Laminate with and without chamfer - difference

High-quality and properly selected flooring plays an important role in the interior of any apartment. The right choice and professional styling provide an attractive look and guarantee long-term, convenient operation. Currently, the laminate has received widespread use. These are high-density wood-fiber boards covered with a decorative and durable film. Their popularity is due to the large selection of colors and patterns, the ability to select the required wear resistance, ease of installation and affordable price.

What is a chamfer on a laminate and what it happens

A high-quality laminate coating forms a perfectly flat surface, which is typical for artificial materials. This is achieved due to the technology of their creation, which makes it possible to produce panels that are flawless in geometric dimensions. Unlike them, it is not possible to create an ideally even coating from natural boards, due to the appearance of small cracks between the floorboards due to drying out.

To solve this problem, they began to make a chamfer, i.e., a slightly chamfered edge that hides the unevenness of the side surfaces associated with defects in processing of the natural massif, and also prevents the formation of chips along the edges under stress. This technology of edge processing over time began to be used in the production of laminate, but for decorative purposes.

Such panels create a floor covering that does not visually differ from natural materials. In addition, the chamfer allows you to hide cracks that occur due to the weakening of locks, and for a long time to maintain the appearance of the coating, as new.

ATTENTION! This design feature makes invisible a small difference in the height of adjacent panels, which is formed due to uneven surfaces. At the same time, the production of panels without edge processing was preserved and their cost is lower than with processing.

Chamfer Types

Chamfers can be:

  • bilateral, i.e., passing along the two long sides of the plate;
  • quadrilateral - all around.

First, with standard panel sizes, you can create an imitation of a floorboard. A good result is obtained by careful selection of the pattern at the end joints, which is achieved by sorting all the available panels, which is very laborious and time consuming. This canvas allows you to achieve the visual effect of increasing the length. The second - with a narrow size of the laminate make it look like parquet and contribute to the visual expansion of the room.

In appearance, bevels are:

  • V-shaped depths up to 3.5 mm - are made by milling the edges with subsequent grinding;
  • U-shaped up to 2 mm deep - made by rolling.

The first technology is often used on natural materials, the second on artificial panels. An edge processed in this way receives additional compaction, and hence strength. Most often, a chamfer is made on a laminate with a wood pattern.

Features of using a laminate with a bevel

Users may be concerned that dirt and debris will accumulate in the chamfer during the operation of the floor covering from panels with a machined edge. If the edge has a high-quality coating, then there are no problems with cleaning, given the shallow depth.

ATTENTION! It is not recommended to use a chamfered laminate in damp rooms. However, if the panel is dense, with the required resin content, has locks that provide good edge contact and prevent the penetration of water, all open spaces are covered with water-repellent materials, then there is no difference between the types of laminate with or without a bevel.

It is also believed that due to the processing of the edge, the panel becomes more fragile and under load its deformation and chips are possible. It must be borne in mind that the depth of the chamfer is small and it is done on panels with a thickness of 8 to 12 mm, and rolling, on the contrary, increases its density and, accordingly, strength. Therefore, edge processing does not affect the reliability of the laminate.

The requirements for the preparation of the base and the use of substrates when laying panels with a bevel are the same as when using a coating without it. The installation technology, speed of execution, quality and laboriousness of the presence of the processed edge is not affected.

ATTENTION! These specifications are not available on all manufacturers' panels. If during the manufacture of the edge, careful grinding is not used and a regular dye is used instead of a waterproof coating, this will significantly affect its wear resistance and durability. Therefore, when choosing a laminate, it is necessary to pay attention to its quality. The price of such products will naturally be higher, but this will be offset by the duration and ease of use. Quality problems are observed in Chinese manufacturers, while in appearance their products are not inferior to European counterparts.

Based on the foregoing, we can formulate a brief conclusion on the selection of the laminate. If you need to make a floor covering that in appearance resembles a natural massif, and at a price much cheaper, it is worth using high-quality panels with a processed edge. If there is no such purpose, then use an ordinary laminate - it is of high quality and reliability and at the same time affordable.

Watch the video: Wilsonart Decorative Edges Installation (March 2024).

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