Laminate flooring is the perfect choice for families and busy households. Manufactured with a High-Density Fibreboard in both 8mm and 12mm ranges; with select 12mm ranges also available in a Water-Resistant Finish. Laminate Flooring is incredibly durable and can provide impact resistance when compared with traditional flooring.

Laminate Flooring – What is it?

In simple terms, Laminate flooring is a floating floor system made of a decorative paper applied to a board. And there you have it!

Obviously, it’s not quite that simple, but when you visually look at the construction of the material, it’s generally made up of a few elements:

  1. A protective coating sheet to give the board its strong wearing attributes.
  2. A decorative paper which gives the board its look and feel.
  3. A core board which gives the board its dense body. This is also where the locking mechanism is located.
  4. A backing board for stability.

Surfaces by Hynes Typhoon WRL 12mm Laminate Collections are 72H Water Resistant.

AC Rating Definitions

The protective coating provides the product its impact resistance, stain resistance, burn resistance and resistance to swelling. The Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF) have adopted a standard rating system, which we refer to as ‘AC rating’. All laminates are put through testing to measure each element and given an overall AC rating.

The AC Rating definitions are:

AC1 Moderate Residential Suitable for bedroom or guest rooms only with minimal traffic.
AC2 General Residential Floors are suitable only for moderate residential use such as a bedroom, or applications such as living and dining rooms.
AC3 Heavy Residential –
Moderate Commercial		 Suitable for all residential applications plus light commercial such as hotel rooms or small offices.
AC4 General Commercial Suitable for all residential applications plus general commercial applications such as offices, boutiques and cafés.
AC5 Heavy Commercial Suitable for all residential applications plus heavy commercial applications such as public buildings, department stores, etc.

All Surfaces By Hynes laminate has a rating of AC3 or AC4 to ensure our floors are well suited for residential applications. AC4 rated laminates are great for people with pets or investor properties for rental.

Core Board

Core boards are an important element in the quality of the laminate floor. HDF (High Density Fibre) board is generally what is used, as it increases the impact resistance and reduces the risk of denting. The density of the core also affects the swell rate of the floor or the amount of moisture it will soak up if exposed to some type of liquid or moisture.  Some manufacturers use low density chipboard or MDF (Medium Density Fibre) board to reduce costs – stay away from these as they tend not to be specially treated for moisture resistance.

The thickness of the core board also plays a part in the stability of the overall board and the effectiveness of the locking systems. Laminates tend to come in 6mm to 12mm thickness. Surfaces By Hynes products are 8mm and 12mm thick.

Benefits of a thicker laminate floor

  • Surfaces by Hynes Typhoon 12mm Collections are 72H Water Resistant.
  • Most laminate flooring ranges between 6mm and 12mm in thickness, considerably thinner than timber flooring. However, at this thickness your floor is more likely to be level with other floor coverings such as tiles and carpet.
  • Thicker laminate floors feel more solid underfoot and give the illusion of a solid timber floor.
  • Given an equal density core between a 8mm and a 12mm floor, the 12mm floor will have a higher impact resistance (less susceptible to denting) than the thinner floor.
  • The ability to withstand heavier static loads.
  • Given the same locking mechanism, the thicker the core, the stronger the lock.

A thicker floorboard will feel better underfoot, achieve higher impact resistance, withstand larger loads and provide a stronger locking system.

Cleaning

Please view our Engineered Timber and Laminate Care section, or our Caring For Your Floors Brochures.

Install Process

Laminate Flooring is typically laid over a 2mm foam underlay. Our installers leave a 10mm expansion gap, which is covered either by skirtings or beading.

Laminate Floor Installation

The advent of Laminate Flooring has been the perfect solution in terms of reducing not only installation costs, but also reducing timely construction costs. However, as a floor covering, laminate has the potential for damage and wear during the construction process. This issue can be minimised, or even eliminated, if the installation process is deferred to the end of construction.

Combining our sophisticated booking and delivery system, with our trained installation professionals, we can provide a rapid and efficient turnaround delivery and installation program.