Greys Laminate Flooring
Grey laminate flooring offers a clean, contemporary aesthetic. Its neutral tone works perfectly with minimalist, Scandinavian and modern design concepts.
Shop Greys
“The most floor for the money. A modern laminate takes traffic that would mark real timber.”
— our flooring team
GreysThe look
Still unsure? Real people, honest advice.
The look
Greys in the 8 mm laminate range are six designs, from a near-white grey to a warm greige. Rio, Arkansas, Unye, Golcuk, Vivo and Symphony: AC4 rated, click-fitted boards at 193 mm by 1204 mm on an HDF core, listed as compatible with underfloor heating, with a 25 year manufacturer's warranty.
The widest laminate tone
AC4
Landings and bedrooms
In depth
Choosing grey laminate
Grey is the largest tone in the laminate range: six of the twelve designs sit in it. All six share the one specification, 8 mm thick, 193 mm by 1204 mm, melamine surface over a printed decor on a high-density fibreboard core, click-fitted, micro-bevelled, AC4, listed as compatible with underfloor heating, 25 year manufacturer's warranty, 2.32 square metres to the box. Two designs cross tones: Unye is also the white laminate, Golcuk also a mid brown, which places them at the two ends of the grey band with Rio, Arkansas, Vivo and Symphony between.
Grey earns its popularity for practical reasons before aesthetic ones. It hides dust better than a dark floor and dark scuffs better than a pale one, and the AC4 melamine surface deals with the scratching that grit and chair legs cause. It is the usual choice for an upstairs laid as one floor, landing and bedrooms together, because it sits under most bedroom schemes without argument.
In practice
The limits are those of any laminate. The core is wood fibre and takes on water, so the laminate standard, quoted below, excludes rooms that get wet regularly. And a printed grey is more even than a grey oak, which can read cool in a cool room; warm walls or timber furniture bring it back. For a grey floor in a kitchen or bathroom, the grey rigid vinyl floors carry the tone on a waterproof core.
Laid floating over an underlay with an expansion gap at every edge and doorway, a long run stays flat; the industry figure for the gap and the underlay's three jobs are quoted below. For the same tone in real timber, the engineered grey oak boards are the dry-room alternative.
FAQ
Is grey laminate cold-looking?
Which grey is the palest, and which the warmest?
Can I run one grey laminate through the whole upstairs?
How long does laminate last?
Do you deliver UK-wide and can I get a sample first?
Standards
What the published standards say
Each entry is quoted from its source and linked to it. The full set is in the standards reference.
AC1 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-ENBS 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 KnowledgeThe 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 gapsWhat 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)
Delivery & areas
