All About Laminates: Types, Finishes, Maintenance & Lot More
Including where you can use it at home
If you have been recently shopping for interiors, there are more chances than not that you came across laminates in one form or the other. Available in a range of decorative patterns and colors, today these form the surface of a lot more products than you can imagine. Read on for a quick summary of the features of this versatile material and tips on using it in your home.
What are laminates?
A composite artificial material
The most commonly used finishing layer for MDF, plywood, particle board, wooden furniture, wall panels and flooring are laminates. Essentially, a composite artificial material, they are made by pressing together thin layers of flat paper and plastic resins. The upper layer is printed with a decorative pattern or color.
All About Laminates: Types
Five main types
Decorative laminates – These have greater aesthetic appeal in terms of finishes and patterns. Decorative laminates can be used for doing ornamental overlays on furniture. And there are so many to choose from as well! Take a look at some of the popular decorative laminates.
Industrial laminates – These have higher strength and are more resistant to wear and tear. They include high-performance laminates which are fire retardant, antibacterial and chemical resistant for application in hospitals and other industries.
Compact laminates – These fairly thick ones are self-supporting and do not need to be glued to any other material.
Post formed laminates – These flexible versions are thinner than regular laminates. They are used to wrap around tables, columns etc.
High-pressure and low-pressure laminates – Differing only in the pressure with which the laminate is applied on a substrate, HPL is usually used with plywood while LPL finds its use with MDF.