Laminate Flooring
Modern style with everyday durability. Laminate flooring brings realistic wood textures and a low-maintenance finish to your home, making it a smart choice for busy rooms.
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Laminate, explained
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A few simple decisions—finish, format and where it’ll live—make choosing your laminate straightforward.
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How to choose laminate
The laminate range is 5 herringbone blocks on one specification. Each block is 12 mm thick and 100 mm by 600 mm, an oak design under a registered embossed surface on a high-density fibreboard core; it clicks together, is rated AC4, is listed as compatible with underfloor heating and carries a 15 year manufacturer's warranty, and a box of 32 blocks covers 1.92 square metres. The designs are sorted by tone, 4 under the beige and light browns, 2 under the greys and 1 under the mid browns, with some filed in more than one.
Laminate earns its place in the dry rooms that take traffic: bedrooms, landings, living rooms and studies. The laminate standard, EN 13329, grades the resistance of the surface to abrasion in classes from AC1 to AC6, and every block here is AC4. The same standard describes how a laminate is built, a floor of several layers on a core such as high-density fibreboard of at least 800 kg/m³ with a backer that balances it, and it fixes thickness only as a tolerance of 0.50 mm against the stated figure.
In practice
That last point is worth keeping in mind, because thickness is the easiest figure to compare and the one that decides least. Egger, a maker of laminate, says the thickness of a laminate floor is not decisive for its suitability; the use class for the area is. What 12 mm does change is the height of the finished floor, which matters at every doorway where it meets another floor, and the gap a door has to clear above it.
Water is the limit. EN 13329 does not cover areas subject to frequent wetting, bathrooms and laundry rooms among them, and the fibreboard core is why. In a kitchen it comes down to how much water actually lands on the floor; in a bathroom there is nothing to weigh. For a herringbone in those rooms, the rigid vinyl herringbone blocks are listed as waterproof, and the comparison guide sets laminate and vinyl side by side.
The blocks float over an underlay, and the underlay does more than it gets credit for. The MMFA groups its jobs as levelling small unevenness, protecting the floor against wear and rising residual moisture, and improving impact sound, walking noise, heat insulation and comfort. Egger adds a warning: an underlay that is too thick can harm the click joints and the efficiency of underfloor heating. Under click laminate, the EPLF gives as typical tolerances for the subfloor 2 mm over 1 m and 3 mm over 2 m, with no sharp step above 1.2 mm.
At the edges, the EPLF recommends a gap of 8 mm to 12 mm on all sides of a floating floor, covered by skirting or beading fixed to the wall, and expansion profiles in the doorways between rooms. Laminate is by conception a floating floor: the EPLF treats gluing over the full surface as the exception, for special circumstances, and asks installers to check with the manufacturer first. The formaldehyde class for wood-based boards is quoted below as well, for anyone specifying a floor for a bedroom.
Published standards10 sources
What the published standards say
Each entry is quoted from its source and linked to it. The full set is in the standards reference.
BS EN 13329 — laminate floor coverings
BS EN 13329 specifies the characteristics, requirements and test methods for laminate floor coverings with a surface layer based on aminoplastic thermosetting resins, including requirements for marking and packaging. It also contains a classification system based on EN ISO 10874 for areas and levels of use, and it does not cover areas subject to frequent wetting such as bathrooms, laundry rooms or saunas.
“BS EN 13329 specifies characteristics, requirements, and test methods for laminate floor coverings with a surface layer based on amino plastic thermosetting resins. BS EN 13329 specifies requirements for marking and packaging.”
Source: BS EN 13329:2016+A2:2021 | 31 Oct 2021 | BSI KnowledgeAC1 to AC6 — abrasion classes for laminate
EN 13329 classifies the abrasion resistance of laminate floor coverings in abrasion classes AC1 to AC6. The EPLF's own Environmental Product Declaration for DPL laminate floor covering states the property "Abrasion Class EN 13329" with the value range AC1-AC6.
| Abrasion classes under EN 13329 | AC1-AC6 |
|---|
“Abrasion Class EN 13329 | AC1-AC6 | -”
Source: Environmental Product Declaration - Direct Pressure Laminate Floor Covering (DPL Floor Covering), owner of the declaration: European Producers of Laminate Flooring e.V. (EPLF), decl. no. EPD-EPL-20210138-CBE1-ENWhat laminate is made of, and what EN 13329 says about thickness
EN 13329 defines laminate flooring as a rigid floor covering with a multiple layer structure, its core usually particleboard, MDF or high density fibreboard (HDF, at least 800 kg/m³) and a backer that balances and stabilises it; it sets thickness only as a tolerance of 0.50 mm against the nominal value, and classifies every laminate for levels of use by the requirements of its Table 2.
“rigid floor covering, typically in a plank or tile format, with a multiple layer structure: e.g. backer, substrate, décor and worked edges that allow the product to be joined together to form a larger integral unit … It is generally a particleboard, as defined in EN 309, or a dry process fibreboard (MDF) as defined in EN 316 or a so called High Density Fibreboard (HDF) which is a MDF-board with a density ≥ 800 kg/m3. … layer opposite to the surface layer used to balance and stabilize the product … Thickness of the element, (t) without underlay Δtaverage ≤ 0,50 mm, relative to nominal value … All laminate floor coverings shall be classified as suitable for different levels of use according to the requirements specified in Table 2, when tested by the methods given therein.”
Source: EN 13329:2016+A1:2017 - Laminate floor coverings (SIST preview of the standard, clauses 3.1 and 3.3, Table 1)Laminate: the use class decides, not the thickness
Egger, a maker of laminate, says the thickness of a laminate or multilayer modular floor is not decisive for its suitability; what matters is the correct use class for the area. It makes laminate from 6 to 12 mm, and warns that an underlay that is too thick can harm the click joints and the efficiency of underfloor heating.
“For the suitability and use of multi-layer modular flooring (MMFA, EN 16511) and laminate flooring (EPLF, EN 13329) in the respective area of application, the thickness or gauge of the flooring is not decisive. It is important that the floor covering chosen has the correct stress class, which is approved and recommended for this area. EGGER produces laminate flooring and multi-layer modular floor coverings in thicknesses ranging from 6 to 12 mm. … If the impact sound underlay is too thick and not sufficiently pressure-resistant, this can have a detrimental effect on the durability / fitting accuracy of the click connections and also on the efficiency of the underfloor heating.”
Source: EGGER Flooring - FAQs, questions and answers (web page)What an underlay is actually for
The MMFA groups the benefits of an underlay under floating multilayer modular flooring into three headings: ensuring a satisfactory installation by levelling unevenness, permanently protecting the floor against wear and against rising residual building moisture, and improving the floor's properties in terms of impact sound, walking noise, heat insulation and walking comfort.
“The requirements for suitable underlays are aimed at protecting the floor from daily wear and tear such as falling objects and walking, as well as shielding the floor from rising residual building moisture or damp.”
Source: Underlays — MMFA (Multilayer Modular Flooring Association)How flat the subfloor must be for click laminate
The EPLF gives as typical manufacturer tolerances for click laminate a maximum deviation of 2 mm under a straightedge over 1 m and 3 mm over 2 m, and allows no individual sharp height differences larger than 1.2 mm.
| Max. deviation over 1 m, click laminate (typical) | 2 mm |
|---|---|
| Max. deviation over 2 m, click laminate (typical) | 3 mm |
“Typical tolerances provided by manufacturer’s instructions for systems with mechanically assembled panels (without glue) are: … for two reference points 1.00 m apart, max. permissible vertical deviation is 2 mm … for two reference points 2.00 m apart, max. permissible vertical deviation is 3 mm … Individual sharp vertical height differences larger than 1.2 mm are not permitted”
Source: EPLF Technical Bulletin - Installation of Laminate Floor Coverings (English edition 06/2022), European Producers of Laminate Flooring, 5.4.1 Inspection of surface evennessThe expansion gap
The EPLF, the European association of laminate flooring producers, recommends an edge gap of 8 mm to 12 mm on all sides of a floating floor, so that the covering can expand and contract without lifting.
| recommended edge gap on all sides | 8 to 12 mm |
|---|
“To accommodate such changes, a edge spacing should be observed on all sides. A free space of 8 mm to 12 mm is recommended.”
Source: EPLF Technical Bulletin — Installation of Laminate Floor Coverings (06/2022), 6.4 Edge gapsExpansion profiles: doorways and long runs
The EPLF says there should be no physical contact between a finished laminate floor and vertical structures, and that expansion joint profiles belong in doorways between rooms and on floors longer than 12 m along the planks or wider than 8 m across them, with the product instructions deciding.
| Floor length along the planks above which an expansion profile is needed | 12 m |
|---|---|
| Floor width across the installation direction above which an expansion profile is needed | 8 m |
“There should be no physical edge contact between the finished floor and vertical solid structures. … Expansion joint profiles should be installed as follows in consideration of the size and geometry of the floor surface: … On surfaces greater than 12 m in the direction of the length of the individual laminate floor covering planks … On surfaces greater than 8 m in the direction of installation travel In doorways between rooms … Manufacturers recommendations regarding maximum uninterrupted flooring sizes vary greatly.”
Source: EPLF Technical Bulletin - Installation of Laminate Floor Coverings (English edition 06/2022), European Producers of Laminate Flooring, 6.4 Edge gaps and 6.5 Expansion joint profilesFloating or glued down
Yes. The EPLF, the association of European laminate flooring producers, states in its technical bulletin on installation that laminate floor coverings are by conception intended for floating installation, and that a full-surface adhesive bond is an exception used only under special circumstances, for example at the specific request of the client. Before bonding a laminate floor over its full surface, installers are urged to contact the manufacturer or supplier to establish whether the product is suitable or approved for that type of installation.
| laminate floor coverings – method by design | floating installation |
|---|---|
| full-surface adhesive bond | exception, only under special circumstances and after checking suitability/approval with the manufacturer |
“Under special circumstances, for example at the specific request of the client, it may be necessary to install laminate floor coverings using a full-surface adhesive bond, despite the fact that by conception laminate floor coverings are intended for floating installation.”
Source: EPLF Technical Bulletin – Installation of Laminate Floor Coverings (English edition 06/2022), European Producers of Laminate FlooringEmission class E1 — formaldehyde
E1 is the formaldehyde emission class used for wood-based products including laminate flooring; an E1 product releases no more than 0.1 ppm of formaldehyde, and the emission is determined by the chamber method of EN 717-1.
| E1 limit | 0.1 ppm |
|---|
“Engineered wood products classified as E1 do not emit more than 0.1 ppm of formaldehyde into the ambient air.”
Source: OSB with Emission Class E1 - What Does This Mean? — SWISS KRONOQuestions