Waterproof laminate
The modern construction market offers a huge range of flooring with a wide variety of properties and characteristics. Among all this variety, the laminate is considered the most popular and demanded. And this is not surprising, because not a single floor material is capable of comparing with a laminate in decorative qualities, reliability and durability. Laminate is considered universal flooringbecause it is suitable for almost any surface. Despite the versatility of the material, in rooms with high humidity it is necessary to use a moisture-resistant or waterproof material. Most commonly used on the kitchen and in the bathroom.
How is a waterproof laminate different from a waterproof one?
Moisture resistant. Most manufacturers of flooring in their collections offer the so-called moisture-resistant laminate. Such material is highly resistant to intense moisture. This is achieved due to the fact that the basis of such a material is an HDF board, which is treated with special moisture-resistant substances. In addition, high moisture resistance is also achieved due to the additional processing of the locking mechanism by silicone or wax substances, which eliminates the ingress of moisture into the joints between the plates.
Water resistant. A feature of waterproof laminate is resistance to direct exposure to water. Resistance to water is ensured by using not a HDF board as a base, but a strong and durable base made of PVC material. It should be noted that special air chambers are made at the base of the PVC, which significantly increase the soundproofing and thermal insulation properties of the entire floor covering. It is because of this that the floor of the waterproof laminate does not seem cold even when the system is not equipped under it “warm floor».
The main and, perhaps, the only drawback of a waterproof laminated coating is its rather high cost. It is in this that the waterproof laminate loses to its main competitor - the moisture resistant laminate.
To summarize
The waterproof laminate is of better quality. The composition of the material includes polyvinyl chloride, due to which it has greater resistance to direct contact with water. Moisture resistant laminate, in turn, is cheaper.
