What factors to consider when shopping for a laminate floor

Laminate Abrasion Criteria (AC Ratings) Explained
Have you ever checked through a range of laminate flooring and spotted an AC rating? You probably asked “what do these ratings mean? Laminate floors are given ratings relating to their durability and suitability of use. The internationally accepted classification of laminate flooring durability is the Abrasion Criteria or ‘AC’ Rating.
AC stands for Abrasion Criteria.  It means products have been tested for durability for abrasion, stains and burns and impact resistance. AC stands for Abrasion Class, and it was introduced by the European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF). Most laminates are now graded with an AC rating, which is a much more accurate measure of how tough and durable a particular laminate is.
Laminates will endure a series of tests to determine how well the floor will stand up to wear and tear – in both residential and commercial settings. These tests include the floor’s resistance to abrasion, impact, stains and burns. It must pass certain levels of criteria to achieve a rating. Failing on any of the criteria will prevent the floor from achieving that rating. Each time it passes, it will be tested more stringently to achieve the succeeding rating.
The abrasion classes range from AC1 to AC6, with AC6 being the most durable. They can be divided into both residential and commercial application.  The higher the AC number the more resistant to wear it becomes.  A general rule of thumb is an AC1 would be for low to moderate traffic in a residential application. An AC2 rating (Class 22) rated laminate flooring is one step above the AC1 level, meaning that it is most suitable for domestic settings again, but for areas within the home that see higher footfall but not a huge amount of wear tear. On the other hand, an AC3 rating (Class 23/31) is ideal in moderate trafficked living rooms, conservatories, hallways , moderate foot traffic areas with low amounts of wear and tear such as dining rooms .AC4 (Class 32): would be classified as moderate commercial or higher residential use. For residential an AC4 would be suitable for families with higher traffic and general trafficked commercial spaces such as offices, cafes, salons and boutiques or residential spaces. AC5 rating (Class 33), would be ideal on busy areas requiring medium to heavy traffic resistance such as retail stores, showrooms, restaurants and schools. AC6 rating (Class 34): Very heavy intensive trafficked areas such as supermarkets, airport terminals and public-facing government buildings.
Impact Resistant:
When looking to buy a new laminate floor, the thickness of the laminate isn’t always the best measure of its durability or lifespan. Our Laminates have TitanX™ surface protection together with a dense core material that will keep its elegant finish year in and year out. TitanX™ is a multilayer technology that includes protective and impact layers of aluminum oxides particles, which provides superior protection to wear, scratching and high resistance for handling dropped objects and high heels.
Our AC Ratings
Here at Floor Décor Kenya, we only sell Pergo® the inventor of laminate flooring with an AC rating of AC4 and above. This ensures high durability, without compromising on the authentic look of the flooring. We offer a whole Pergo® range of laminate flooring with a great variety of style, color, and textures. We believe in quality, versatility and natural effect and provide customers with timely updated designs to their market taste. We help consumers understand the differences between the vast laminate flooring types out there and make informed purchases to get the perfect floor.

Floor Décor Kenya Cares about Your Health and Well being with our Original floors with zero cancer causing chemicals

Floor Décor Kenya Cares about Your Health and Well being

Majority of Home Builders and Owners fall prey to unsuspecting developers and businessmen who source substandard flooring materials from some factories in China and Eastern Europe. Some low quality laminates and Vinyl from these regions contain high levels of cancer causing Phthalates and Formaldehyde. Phthalates are mainly used as plasticizers; substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, durability, transparency and longevity.

It is therefore important for buyers to check the kind of flooring brands used by developers; majority of the developers only care about the selling value and ease of making quick returns on building developments and ignore the consumer and the health risk associated with installing substandard flooring materials.

The debate on the dangers and toxicity of phthalates and formaldehydes has been going on for years. Research has proven to the fact that exposure to phthalates may lead to health problem such as cancer, asthma and allergies, autism, low IQ, fertility problems and neurodevelopment issues, birth defects, learning and memory disorders.

Dangerous volatile organic compounds, a.k.a. VOCs, are the last thing you would want in your home. Because these chemical compounds have a very low boiling point, large numbers of their molecules will evaporate at normal room temperature. The resulting vapor mixes with clean air inside your rooms exposing you and your family to cancer causing chemicals.

Floor Décor Kenya an award winning floor covering retailer in Kenya takes to heart with its guarantee. All our Brands are safe for you and your loved ones. Pergo® Wood Laminates, Beauflor® Vinyl a.k.a Mkeka wa Mbao™ and Oryzon® Artificial Grass all manufactured in Belgium are subjected to rigorous tests by Third Party Laboratories that are designed to ensure they all meet the highest standards set by the European Chemicals Agency and California Air Resources Board regulations (“CARB”). All our brand products are evaluated as a ‘SAFE’ to use due to their excellent toxicological profile.

Our partner Manufacturers uses only alternative, phthalate-free plasticizers, with a strong preference for bio-based plasticizers. They typically off-gas all flooring products at the factory, prior shipping to us. This means our products do not release harmful levels of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) into your beautiful living environments. As an importer of flooring solutions, Floor Décor Kenya guarantees 100% phthalate-free flooring products that pose neither unreasonable risk to human health nor the environment.

We shall continue to educate our loyal Clients on the health hazards of Cheap, Substandard, Counterfeit flooring from some factories in China and Eastern Europe Imported by rogue traders. Floor Décor Kenya flooring consumers’ brands offers the greatest possible level of quality in terms of sustainability and health. Our flooring solutions are very easy to care for and will last a long time if properly maintained, translating into a low environmental impact over the floor’s lifetime.

When you choose one of our floors at any of our showroom; Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru , Naivasha and Nanyuki you should be able to feel safe in the knowledge that it has been produced without any chemical of concern for health and wellbeing. And we are proud to say: You can. We have made fashionable flooring affordable; you get that lavish and elegant look you have always wanted for less, saving you time and money.

0780 955 000 Kijabe Street, Nairobi
0780 355 000 Moses Mudavadi rd Nakuru
0755 960 000 Links Road Mombasa
0780 755 000 Sosian Street ,Eldoret
0755 660 000 Irura Road , Nanyuki

For all your flooring needs visit
https://www.floordecorkenya.com/

It’s important to check if your subfloor is completely dry or it has some humidity levels in it before installation of any floor covering material

#Flooringtip

It’s important to check if your subfloor is completely dry or it has some humidity levels in it before installation of any floor Covering material  .

When a subfloor has high humidity level :-

1. Vinyl flooring will curl , form bumbles and get black spots on the decorative layer .

2. Tiles will discolor .

3. Laminate floor underlay will collect water and they will be dampness smell in your house .

4. Epoxy and regular paint on walls will crack and swell .

With such a tool as humidity moisture meter it’s easy to know the real levels some subfloor may look dry but in the real sense they are not .

For more tips visit

www.floordecorkenya.com