Laminate Width: Standard and Custom Width Options

Given the excess supply in the building materials market, it is difficult to make a choice. It can take a lot of time to select a suitable flooring, but you still have to study in detail the characteristics of the selected material.

Most often, a laminate is chosen - beautiful lamellas, often imitating natural wood. They best bring warmth to your home. In addition, this material is easy to maintain and install. But Considering that it is stacked piece by piece, it is important to study the parameters of the plates in advance and correctly calculate the amount of required material. Boards may vary in length, thickness, width, color. The question of the width of the laminate and consider in more detail, having told what width happens with its strips.

Standard Laminate Width

The amount of laminate required to cover the floor will depend on the area of the room. The accuracy of the calculation depends on the size of the lamellas, their length and width. Narrow lamellas can be preferred to display a woody pattern, but wide plates are used to simulate a more complex pattern.

The width of the laminate is one of four types.

Narrow plates from 90 to 160 mm wide. With the help of such lamellas it is possible to lay a floor easily in a rack way or imitate parquet laying.
Medium width inserts range in size from 160 to 195 mm. It - most used width laminate flooring. Such lamellas are perfect for creating a plank floor.
Wide plates from 300 to 350 mm more often imitate tile laying.
Slats up to 400 mm can be as wide as possible. Such models, as a rule, are found in author's design collections and can "convey" any design conceived by the developer.

IMPORTANT! When choosing the width of the laminate, you need to focus on the shape of the room. Large, wide slats for rooms with non-standard sizes and shapes will force you to leave a lot of trimmings, and the drawing itself may suffer.

Custom Laminate Width

Almost every material has standard sizes and dimensions, but you always want to add exclusivity to familiar things. So with the laminate - in addition to the usual parameters of the lamellas, non-standard ones are also found.

A designer laminate can have any width. Such plates are made to order, based on the developed layout. And cutting the panels into components is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the designer.
Flexible laminate got its name due to the reduced thickness of the plate. Average width will vary within 300 mm, and for length there are no borders at all.
Waterproof slats have an impressive thickness - it contains several layers and impregnation. Such thick boards cannot have a modest width, usually it is at least 400 mm. The waterproof version is easier to install, gives the floor extra warmth and is very resistant to mechanical damage.

For non-standard types of laminate there are no exact norms of parameters. As a rule, the manufacturer produces such collections in fairly limited quantities, while each new collection may already have different sizes.

How to choose the size of the laminate

In addition to different width indicators, the laminate will differ in length, thickness, class, material.

Selection tips

The input is enough for a beginner to get confused quickly. To simplify at least the choice of the size of the boards, we present a few tips.

If laying the laminate will be carried out on its own, it is better to give preference to standard sizes. There it will be easier to deal with the installation and selection of the picture.
If there is a floor heating system in the room, the thickness of the slats should not be lower than average.
When choosing custom sizes, follow the manufacturer's instructions., since installation and installation rules will differ from standard procedures.
If the room has a disproportionate shape, a square laminate can “balance” it.
For small rooms it is better to choose long and narrow plates - they will stretch the room visually.

IMPORTANT! Laminate thickness is an important indicator even for a low traffic area.

Here, as a rule, there will be furniture that should not cause damage to the coating, so it is better to choose a thickness of 8-10 mm.

Calculation Rules

In addition to recommendations for choosing the size, it is worth learning the general rules for selecting and calculating the laminate.

For the direct method of laying the laminate, you need to lay 7% of additional material of the total area of the room.
If diagonal laying is planned, the volume of the required laminate needs to be increased by 10% from the area of the room.
In rooms of non-standard, complex shapes, it is better to create a drawing of future installation in advance - it will be easier to calculate the required volume of material;
A quality laminate has a warranty period of 15 years, you should find this information from the manufacturer.
It is better if the selected lamellas have a protective layer. So the panels will more stable carry moisture.
It is always better that the laminate remains after laying than if you have to look for the same shade with a lack of panels.
The color and way of laying the laminate can easily transform the room: add light to it, visually change the size, give charm.

Laminate flooring can be used in both home and commercial environments. The thickness of the lamellas depends on the expected level of wear and patency, and the length and width are more often chosen according to the geometry of the room and personal preferences.