By Max Patel
| Depending on the geographic area you live in laminate flooring may be the best choice to install. Living in Florida as I do there is the constant batte with sand and dust. Previously we had carpeting throughout the house and it was an ongoing battle to stay ahead of the grime. I just recently had bamboo finish laminate flooring installed and the results are draamtic. The whole house just opened up and cleanup is a snap. |
Laminate flooring while bearing close resemblance with hardwood flooring has a few fundamental differences that start from the way it is constructed right up to the maintenance measures that need to be taken post installation. Depending on where you want the flooring to be done, the kind of traffic it will need to take and the weight of movement involved, you can choose the laminate flooring of the right strength that will best suit your needs. To do that, i.e. pick the right laminate flooring over hardwood flooring, you need to understand how laminate flooring is graded and what grade makes the most sense for you to buy. Net-net, you want to know what AC rating is all about for laminate flooring.
The European Producers of Laminate Flooring or the EPLF as they are commonly known is an organization that standardizes the types of laminate floorings available in the market today by classifying them according to various categories based on the permissible stress levels. These stress levels could be tested for scratching, denting on impact, abrasion resistance, staining, reaction to fire among several such parameters. Based on this, the suitability of the laminate flooring for a certain place of installation is determined and an AC rating given. The AC rating is an indicator for the customer on whether the laminate flooring under consideration will perform well at the chosen place of installation.
AC ratings range from AC 1 all the way upto AC 5. AC 1 laminate floorings are meant for low traffic low weight movement locations such as the bedroom in your house, the study room etc. The next level AC 2, is prescribed largely for the rest of the house. SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) and small offices go in for AC 3. Slightly higher traffic areas like a pharmacy or a gift shop use AC 4 as do medium sized restaurants. Very high traffic areas like airports, government buildings etc use AC 5.
Choose your laminate flooring carefully and you will reap the benefits of a glittering floor with aesthetic beauty for a long time to come. Get floored by laminate flooring!
Visit our articles section at Super Flooring Wonders for more such practical advice on flooring and how to get the best flooring solution suited for your needs. For awesome flooring tips and tricks, visit Flooring Wonders and bring the world beneath your feet!!
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