FAQ

Abrasion classes

A laminate floor’s resistance to abrasion is denoted by its abrasion class (AC 1, AC 2, in accordance with DIN EN 13329).

The abrasion class is determined by attaching a test specimen in tension to a test device and lacing wheels (abrading wheels) on the test specimen around which sandpaper is tightly wound. Each test specimen is checked for signs of abrasion after 100 revolutions
The sandpaper on the abrading wheels is changed after every 200 revolutions.
The initial abrasion point (IP) is the point at which abrasion is first clearly discernable through the decor print.

AC

see Abrasion classes

Acclimatisation

Logoclic laminate consists of over 90% wooden composite (support panel, usually HDF) and therefore has the typical material properties of wood. In other words, the material adapts to the air humidity surrounding it. Depending on the amount of humidity in the room, moisture is either absorbed or emitted by the wood composite. This can bring about a change in the dimensions of the panels, either by swelling or shrinking. In order to adapt the material to the climate of the room before installation, you must keep the laminate in the installation room for approx. 48 hours before installation.  If you do not acclimatise the laminate (i.e. if the laminate is taken directly from the “dry” DIY store to a new room which is still “damp” and immediately installed) the result may be (unwanted) join formations, buckling and extreme changes in dimensions under certain circumstances.
The ideal location for storage is a heated, draught-free and dry room with a relative humidity < 75% and an atmospheric temperature of around 18°C.

B1

A symbol for flame-resistant materials in accordance with DIN 4076 Part 5
The DIN standards body makes a distinction between standard inflammable materials (B2) and easily inflammable materials.
Logoclic laminates are classified in Class B1

Cleaning (-agents)

It is very difficult for particles of dirt to firmly attach themselves to sealed, resistant laminate surfaces. For this reason, it is sufficient to clean the floor by wiping it with a wrung-out damp cloth using a soap-based wiping agent. Using too much moisture (water) during cleaning can cause the support panel to swell up.
When choosing a suitable laminate cleaner you should make sure that it does not contain any waxes or oils. Oil and wax cannot get into the sealed laminate surface, which is also the case with a wood surface. As a result they remain on the surface of the laminate as a (streaky) film. When cleaning the laminate, this film causes smears to form when wiping and will leave marks when walking across the surface.

Click laminates

are flue-free joining systems which offer major benefits for installers vis-à-vis conventional basic glue joins. A special profile moulding in the tongue and groove area makes it possible to join two panels together without glue. The straightforward installation and the fact that the installed floor can be used immediately generate time savings of around 50%. The floor can be used again, i.e. in certain situations, e.g. when moving houses, repairs or similar, the floor can be taken up and moved to another place or repaired. The perfectly-fitting profile moulding also prevents the panels from joining together when not installed as the tongue cannot slip out of the groove.

Décor paper

Décor paper is printed paper, mostly consisting of reproductions of the wood structure, e.g. beech, acorn or coating materials printed in monochrome.  The printed papers are dipped in melamine resin and, together with the overlay, are pressed onto the upper side of the support panel while heat and pressure is applied.

DIN EN 13329

This European Standard defines the characteristics, requirements and test methods for laminate floors. It contains a classification system (usage classes) with practical requirements for specific areas of application and categories of use. The purpose of this is to show you where your laminate floor can be used with satisfactory results.
The following requirements are defined by the Standard.

• Dimensional changes due to changes in relative humidity
• Difference in height between joined elements
• Join preparation between joined elements
• Perpendicularity of element
• Colour fastness
• Abrasion resistance – Appendix, see Usage classes

It also allows the consumer to make an informed decision.

Direction of installation

The direction of installation is mostly a question of taste. However, we recommend that you lay the floor lengthways to the main source of light and crossways to the direction of movement. It is often not possible to follow this recommendation as the door is often located opposite the window. In this case you should do what you think is right.
Laminate can also be installed diagonally or in various directions using appropriate cross-over profiles.
If the substrate consists of planks of wood, the laminate panels must be installed transverse to the longitudinal direction of the planks.

DPL (Direct Pressed Laminate)

DPL laminate flooring is the most widely-available laminate type and can be found in usage classes 21- 32. DPL floors have the following structure: Overlay, décor paper, support panel and stabilising layer During production, these four elements of the laminate floor are pressed under heat and pressure to form the final panels. After being allowed to cool down they are fed into the profiling machine. Here the panels are cut to the required size and profiled. DPL floors are manufactured with both the basic tongue and groove join and the Click- or Loc- system.

DPL laminate floors: direct coating
Direct coating- all 4 components are pressed together in a single step

1. Overlay: Special resistant coating, hard-wearing, easy-to-maintain surface
2. Decor paper: Look provided by decor
3. HDF – Wood core: support panel, core element of laminate floor
4. Stabilising layer: Water-tight stabilising layer helps preserve shape

E1

stands for emission classes. Emission classes are used to classify wooden composites according to the amount of formaldehyde they produce.  Floors are grouped into the classes E1, E2 and E3. Class E1 is the class with the lowest emissions of the hazardous material.  The classification is based on the test room.  A test specimen is “rinsed over” with air at a constant temperature for a specified time. The formaldehyde produced is captured in distilled water and measured.
Formaldehyde in the air is measured in ppm (parts per million).
The permissible volume in air must not exceed 0.1 ppm.
Standard commercially-available laminates produce such a small amount of the hazardous substance that they are considered to contain “no hazardous substances”.
Logoclic laminates are classified in emission class E1.

Electrostatic charge

The bearers of electrical charge (electrons) which give us a "shock" in certain situations come about during the separation of different and also similar, but non-conducting materials. Electrostatic discharge may be caused by a dirty floor, the air humidity being too low (especially during the winter months), or materials acting as electrical insulators (soles on your shoes, clothes, etc..). 
Possible counter-measures include using a humidifier, electrically conductive (office) chairs, special cleaning agents (with as much surfactant as possible), wearing electrically conductive shoes and clothing low on artificial fibres.

Expansion joins

must be used when installing Logoclic laminate floors when the surface measures more than 8 m lengthways and 8 m across its width. The reason that this is necessary is that the natural swelling and shrinkage of floors with large surface areas is restricted by its high weight + the load of the furniture placed upon it.
For example applications see Movement profiles

Formaldehyde

is a colourless pungent gas. F. is an important building-block in the synthesis of resins used in as an adhesive in the production of wooden composites (e.g. HDF, MDF, chipboard).
F. acts as an irritant to the human eye, mucous membrane and respiratory tract. Sensitivity lies between 0.2 and 1.0 ppm (parts per million). Due to ever stricter legal requirements, the proportion of resins containing formaldehyde used in the production of laminate has been cut back to such an extent that floors can be classified as being “free from hazardous materials”.
See E1

Glues

Glues made from synthetic, animal-based or plant-based materials with water as the solution- dispersion agent. When using tongue and groove joins on laminate panels, we recommend that you use D3 glue (alternatively: D4). D3 is a standardized code and denotes a glue’s suitability for adhesion in indoor applications with brief but frequent incursions of flowing water or condensate and/or enduring high humidity. Glues belonging to classes D1 and D2 are not suitable for joining laminate.
!! Only apply glue to the upper side of the groove!!

Gluing

See Tongue/groove join

Hazardous materials

Solvents/formaldehyde in laminates have been found to be so low that they can be classified as low in hazardous materials or free from hazardous materials according to E1.

HDF (High Density Fibreboard)

A high density fibreboard made from wood fibres. HDF panels are mostly used as load-bearing panels for laminate floors. They have a very homogenous structure and sealed surfaces. This allows HDF panels to be laminate, printed, veneered or varnished directly. Compared with chipboard panels or MDF panels, they have a higher density and are thus more resistant to bending and shear forces. They are also superior to chipboard panels in terms of their swelling properties. Visually, they look very similar to MDF panels.

HPL (High Pressure Laminate)

is the “Rolls Royce” of laminate floors. Its extremely resistant surface puts it in usage classes 32 and 33. HPL floors consist of an overlay, décor paper, several Natronkraft papers, the support panel and a stabilising layer. These components are pressed together under the application of heat and pressure in two stages. In the first stage, the overlay, décor paper and Natronkraft papers are pressed to form one layer (HPL). In the second stage, this HPL layer is glued to the load- bearing panel. A stabilising layer is attached to the underside of the element to balance tensile forces. After being left to cool down, the panels are feed to a profiling line where they are cut to the required size and profiled. HPL floors are manufactured with both the basic tongue and groove join and the Click- or Loc- system.

HPL laminate floors:
The high-pressure laminate
Three-stage high-pressure laminate production

• 1 Overlay
• 2 Décor paper
• 3 core layers
• 4 Layer of laminate 0.6 mm
  Hard-wearing, easy-to-maintain surface
• 5 HDF Wood core
  Support panel, core of laminate floor
• 6 Laminate stabilising layer
  water-tight stabilising area to preserve shape

1. Procedure

• 2 layers of overlay
• 1 layer of décor paper
• 3 core layers

are pressed to form a décor laminate under pressure.

2. Procedure

• 1 layer stabilising paper
• 3 core layers

are pressed to form a stabilising laminate under pressure.

3. Procedure

• Décor laminate
• Stabilising laminate

are pressed to form a high-pressure laminate.

Impregnation

Impregnating the load-bearing materials against moisture is especially important for the glue-less Click join system. This impregnation is carried out by increasing the proportion of resin used in the production of the support panel (HDF) and adding hydrophobic agents such as wax or paraffin.
Glue can be added (applied to the upper side of the groove) to provide extra joint sealing between two laminate elements during installation. Alternatively, Clickguard can be used.
In conventional glue joins, the glue (applied to the upper side of the groove) has the dual function of adhesive and impregnation element. It does not make sense to impregnate after the laminate floor has been installed as the impregnation process brings about film-forming substances such as wax on the surface of the laminate, which can only be removed with difficulty. This cause streaks to form.

Installation

see Installation instructions enclosed with package

IP

see Abrasion classes

Overlay

Overlays are light, transparent paper sheets which are interleaved with liquid melamine resin in an impregnation bath. During this process, the paper- the load-bearing material- absorbs the resin. Fusing the resin with corundum (a mineral, mostly used for abrasives) will determine the laminate floor’s subsequent quality and abrasion class/resistance to wear and tear. The overlay is pressed together with the décor paper onto the upper side of the support panel.

PE film

see Vapour barrier

Silentos

is based on a revolutionary new technology. This high-tech coating is just 0.3mm thin and is made of a special thermoplast which converts some of the sound energy produced into heat energy. Silentos reduces the perceivable footfall sound by more than 10 dB – equivalent to a 50% noise reduction. Other benefits include optimum thermal conductivity (when installed over underfloor heating), no other sound-absorbing underlays, e.g. Noppa foam are required, it is environmentally-friendly.

Skirting boards

are the ideal solution for ensuring a harmonious transition/finish from laminate floor to wall. Skirting boards not only have a visual effect but also ensure the necessary clearance between floor and wall. S is available in decors matching the floor and in various profiles and sizes. Skirting boards are fixed to the wall using screws, nails, glue or Clip brackets. The brackets are attached to the wall at a distance of around 20 cm with dowels and the skirting board is simply pushed into place. The Clip connection makes it possible to remove and reinstall the skirting board easily without damaging the wall (e.g. when recarpeting or repainting).

Sound made by footfall

is a special form of mechanical vibration. It arises when walking across the floor and is transferred to the adjacent walls and ceilings and emitted as airborne sound. It is measured in dB. To counteract sound made by footfall, a layer of sound-absorbent material is laid underneath the laminate during installation.  The floor has the structure shown in the sketch. The following materials can be used for the sound absorption: a 2mm PE “Noppa” foam film, cork mats/boards, felt sheets/boards or Silentos.

Stabilising layer

The stabilising layer paper consists of resin-impregnated paper which is placed on the underside of the laminate panels. Its main purpose is to balance the tensile force against the overlay, décor paper and Natronkraft paper (for HPL) on the upper side.
In other words, if you were to only layer a support panel with e.g. laminate on one side, this support panel would buckle as it would only absorb moisture on one side (from below).

Substrate

The substrate must have the properties which allow the laminate floor to the installed according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions (see Installation instructions enclosed with the pack). The following are suitable substrates for installing laminate: mineral-based substrates (e.g. screed, concrete, asphalt), wood chipboard structures, wooden planks or old substrates with hard coatings e.g. stone, ceramic or PVC.

• Evenness of substrate
  It is important that the substrate is even. Substrates with surface variations greater than 3 mm in the metre must be sanded down or filled in (as specified by DIN 18202). The best way to determine the evenness of the substrate is to use a straight-edge and/or a long spirit level.
• Firmness of substrate
  When laying laminate, the substrate should be as firm as possible. In other words, before installing the laminate you should ensure that the substrate is not springy or cannot be pushed in under load (soft surface: carpets are not a suitable substrate for installing laminate on).
• Dampness of substrate
  Particularly when using mineral-based substrates e.g. screed (cement screed, anhydrite screed, etc.) or substrates covered by a protective coating (natural stone, ceramic tiles or panels, plastic) you should expect increased substrate moisture. The moisture content of the above mineral-based substrates can be measured with a CM measuring device.

To prevent any increased moisture from getting into the laminate floor, it will be necessary to lay a PE film directly onto the above substrate as a (←)Vapour barrier.
A PE film does not need to be laid for substrates consisting of wood or wood composite panels (e.g. planks or chipboard panels).

Support panels

Includes all kinds of wood composite panels (e.g. plywood, HDF) which bear the coating materials. Coating materials include laminates and veneer. In the area of laminate production, HDF panels 6-8 mm thick are primarily used. With Click laminates, the T is manufactured to ensure low shrinkage by adding a higher proportion of glue in the pressing phase. Chipboard panel T’s are markedly inferior to HDF panels in terms of their technical properties such as pressure- or impact resistance or ease of installation. In the long run they will disappear from the market for support materials.

Surface

Unlike parquets and veneer floors, the surface of laminate floors does not consist of a layer of varnish, oil or wax applied to the wood. Laminate surfaces have a thin covering layer made of paper dipped in artificial resin (usually melamine resin), also called overlay, which is pressed onto a support panel (HDF) together with the décor paper (e.g. beech décor).
During the pressing process, the melamine resin in the sheets of paper (separately coated) are merged into a mechanically firm surface by applying pressure and heat.

Thermal conductivity λ

l specifies the amount of thermal energy transported per second given a temperature difference of 1 K (= 1 C°) across a length of 1 m² . Unit (abbreviated) W/(m × K). The thermal conductivity of building materials is needed to provide calculations used in protecting elements against heat. The thermal conductivity of chipboard- and fibre panels (= the support panels for laminate) is lower than that for 100% wood materials with the same thickness, or other materials.
laminate floors are exceptionally suited for installing in warm water-driven underfloor heating systems due to their high thermal conductivity. (see Underfloor heating)

Tools

It is important to have suitable tools to hand to ensure that laminate installation runs smoothly. An installation kit, consisting of a chock, drawbar, spacing wedges and a spatula. A hammer, a suitable saw (a compass saw is best), glue, a folding rule/measuring tape, angle, pencil, drill (for skirting boards), adhesive tape and a carpet-/cutting knife (PE film and sound-absorption layer) are also required.

Underfloor heating

Laminate is ideal for laying on warm-water heating systems due to the thickness of its material. The heat can pass through the material very easily - achieving optimum thermal conductivity. Warm water-based underfloor heating systems are enclosed in a bed of screed. For this reason it is important to carry out a moisture analysis (see Screed) and to switch on the heating as instructed before laying the laminate. A PE film is also laid first when installing laminate on an underfloor heating system. The material selected as the sound-absorbing underlay should have a high material thickness, e.g. felt or rubber. However, these materials have a major disadvantage: a material thickness of approx. 3-8 mm. Laminate with Silentos offers the best solution with extreme thermal conductivity and a material thickness of only 0.3mm.
Target value according to DIN 4108 0.17 W/(m*K) Krono flooring laminate achieved an measured value of 0.0993 W/(m*K).??
!!!Logoclic laminate floors are not suitable for installation on electric underfloor heating systems!!!

Usage classes

help consumers find the right product for them and also help manufacturers group their products. Laminates are classified in usage classes according to their levels of resistance e.g to abrasion, shock and colour fastness.  In each usage class, a recommendation is given as to which area of application, e.g. living room or commercial premises such as hotel rooms, offices, etc the laminate is suited for.  This classification is based on DIN EN 13329.

Identifying the categories of use with pictograms is based on the following classification by area of application, intensity of use, frequency of use and example applications:

Category of use class	Area of application	Intensity of use	Frequency of use	Example applications
	private use	moderate	occasional use	bedroom guest bedroom
	private use	normal	normal usage	living room dining room hallway
	private use	heavy	intensive, extensive usage	stairways entrance halls kitchens
	commercial use	moderate	occasional use	hotel rooms conference rooms small offices
	commercial use	normal	normal usage	crèches offices waiting rooms hotel foyers boutiques
	commercial use	heavy	intensive, extensive usage	corridors open plan offices department stores classrooms

Vapour barrier/course

D. are plastic films (usually polyethylene = PE film) that are designed to prevent the ingress of moisture over the substrate, e.g. screed, to the laminate flooring.  Vapour barriers must be installed with mineral-based substrates such as screed, concrete, asphalt. This is because, under certain climactic conditions, water vapour can precipitate in the area of  the floor in the form of condensate which can damage the structure. The D. must be seen from the warmer side, and must lie in front of the layer at risk from condensate (i.e. beneath the laminate). The D. is laid as a trough (approx. 10 cm vertical to the wall)  The sheets are allowed to overlap 20 cm and are fixed with adhesive tape.
Also see Installation guide

Wall clearance

The clearance between the installed laminate floor and the wall is one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed when installing laminate. This clearance should lie between 12 and 15. During installation it is fixed using spacer wedges (tool). Laminate is a wood material whose volume increases under the influence of moisture (swelling) and decreases in dry environments (shrinkage). For this reason it is important that you give the laminate floor room to move to prevent subsequent damage due to swelling.  The following damage may arise: Joint unsealing, swellings parallel to longitudinal joins, buckling around joints with décor displacement, inclines in the floor.

Wet rooms

E.g. bathrooms or saunas. Due to the properties typical for the materials used in laminate floors are not suitable for these kinds of rooms due to the extremely high humidity.

Wooden composites

is a general term for a number of products which are produced by splitting the wood into shavings or fibres and subsequently joining them back together (usually through pressing) using glue/resin. Some examples of wooden composites include chipboard, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), high-density fibreboard, plywood and OSB.