Laminate Flooring Construction
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When we refer to engineered hardwood flooring we mean pre-finished, real hardwood floors. These floors typically are constructed of 3, 5 or 7 piles, depending on the brand and species of wood. The overall thickness is usually in between 1/4" and 9/16" and the top ply (layer) is comprised of a slice of hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring is typically constructed with a High Density Fiber Board Core sandwiched between a melamine laminate backing and a high quality photographic paper with an image of wood, stone or other natural flooring, with a melamine laminate, on top. There are a few new hybrid products that replace the photographic paper with a very thin slice of real wood veneer.
There are two types of laminate floor construction. A Direct Pressure Laminate (DPL) and a High Pressure Laminate (HPL). The difference is in the process of attaching the materials to the core. The DPL is basically a one step process, whereby all the layers are fused directly to the core at the same time and impregnated with melamine resins using heat and pressure. On the other hand, the HPL is a two-step wear layer process. First, the Kraft paper type sheets are glued together, along with the print film, then this is glued to the core, and finally everything is bonded together under pressure. Both types of laminate flooring make an extremely hard surface that resists scratching, denting, sunlight fading, and even cigarette burns!