Compact Information on Underlay Materials Beneath Laminate Flooring
- Kategorie: General, Products, Information on use
06. June 2014 | A new information sheet from EPLF details the requirements that underlay materials must meet
EPLF (the Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring) has published a two-page flyer called “That’s how laminate finds the appropriate underlay” that provides a quick overview of the most important requirements stipulated by CEN/TS 16354 (“Laminate floor coverings – underlays – specification, requirements and test methods”). It’s a great practical aid for both field and POS sales staff of flooring and underlay producers.
Even the most beautiful, premium laminate floor can’t be enjoyed for long if it’s installed on top of an inappropriate underlayment. The right underlay materials are important for ensuring optimal results, as they perform multiple functions:
- They smooth unevenness in the substrate and create a level installation surface.
- They remove stresses from the click connections between the panels.
- They help to protect the floor from daily wear and tear.
- They shield the floor from rising residual building moisture or damp.
- They improve acoustic and thermal insulation.
In August 2013, the Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF) therefore released the 15-page technical bulletin “Underlay Materials under Laminate Floor Coverings – Test Standards and Performance Indicators”. Now there is also a shorter version which clearly summarises the most important aspects on two pages:
- Requirements based on the substrate/structure: heated and cooled floors, thermal insulation, protection against unevenness, protection against moisture
- Requirements based on use: protection against loads and usage, protection against falling objects
- Requirements based on acoustics: impact sound insulation, reflected walking sound insulation
The flyer provides information on rules and ceilings and makes recommendations on these aspects. This makes it a very useful aid to support sales. The better retailers and sales staff are informed, the more competently they will be able to advise customers. In the end, there will lead to fewer complaints and longer-lasting enjoyment of laminate floors.
We’re happy to let you download the long and short versions of this information free of charge. You’ll find both in our download section in the category “product information”.
The new KRONOPLY silverline is the ideal underlay for laminate floor coverings. Special aluminium foil lamination enables this wood-fibre insulation to perform no fewer than four functions: it reduces impact and reflected walking sound, it’s suitable for use underneath heated laminate floors up to nine millimetres thick, it provides additional thermal insulation and it shields against electrosmog.
For effectively reducing impact and reflected walking sound, we recommend using KRONOPLY sound as the underlayment. This footfall sound insulating board attenuates reflected walking noise in the room by up to 18 decibels. It shifts resonance peaks at around 800 Hz to much more pleasant frequency ranges (roughly 320 Hz). Despite being only five millimetres thick, KRONOPLY sound also reduces impact sound transmitted to the room below by 21 decibels.
eplf.de underlay materials under laminate floor coverings 2013
The detailed technical bullet “Underlay Materials under Laminate Floor Coverings – Test Standards and Performance Indicators”
- Copyright Kronoply GmbH
INFOFLYER EPLF GB.pdf
The shorter version, “That’s how laminate finds the appropriate underlay”
- Copyright Kronoply GmbH
Five Latest Articles
11.12.2020 | A Major Landmark |
20.11.2020 | Let it shine - Advent promotion |
15.10.2020 | My Weather: Aqua Robusto Resists Autumn Rain |
25.09.2020 | Berlin Chic in the ‘Gebrüder Fritz’ |
27.08.2020 | HERRINGBONE: utterly classic elegance reinterpreted |