Laying vinyl laminate

Today, no one will be surprised by the coating of the laminate floor, because this material has earned popularity due to its excellent appearance and durability. Its main disadvantage is sensitivity to moisture. New technology of manufacturing laminate eliminated the material from this minus. The panels of this coating are not made of wood laminated boards, but of flexible vinyl. Laying vinyl laminate is not difficult, and the coating itself is unpretentious in the care and creates a stylish floor decoration.

What is vinyl laminate

Vinyl laminate is a decorative flooring that has not yet become widely spread, as many people simply have not heard of its existence. Material based on vinyl looks like laminated board, but it is flexible and resilient. The top layer of the panel is made of polyurethane, which protects the structure from mechanical impact and sun rays that are hazardous to vinyl. Alumina can be used as a protective layer. Next is a layer of transparent polyvinyl chloride. Under it is a paper digital image, serving as a decorative pattern. It is glued to the base - vinyl, in some models supplemented with quartz sand. Manufacturers offer models with an attached backing or self-adhesive tape. The appearance of the coating imitates natural wood, marble or stone.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of a new coating include its long service life; for public premises, manufacturers claim a 10-year guarantee of impeccable service. The vinyl laminate bedding in the house will please the owners with impeccable quality for 25 years. Few coatings can compete with it. Among other advantages deserve attention:

1. Environmentally friendly material recommended for children's institutions.
2. Moisture resistance - it can be laid in rooms with any level of humidity - in the kitchen or in the bathroom.
3. Easy installation and handling.
4. Huge selection of colors and patterns to create a unique interior.
5. Resistant to mechanical damage and high loads.
6. Ease of care.

Materials without flaws have not yet created, among the disadvantages of vinyl laminate:

1. Low quality material does not have a protective layer, so it quickly loses its original color and is damaged by mechanical impact. Separate parts of the cover can not be replaced, it will have to be removed completely.
2. Under the influence of open fire, vinyl coating emits toxic substances, it should not be laid near fireplaces.
3. The top layer of the coating is sensitive to contact with rubber, it is not necessary to walk on it in rubber-soled shoes or lay mats made of this material.
4. Vinyl laminate has a high cost.

When calculating the pros and cons of the value is obtained in favor of laying the coating of vinyl laminate. Its disadvantages are not as significant as the advantages.

Varieties of material

By the common name vinyl laminate is meant several different types of flooring:

• Standard vinyl model with protruding smart tape for connecting.
• Self-adhesive laminate, from it create a durable coating in the bathrooms or on the balconies. The material has good thermal insulation properties, can be laid on the old coating.
• Contesse laminate is particularly resistant to aggressive substances. The possibility of sanitization with any disinfectant allows you to lay this coating in medical and preschool institutions. Adding to the polymer mineral crumb strengthened the strength of the material, it without consequences can withstand loads of up to 100 kg per cm². Laminate Contesse is not afraid of sunlight and high temperature, it has a special anti-slip coating and is safe even in the presence of moisture on the surface. This property makes it an optimal choice as flooring for public spaces.
• Quartzvinyl laminate - the composition of the coating includes granite granite, which makes it particularly durable. A unique antibacterial effect gives it the use in the manufacture of technology Nano Silver. It consists in the interaction of material and silver ions at the molecular level. As a result, the surface of the laminate has high antibacterial properties and does not absorb unpleasant odors. Material with such qualities is used for laying on the floor and walls in operating rooms and maternity hospitals.

The surface of the vinyl laminate can be smooth, glossy or rough structure, it provides reliable imitation of natural materials. For laying in public places a coating is produced with a protective layer of greater thickness than usual.

Surface preparation requirements

The base under the laminate can be of any material, but tough, durable and clean. If the installation will be carried out on a concrete screed, there should be no cracks and differences in the level of more than 2 mm per m²General floor slope allowed up to 3 mm. Defects found need to be repaired or flattened with plywood. When laying on linoleum, the quality of its adhesion with the base is checked. Installation of the coating is permissible on tiles without relief, the joints between individual parts are plastered with cement mortar.

The use of various types of vinyl laminate requires a special quality of base preparation, since the slightest unevenness is noticeable when mounting self-adhesive panels. In addition, the humidity of the floor is important, moisture should not accumulate under the coating, otherwise it will destroy the glue. The model with a cork substrate is not so demanding on the quality of the base. However, before starting any surface thoroughly cleaned.

Styling Features

It takes two days to open the boxes with vinyl laminate, this time is necessary to adapt the material to the ambient temperature and humidity. Begin installation at a room temperature of +18 to +24 degrees.

Note! If laying laminate with vinyl coating is performed on a warm floor, it is necessary to turn off the heating 4 days before the start of work. The next activation of the floor heating system is made 6 days after the completion of the flooring installation.

Instruments:

• Stationery knife.
• Roulette.
• Roller for rolling.
• Scissors.
• Plastic restraints.

Laying cover

The material is removed from the packaging immediately prior to installation and allowed to lie down. Laying laminate with locking connection does not require marking, but the substrate is laid. You can use polyethylene, the cloth at the joints is taped. Installation begins from the far corner of the room. Plastic stoppers 6 mm thick are inserted between the wall and the coating to create an expansion joint. Panels are stacked using a click-key floating lock. After installation, the extenders are removed, and the seam is closed with a plinth.

When laying down a model with a protruding adhesive tape, the process also starts from the far corner. At the first panel from the side of the wall, adhesive tape is cut off. Between the wall and the laminate must leave 6 mm. The second part is shortened by a third and attached to the first. The next one cuts another third. Such an offset creates an attractive and neat surface. Tiles bring to the glued parts at an angle, with the wrong connection, you can quickly tear off and put exactly. The following rows overlap. Places of connections for reliable fixing rolled with a roller. If you have to lay the coating in a cold room, the adhesive part is heated by a hairdryer. Installation of the coating takes only a few hours, in order to cope with it, no special knowledge is required.

Under the self-adhesive vinyl laminate does not require a substrate. Working with this material requires concentration and accuracy, an unsuccessfully glued panel can be torn off, but subsequent gluing will not be as good. For convenience, a thin strip (2 cm) at the junction is peeled off, and after a neat connection, the rest of the protective layer is removed and the laminate is glued to the floor.

New among flooring will be a worthy alternative to existing options. Its unique qualities make it possible to create a stylish floor design in rooms where ordinary laminate could not be laid - in the bathroom or in the kitchen. The high price of the material does not seem to be a significant factor, given the long life of the coating.

Video

This video is about Holzplast vinyl laminate:

And here you can see how the vinyl laminate is laid: