Laminate Flooring History

Originally developed in Sweden in the early eighties, laminate flooring grew out of the laminate countertop business. The product was created with a base of several layers of paper impregnated with special resins, which were pressed together under high pressure into a highly wear resistant composite material. The decorative paper determined the design. The finished laminate was then glued onto a carrier and cut into sections with extremely exact dimensions.

The decorative laminate was widely used on kitchen countertops, tables or wall paneling, but obviously not as yet for floors. This clearly created an opportunity, but a flooring application brought new technical challenges. The initial concern to be solved was the wear factor. It is obvious that floors are walked on and therefore suffer a lot more normal abuse than furniture or counter tops. A laminate floor clearly had to be more durable. A reinforced laminate that was approximately ten times stronger than counter tops was created and the first flooring began to be sold. As research grew, the relative strength of flooring laminate increased dramatically to at least twenty times that of countertops.

Important parallel developments were also taking place during these early days. Wood flooring at the time was normally sold in long strips of approximately eight feet and installed only by a skilled professional. Laminate floors were packaged eight planks to a carton that was approximately half this length (about four feet). With smaller packaging it was easy to hand and transported. Because of these revolutionary factors and ease of installation, a large do-it yourself market was created in Sweden that exists today.

The system of gluing, using a tongue and groove method that, when done properly, creates a single unit that is impervious to normal household spills. This single unit expands or contracts with changes in humidity. The strength of the bond in creating the single unit permits heavy objects, such as refrigerators or bookcases to be placed directly on the flooring.

Provided that the glue is applied correctly, there is no problem with gaping. This process of installation is called a floating floor. The laminate floor can be laid or "floated" over the existing floor without being glued to the surface. This system also encapsulates the original floor. In most cases, with the exception of carpet, the older floor is not removed. This further saves time and installation costs.

Both the professional installer and the do-it-yourself customer quickly embraced the floating floor method because of the simplicity of installation and removal as compared to a glue-down floor. An easy removal process replaces the laminate floor at which point it can be destroyed with no danger to the atmosphere. Laminate floors contained insignificant quantities of elements that affected indoor air quality, plus it could be installed in a minimum amount of time.

The final success of the floor is the aesthetics. In the beginning virtually all the laminate floors replicated were wood species, which were desired by the public. As laminate flooring grew in popularity, other looks were introduced, including marble and stone. The designs are limited only by the imagination of the manufacturers. This has resulted in a product that is now recognized by the design and decorating community for its ability to create an atmosphere of great beauty and durability.