Artistic laminate in the interior (18 photos): beautiful flooring

One of the most expensive floor decors due to the high cost of wood is art parquet. Even the replacement of manual work with machine tools could not significantly reduce the price. But modern technologies offer consumers an excellent analogue - this is an artistic laminate, which, according to external data, is not inferior to parquet, only much cheaper.

What is a laminate and its types

A decorative material called laminate appeared only three decades ago. It is an imitation of parquet. An art laminate consists of a fiberboard or chipboard plate and a coating with a pattern, the role of which is played by designer paper with a specific pattern. The capabilities of modern printing technology can simulate any texture.

According to the top layer, this decor is classified into:

1. Natural. The surface of the laminate is identical to the pattern of natural wood. Of all the species, it is the highest quality.
2. Traditional. It has a smooth smooth surface.
3. Glossy or silk glossy. The surface is shiny, there are no pores and indentations.
4. Texture-grooved or textured. It has recesses and roughness inherent in a wooden surface.
5. Matt The absence of pores and depressions, the surface is flat, but not shiny.
6. Waxed. The surface is even with a slight sheen, the pattern is close to a tree.
7. Country. The surface resembles the manual processing of the board, the appearance is like an aged laminate. All the notches and chips are visible, which are ground and varnished.
8. Art. Any ornamental pattern is applied to the glossy surface; dullness may be present. Of all these types of laminate, only he is able to replace art parquet.

What is the difference between an art laminate?

Modern artificial floor decors are so high quality that it is difficult to distinguish them from natural wood. The art laminate differs from the rest in that the manufacturers give the film any texture:

• marbled;
• under the stone;
• under the skin;
• under the picture of a tree of any breed.

Another laminate for art flooring differs from other types in the perfect copying of the picture and the exact imitation of each parquet board. High-quality material is difficult to distinguish from natural parquet.

In addition to the above species, there is another one that is higher in value than the rest. This is an art laminate made using the technology for obtaining images in 3D (three-dimensional) format. Thus, a marbled texture, malachite and other precious stones are applied.

Laminate classification by style

Thanks to modern printing capabilities, the image of any ornaments is applied to the surface of the coating. When buying, you can see how the laminate will look like under the art parquet in the interior of the catalogs. Consumers are offered approximate design solutions based on one or a drawing.

The artistry of the laminate is manifested in the finished image, which is obtained after installation and is achieved by:

1. Outlets. The presence of a round or oval shape of the outlet allows you to outline the center of the room or functional area with the help of a coating.Difficulties in installation may arise due to the complexity of the ornament. Suitable for a large room or office meeting room.
2. Borders. Often borders are mounted together with sockets, which allows you to get a complete finished image.
3. Modular tiles. The most common category of art laminate flooring. It is a square or rectangular glossy elements with the applied part of the image, which are stacked among themselves in a certain order to obtain a complete picture.

For residential and office premises, it is recommended to purchase a modular laminate of class 33. It is great for installation, it can be assembled and disassembled several times. This class perfectly tolerates mechanical and thermal effects, resistant to various kinds of deformations. Also for laying on the floor in residential buildings are suitable 31 and 32 class.

Features of the laminate and its installation

Replacing art parquet with imitation, you can not only save money because of the difference in the cost of materials. The purchase of a laminate creates additional benefits in the form of:

1. Long service life. Some coating manufacturers have an operational life of 25 years.
2. Greater wear resistance due to the special treatment of the glossy surface with compositions that include resins and some minerals, which ensures the strength of the surface of the material.
3. Resistance to fading, cracking and other deformations.
4. Durability of the applied image.
5. Simplicity in installation and the subsequent leaving. Laminate floors do not require special cleaning agents to maintain a glossy surface, like art parquet.

Before laying the laminate, prepare the base. It is not worth laying the material on uneven floors, as uneven surfaces can cause discrepancies in butt joints and deformation of the modular board itself. You can lay the laminate on a wooden or cement base, or on a special substrate.

The base should be perfectly flat under the level. The cement base is leveled by a special bulk mixture, it is recommended to use the OSB plate to level the wood. After all the substances used have completely dried, you can begin laying the modular laminate boards.

Typical laminate flooring technology:

1. The processed, leveled surface is covered with a special substrate under the laminate. It is not necessary to refuse it, since it plays a sound and heat insulating role, and also neutralizes all deformations of plates under the influence of temperature differences, excessive humidity and heavy loads. The substrate is laid in stripes butt-to-butt, connected with a mounting tape or tape.
2. When laying a simple modular laminate in a direct way, the parts should simply be laid out in a straight line from the wall and parallel to each other. Spacers must be inserted between the first row and the wall surface.
3. The last rows may require cutting parts to the remaining dimensions. You can cut a laminate using a hacksaw for a metal jigsaw.
4. Experts recommend shifting each subsequent strip a few centimeters (from 20 to 40) to ensure better adhesion of the coating elements.
5. To eliminate the gaps between the strips, you can lightly tap them with a hammer in the direction of the already laid parts. Vertical gaps should be removed with a special device for laying the laminate.
6. A gap of 10-15 mm should be left near the door frame so that the laminate can be heard.
7. Remove all struts.

When laying a modular coating with an integral image, it is recommended to first lay it out on the floor and figure out where which element will be mounted. Typically, manufacturers enclose detailed instructions, and numbers are numbered, so that there will be no problems with self-installation of the art laminate.

For laying glossy laminate boards obliquely, it is advisable to invite a specialist, since such a process requires certain skills. The cost of the work of the master will cost an order of magnitude lower than the damaged laminate.