Which laminate is better to choose taking into account the most important criteria and the various premises of an apartment or house. How to choose a laminate: tips and mistakes Why cold laminate in an apartment

It's no secret that the most popular of all flooring is laminate. It is in demand due to its unique properties, as well as unpretentiousness and affordable price. This material is made from pressed wood fibers, so it partly has the properties of natural wood. It does not belong to cold materials, so in the summer it creates an exceptionally pleasant feeling underfoot. But in the winter months, you also want to walk barefoot, without the unpleasant consequences associated with a cold. Therefore, it is important to know how to make laminate flooring warmer.

The first thing that comes to mind is to install a warm floor. But such a reconstruction is a troublesome business, and the materials and cost of work will result in a round sum. In addition, it is best to mount an infrared warm floor under the laminate, since other types of heating will be less effective. This is due to the fact that the laminate does not transmit heat well, since it (together with the substrate) is to some extent a heat insulator.

A wonderful alternative to the time-consuming and expensive installation of underfloor heating in some cases is a warm substrate under the laminate.

What is a substrate and why is it needed

Modern laminate flooring is often sold with a ready-made bottom layer, but despite this, a warm substrate remains extremely popular and in demand among buyers. When choosing a substrate, it is not necessary to give preference to one that is produced by the same manufacturer as the laminate itself. The main thing is to choose from the whole variety the option that is right for your situation, based on the operating conditions.

Types of warm substrates

Made from expanded polyethylene foam. It has a porous structure and is available in all construction stores, since it has a very valuable property from the point of view of the consumer - a reasonable price and good quality. Polyethylene foam is valued for its resistance to moisture. It has good antistatic properties, but it does not have a good enough level of sound insulation. Laying such a substrate is simple: it is easily cut and takes the desired shape. The disadvantage of the material is its "fear" of direct sunlight, as well as the fact that the substrate gradually becomes thinner during use.

Made from expanded polystyrene. It has all the positive qualities of polyethylene foam, but is more durable. Of all synthetic heaters, it is she who is recommended by experienced finishers as a warm substrate for laminate flooring.

Types of cork underlay include:

• Rubber cork. It is a mixture of rubber and cork chips passed through a press.
• Bituminous cork. Made by applying cork chips to prepared paper impregnated with bitumen. Such material has waterproofing properties.

Felt. It happens from natural felt or tourniquet and artificial. The thickness varies from 1 to 4 mm. Such a substrate has a soft base, which contributes to its rapid leveling on the floor surface, and a lot of air bubbles in the structure of the substrate make it warm.

Compositional. Consists of several synthetic components.

Before starting work, the floor should be thoroughly cleaned of litter and dust. The base must be dry. A film of polyethylene is laid on it. This is necessary for waterproofing. Then proceed to the flooring of the substrate.

Note! If the substrate is corrugated, it must be laid with the corrugation down. If one side of the substrate has a layer of foil, it is placed foil side up.

To cut the substrate, you will need a construction knife, but it will not be superfluous to first mark the material with a marker and a ruler so as not to make a mistake with the dimensions.

The substrate, regardless of whether it is rolled or sheet, must always be laid strictly in the same direction as the future laminate panels. The underlayment is placed on the floor end-to-end without overlap and the use of glue. The edges are recommended to be fixed with adhesive tape or construction tape.

Note! It is not necessary to lay the substrate in two layers, this will not make the floor warmer, but the lock connection on the panels may become unusable. In addition, under load, too thick a substrate will sag, it will be inconvenient to walk on such a floor, the boards will deform and wear out quickly. Therefore, one layer 1-4 mm thick will be enough.

Video

More about the types of substrates and the features of mounting each type in the video:

Why is laminate flooring so popular? In terms of design, it has no equal in imitation of natural patterns and reliefs or stone. And with the consumer qualities of this flooring, many are familiar firsthand. It can be found in most new buildings with a finished finish. And in the old housing stock, there is an active replacement of piece parquet and modular parquet boards with more durable and practical material. However, on the trading floor, among the huge number of collections, it is not easy to choose several samples and determine which one is better. We tell you which laminate to choose for an apartment and what to look for.

Choosing a laminate floor for an apartment

What is a laminate?

Look at the plank diagram:

1 - transparent wear-resistant layer for protection;

2 - decorative layer, reproduces the pattern of natural wood, stone or ceramic tiles;

3 - high density fiberboard (HDF) base is responsible for the stability of the plank, stability;

4 - stabilizing layer, prevents the deformation of the bar.

Where can you put

This is truly a versatile material. It can be laid in bedrooms, living rooms, nurseries, hallways and kitchens.

They also began to actively stack in, including seasonal residence. But this is risky, since the warranty will only cover finishing in residential areas with a constant temperature and slight fluctuations in humidity: from 30% in winter to 60% in summer.

A seasonal country house is not heated for most of the cold season, and, naturally, the floors in it either warm up or cool down. Such climatic cataclysms are not useful for finishing.

Today, the material can also serve as an original wall decoration. The slats are fixed directly to the base using silicone glue and studs (nails without a hat) or on a wooden crate. Of course, you should not use such a cladding near water sources, as a kitchen apron or wall decoration in the bathroom.

What thickness of laminate to choose for an apartment? If heavy furniture and equipment will be installed in the room, it is better not to use a coating thinner than 10 mm, otherwise it will not withstand long static loads. However, if you plan to install slats on underfloor heating, choose thinner boards as they will conduct heat better.

3. Wrong shade

In order for the room to look harmonious and visually “not fall apart” into separate parts, all finishing materials must be kept in the same color scheme - warm or cold, even if they are in contrasting shades, for example, a dark floor and light doors.

If you want to visually expand a small room, use light cold colors in the decoration, and if you want to make a too large space more comfortable, choose warm colors.

4. Moisture-resistant laminate is confused with waterproof

Humidity is one of the main enemies of this material: if water enters the joint, the boards easily absorb it and swell, which causes irregularities and the decorative coating leaves. Manufacturers have taken this feature into account and offer waterproof options that can be laid in areas such as the kitchen and even the bathroom. If you decide on such an experiment, the main thing is not to confuse moisture and waterproof laminate.

What is the difference? Moisture-resistant is based on a high-strength fibreboard, it is treated with paraffin and other compounds that can protect the board from moisture only for a while. Such a coating will withstand various pollution and wet cleaning, and fungus. But if you do not immediately wipe the water from the surface, it will penetrate inside the joint, the finish will begin to deform and rise, as a result, the floor will become uneven. Moisture-resistant laminate changes volume with temperature changes, therefore. But for a bathroom, sauna, balcony or veranda, it is no longer suitable.

Only the waterproof type can survive direct contact with water. It is able to withstand prolonged exposure to water, does not deform during temperature changes and practically does not wear out. All joints of the waterproof floor are treated with heated wax, and the surface is made non-slippery and given antistatic properties so that dust does not settle on it.

5. Ill-considered substrate savings

Another typical situation is when, when drawing up an estimate for repairs, they forget to include a substrate. As a result, you have to spend time on additional trips to the store. Or they take the cheapest one, if the entire budget was spent, and then they regret it very much. After all, a high-quality underlay not only levels the concrete surface, but also provides additional noise and heat insulation, softens the shock load and extends the life of the floor covering up to 5 years.

A cheap substrate has a big, but not obvious minus - the smell. Of course, the unpleasant odor will disappear, but this will not stop the substrate from releasing chemicals that can be toxic and cause allergies. Therefore, we recommend not to save and choose options from natural materials, for example, cork or coniferous substrate.

The technical one is not electrified, which means that it does not attract dust, does not absorb extraneous odors, is hypoallergenic and contributes to the natural regulation of the internal climate in the room. The coniferous substrate is made of 100% natural materials - coniferous wood. It significantly reduces "impact" noise, the room will become noticeably warmer due to the low thermal conductivity of the material. The density of the coniferous substrate is chosen in such a way as to smooth out small irregularities in the “rough” floor and protect the locks from excessive pressure.

The final elements include various heights, widths, configurations, as well as overlays for the inlets of the heating system elements and sills.

How to choose a quality laminate

• Choose manufacturer's products with a guarantee.
• Do not chase cheapness, because there are no too cheap and high-quality goods.
• Pay attention to the connection type. There is a so-called "click", when the lamellas are connected with the help of locks, and "lok" - when the elements seem to be driven into each other. The first, of course, is more convenient.
• Don't buy a product with a strong scent.
• Manufacturers offer a variety of colors and textures. There are also types with a pattern, when a pattern or marks are applied to the top layer. It is up to you to choose, but a universal solution is an imitation of a wooden surface.

Price

As for the price range, it is very wide: from 288 rubles/m² to 2940 rubles/m². And the natural desire of the buyer to minimize material costs is understandable. Some manufacturers are drawing attention to this. They save on the quality of the top sheeting or HDF backing. But all this negatively affects the consumer qualities of the floor and, accordingly, its service life.

How to care

To ensure that after a few years the floor looks the same as on the first day after installation, it must be properly looked after. We hope everyone already knows about the rugs in the hallway and the felt pads on the legs of the furniture. It is advisable for owners of mobile chairs to replace hard rollers with soft rubber ones.

The floor of the laminate planks with chamfers is first cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, then a wet cleaning is carried out, and then wiped with microfiber.

Ordinary slightly damp cloth. Make sure the fabric is damp, not wet.

Specialized cleaners are usually added to a bucket of clean water in the amount indicated on the package. Then they wipe the floor with a cloth moistened with this solution and well wrung out. To remove stubborn stains, use a small amount of undiluted cleaner or leave it for several minutes on heavily soiled areas. After cleaning, it is important to check for marks and streaks, as poorly removed cleaners attract dirt. Cleaning compositions based on have the same effect. They cannot penetrate deep into the coating and form a film on the surface. They do not need to be used for cleaning.

Water protection

The weak point of the laminate is the moisture-sensitive locking joints of the planks. If water often gets on the floor and, even worse, stagnates, then, gradually penetrating through the ends into the main plate, it can cause deformation. Because of this, it is advised to coat the upper parts of the interlock with a sealant. For example, compositions of polyurethane or silicone resins in an organic solvent or more environmentally friendly wax. All of them effectively protect the flooring from the negative effects of water, but neutralize the important technological quality of the material - quick and easy installation.

Mistakes that will shorten the life of your laminate

It is important to strictly follow the laying technology. We pay attention to typical situations. They can significantly reduce the life of the floor and do not apply to warranty cases:

• laying material without acclimatization in the room for 48 hours;
• laying on a screed with a moisture content of more than 2.5%;
• laying on an uneven base with height differences of more than 2 mm over a length of 1 m;
• lack of waterproofing film and substrate;
• the absence of small gaps around the perimeter of the room (8-10 mm) and along the line of the doorway;
• use of film electric warm floors (infrared heating mats). If the laminate is laid on, then a vapor barrier must be used. It is laid under the substrate. During operation of the heating system, the temperature on the surface of the floor covering should not exceed 27–28 ˚C.

By the way, when moving, a characteristic clattering sound is often heard. This is evidence that there is a small gap between the finish coat and the base. It works as a kind of resonator, amplifying the sounds of heel strikes and causing irritation to the inhabitants of the apartment, and especially to the neighbors below.

It is not difficult to level the undesirable effect. Place a substrate between the decorative coating and the base, which will act as a shock absorber and effectively dampen impact noise. Moreover, the underlayment will increase the “thermal comfort” on the floor surface and smooth out minor unevenness of the base, if they do not exceed 2 mm in a 2 m long section. Otherwise, the floor base must be pre-leveled.

Do not use too thick substrates: 4–5 mm. Then, when walking on the floor, installing heavy furniture, the planks will strongly sag and create an additional load on the locking connection. As a consequence, the locks can be damaged in the worst case. Too thin substrates (less than 2 mm) will not provide acoustic comfort. Experts consider the optimal thickness from 2 to 3 mm.

Laminate is always laid on the floor in a floating manner so that it is free to expand and return to its original state with changes in temperature and humidity. Small gaps (5–8 mm) are left along the perimeter of the room near walls, steps, pipes, etc., as well as along the line of the doorway. They are necessary for the natural movement of the coating. It is impossible to attach the planks to the base with nails, screws, glue. This can cause creaking, gaps between individual elements, or, conversely, their warping.

The cold floor is one of the very popular problems that worries many residents of our state. But any, even a very nasty question, if there is a desire, can be solved. And cold laminate is no exception. The main thing is to determine the cause of this phenomenon and remove it. After all, the difficulty is not necessarily hidden in the unfortunate location of the room. You don’t even see for yourself that your floor can become warm with little modifications.

Laminate floors

The main causes of cold flooring

• Very often, gaps and gaps between panels are considered the basis of excess cold in the floor area. It is very easy to get rid of them. For example, you can use an ordinary putty composition, and after the place where the mixture is applied, veil it with floor paint or varnish. You can also carefully cut out the cracks a little and drive into them suitable sized pieces of wood. After sanding the repaired surface and coating it with paint or floor varnish, virtually nothing will be visible.
• Not worth forgetting about the fact that the floor will never be warm if its base is distinguished by high moisture and dampness. To remove this problem, it is recommended to lay an ordinary polyethylene film under the insulation material. However, if the issue has not been closed, experts recommend completely abandoning the products, and organizing underground ventilation specifically in the house itself.

Masonry polymer ethylene under the heat insulator

• Another disadvantage may be the presence of a reduced layer of material for insulation. Depending on which heat insulator you used, take a look at the instructions for its use, what thickness must be organized.

The main thing! In this case, it is not necessary to smoke the entire coating. To make the floor warm, you can simply remove one panel in a not very noticeable place and measure the thickness of the insulation material with a standard metal ruler.

• Also not worth forgetting about the cold foundation. Nobody is immune from this.
• Do not forget that cold laminate flooring itself. This is due to the fact that its top layer for decor has a high heat conductivity, compared to a wooden floor. What to do in this option - you ask yourself a question. Just lay cork material under the laminate. It will keep you warm. Or use, in other words, “heated floor”.
• No matter how surprising it may sound, but never worth forgetting about the physical phenomenon of absorption of infrared radiation. Because the laminate is very thermally conductive, it lets in warm rays and warms the underground. To prevent this, you can put sheets of foil under the coating.

Laying foil under laminate

• And our tactile senses cannot be left unnoticed. Professionals say that flooring makes a person feel cold, although this is simply a lack of warmth. Different materials differ in the characteristic absorption of heat from different sources. All this is supplied to change the overall balance. And that surface seems a little warmer if it takes heat more slowly.

Do not endure the constant cold of the floors. You need to make a little effort and turn on your imagination so that your every morning starts with pleasant and warm feelings.

To get rid of the problem cold laminate can be thermally insulated. This is discussed in detail in the following video:

How to fix gaps between laminate flooring

Are cold floors the first and most unpleasant impression of your day? Everything can be corrected. It is only important to correctly “diagnose” the problem, because the matter is not always in the absence of a “warm floor” system or the unfortunate location of the room - everything is much more interesting. Now we will analyze the main causes of a cold floor and how to fix this problem.

Reason #1. cracks

The first and most common culprit for cold floors is cracks. So what to do if the floors in your country house are just like that? Try this interesting option, especially popular back in Soviet times. Cheap and cheerful, as they say:

• Step 1. Cover the gaps between the boards with putty. Yes, you can use the most ordinary shop paint, paint it with ordinary floor paint and leave it like this - but this will not work. The fact is that a person presses on the floorboards with his weight, and they eventually bend - which is why both the putty and the paint fly off quickly enough. Therefore, we make putty in our own way: knead finely sifted sawdust on PVA glue (for furniture). It is with this composition that fill the gaps, having previously lubricated the edges of the floor rails with the same PVA. Glue "Joiner" is also suitable due to its water resistance.
• Step 2. Now with the blade of an ax cut off the protruding old clots of paint on the floorboards and lightly sand the entire floor with medium grit sandpaper.
• Step 3. In separate problem areas, fix the boards with self-tapping screws. Just “drown” the hats themselves, and putty the holes with the same mixture as the cracks.
• Step 4 Vacuum the entire surface thoroughly.
• Step 5. Now get a thin paper wallpaper with a wood texture (you can use any other option, of course).
• Step 6. We roll out the rolls in a convenient place and cover with a thin layer of parquet varnish (dilute it with a little solvent). This is necessary in order for the wallpaper to be more durable when wetting them with PVA glue, also liquidly diluted with water. In addition, otherwise the texture of the wallpaper may also be erased during smoothing. And there will be stains from accidental touches. By the way, we varnish the textured surface.
• Step 7. Now we cut individual sheets of wallpaper - the same width as each individual board.
• Step 8. We apply glue to the boards and put the prepared sheets. If the gap is still noticeable, then slightly press the paper into it. But each strip must overlap with the next. By the way, if the varnish bursts between the stripes, this will only add decorativeness to the entire coating, imitating a real plank floor.
• Step 9. Press the paper strips tightly and smooth them with a clothes brush to remove air bubbles.
• Step 10 Remove excess glue with a clean rag.
• Step 11 Let the new floor dry for at least three days. After that, we cover with parquet varnish in three layers.

Here's what it looks like:

But what to do when the gaps are too large:

Such a floor will serve you surprisingly long enough, but you will forget about drafts through the cracks forever.

But if things are really bad, do this:

And in the absence of funds like this:

Reason number 2. Dampness under the floor

Still a lot of worries can give dampness in the underground. So, already in the spring, damp and warm air enters the house through the vents, and the basement at this time is still cold. Usually this flow finds its condensate point on the logs, and manages not only to fill the unprotected insulation with moisture, but even hang on it with icicles. And this cold dampness directly touches the floor.

What to do in this case? First of all, protect the insulation from below - at least with the same polyethylene plate. Secondly, if this happens all the time, completely abandon the vents, and organize the ventilation of the underground through the grate in the house itself.

You also need to try to somehow insulate the foundation itself with the base so that it does not freeze so much for the winter:

By the way, you will be surprised, but your tailed lodgers also manage to make their moves so that you feel a considerable draft near the walls. Control methods: cat, electric cat or ultrasonic repeller.

Reason number 3. Lack of insulation

When you do everything in the house with your own hands - does it ever occur to you to put half the insulation under the floor than the instructions are designed for? Unlikely, agree. After all, then you will freeze. But it is easy for a hired construction team. The pie floor looks decent, everything is done, at first glance, professionally, and the lack of building materials is not so easy to figure out. Especially if you don't know much about it yourself. But the same balance can be put to the second client, and everything will also look decent. But they paid the foreman for two whole sets!

Outcome: cold floor. What to do? Checking the insulation layer is easy: find on the Internet what layer the material you have should have and check with a simple metal ruler. A clear disadvantage? The floor will have to be completely opened.

So, you can also completely solve the problem thanks to - it is a light and harmless material that serves as an excellent heat and vapor barrier. Or more complex, but no less effective options for complex cases - we have provided step-by-step instructions below.

When it comes to an apartment, there are many options. But the easiest and most budgetary option to make the floors in a private house much warmer:

• Step 1. At the bottom of the underground -, 10-20 cm.
• Step 2. We put 10 cm of polystyrene on top of it, and very tightly. This insulation should completely cut off the cold from the ground.
• Step 3. On the foam - a layer of fine expanded clay, up to 70 cm.
• Step 4. Now - an air gap with vents in the foundation. We close them completely for the winter.
• Step 5. Next, we already mount wooden floors. Such a floor should lie on the grooves of the log, which are covered with a rubber band (if you have such walls). The purpose of the tape is to separate the floors from the wall so that the sound of walking on the floors is not transmitted to the walls. Those. basic soundproofing.
• Step 6. Next, lay out the rubber sheets, along which the waterproofing is laid.
• Step 7. And finally, if desired, a 7 cm thick screed layer with warm floors. Then there is the flooring.

If you just have a wooden floor with lags, and under it there is one damp earth, do this:

• Step 1 Carefully remove the cover.
• Step 2. We process the logs with a special compound (you can even use just used oil).
• Step 3. We attach a corner to the logs to stretch the cord. We pull the cord - the foam will hold on it, and the corner can be removed. Attach the cord to the joists.
• Step 4. We lay 50 mm foam sheets. The gaps between it and the tree are sealed with foam.
• Step 5. We lay Penofol on top of the foam, 3 mm thick. Install the floor boards in place.
• Step 6. Now we fix the foam from the underground. So, we take nylon roofs from cans, and press the foam with self-tapping screws and a screwdriver.

This is the simplest and most uncomplicated way. You can also install underfloor heating:

Reason number 4. cold foundation

Large heat losses for the floor can also be carried by a foundation with a plinth. What to do with it, look at the video:

And you can read more about floor and foundation insulation at - detailed step-by-step photo instructions have been compiled especially for you.

Reason number 5. Laminate

Although the laminate seems warmer than the tile, but the children will not play on it either - it's unpleasant. Why is that? It's all about the finish layer - it's a decorative film, not a cut of natural wood. And it has a higher thermal conductivity. In a word, cold laminate is a common problem. And it is usually solved in two ways: to put a technical cork under the coating, which has the property of retaining heat well, or -.

The fastest and most reliable option, of course, is to lay a floor heating system. At least, in the absence of cracks and dampness, the floor will not seem cold. Just keep in mind: the “warm floor” system does not mean that your coating will heat up (the exception is ceramic tiles), discomfort will simply disappear, and no more.

The underfloor heating system is good not only because it is pleasant to walk barefoot on such a floor and moisture evaporates easily, but also because some heat will keep even when the electricity is turned off.

What else can be done? If possible, if you laid this flooring with the locking method, lift it up and lay the underfloor heating system. If glue - then do not touch. Instead, pay attention to the heating system: organize it lower than it is, fix IR heaters on the walls - they warm objects, not air, according to the manufacturer.

Reason number 6. Absorption of infrared rays

Also pay attention to such a physical phenomenon as infrared radiation. It happens that the floors absorb heat so much that, without knowing it, you warm the underground with yourself. Laminate is a good conductor. And therefore, if everything is insulated and there are no gaps in the coating, lay a layer of foil material under it, only face up. You will immediately notice the difference, trust me!

Reason number 7. Tactile sensations

And finally, one of the most unexpected reasons why the floor can be cold is purely tactile sensations. Simple physics is at work here: cold as a physical phenomenon does not really exist - it's just a lack of heat. And different materials do not have the same ability to absorb this heat from other sources. And absorption occurs - for the sake of updating the same balance. And those objects and coatings seem warmer, which take heat from you more slowly.

So, for example, if you get up from your familiar place, you can feel with just one palm how your body has heated one part of the sofa or bench, and the other remains cold. Moreover, the heated place will be approximately the same temperature as your skin. The same applies to floors - as soon as your foot touches them, there is a rapid heat transfer. And its intensity depends on the thermal conductivity of the flooring material: the higher, the colder the floor will seem, unless, however, you heat it from below.

It turns out that the approximate room temperature is about 18-20 ° C, and below - about 15-17 ° C. This is the temperature that the floor will have. And now you see what's the matter: 36.6 ° - 17 °? That's why we can feel quite uncomfortable walking barefoot, even though it doesn't seem to be cold in the house itself. And from this you can really get sick - after all, heat is “downloaded” from us, and the body needs it.

So what to do? And is it necessary then to install a "warm floor"? Not at all. If you definitely don’t have gaps, and the floors don’t freeze due to an improperly equipped underground, and it’s definitely not the organization of heating, then work with the flooring itself. So, ceramic tiles have the highest thermal conductivity - it “robs” heat from us the fastest, especially in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe bathroom. And do not walk endlessly in rubber slippers, and the rugs in such a room can become damp. Not to mention the fact that no one will tear off the tile again - there is no other way to put a warm floor system under it.

Here, see how such a problem is solved overseas with humor and creativity:

A good option would also be modern PVC tiles: they have the same low thermal conductivity as cork. You can even bring it to the balcony for the sake of experiment, leaving it there for the whole winter night. Pick it up in the morning - it will not seem cold even then.

Do not tolerate the cold - the time and effort spent is worth it to meet every morning with comfort!