be okay to put into a bedroom but if you are looking for something for a living room/hall, you should maybe consider something a little stronger. Click here to view our AC3 rated floors.
AC4: AC4 rated floors are the most common floors on the market. Because of their rating they are suitable for heavy domestic to light commercial use. So, if you are looking for a floor in a high traffic domestic area, an AC4 floor should have you covered. Click here to view our AC4 laminate floors.
AC5: An AC5 rated floor steps up a level. Because of their wear rating they can be used in medium commercial situations. So that means not just are they suitable for any area of the home but also small to medium businesses. This means in an AC5 rated floor, you have one of the highest quality floors available. Click here to view our AC5 rated floors.
AC6: An Ac6 rated floor is the highest quality you can get. Because of its rating, this floor is suitable for full commercial which means there is no area this floor is not good enough for. If you want a floor that can stand the test of time and take all the wear you can possibly give it, an AC6 rated floor is the one for you. To view our collection of AC6 rated floors click here.
So the AC rating is one thing that will determine the quality of your floor and what is best suited for the area you need covered.
Click systems:
The click system in your floor is essentially how each board inter locks with the next. Because this is what actually keeps the boards intact, it is hugely important when buying your floor. Long standing, reputable brands such as Quick Step, Balterio, Kronotex, Swiss Krono and Alsafloor have developed and patented their designs to ensure there is never a weakness in the joints. So be wary if you are buying a floor from an unrecognised brand. As even though they may have the correct wear rating for what you require, the click system could weaken the floor.
Kitchens:
For a long time people who were putting a floor in a kitchen were restricted to using tiles. This isn’t necessarily the case anymore as you now have the option of using a water resistant laminate floor. Because of surface treatment on these floors, they are now much more resilient to areas where water is an issue.
For any more information please feel free to contact us.
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