Laminate flooring is a versatile, aesthetic and affordable option of hard surface flooring. This type of flooring has combined durability with wide range of pattern designs that mimic the appearance of natural materials. Being an affordable flooring option, laminate flooring provide almost endless design options for homeowners and consumers.
Laminate flooring is made from high density fiberboard (HDF) with a protective melamine layer and printed layer. The melamine layer provides exceptional strength and durability against everyday wear and tear, making it resistant to dents and damage from moisture.
What is the difference between standard laminate flooring and waterproof laminate flooring?
Both standard laminate flooring and waterproof laminate flooring are made with the same structural design and manufacturing techniques. This means both flooring are essentially the same category of products – a laminate flooring. However, there is a distinctive difference between the two flooring due to the composition difference in the HDF material, which provide different performance on water resistance and durability.
Waterproof Laminate Flooring Explained
Improved HDF Composition in Waterproof Laminate Flooring
High Density Fiberboard (HDF) as its name suggested, is a material compacted by mixture of woods, such as poplar, weed tree, bush or other wood materials. The compressed High-Density Fiberboard contains glue agents to reinforce bonding of fibers together.
Standard Laminate Flooring use HDF that has density of 800 Kg/m³.
Water Resistance Laminate Flooring has slightly higher density of 830 Kg/m³.
For Black Core Waterproof Laminate Flooring, the density is compressed to 880 Kg/m³.
Higher density in HDF board will increase its overall performance as well as resistance against water & moisture damage.
Thickness Swelling Test Results between different HDF grade of Laminate Flooring
Industry Disinformation about Laminate Flooring Waterproof Performance
The black core laminate flooring is currently one of the most selling products across Europe and North America market. The product is being promoted as the “Waterproof Laminate Flooring” which with its name has effectively penetrated the flooring market. However, one might ask how is a laminate plank with an 8% swelling rate considered a waterproof laminate flooring? Well, technically it shouldn’t. The black core laminate flooring or black core laminate HDF can only be considered high water resistance performance and not waterproof, as by definition a waterproof material should not have permanent change or damage from water or moistures. The flooring industry has given disinformation about its waterproof performance by claiming the waterproofness is not within the material itself, but rather the surface of the laminate plank which water will not penetrate from the top or between the tiles to the bottom (subfloor).
Unilin Technologies has launched its Unicoat water-repellent coating which provide “waterproof performance” that prevent water from penetrating in between the joints of two laminate floor panels. The coating will also minimize moisture absorption and improve swelling in HDF material.