(End user title) Clean and green! Laminate flooring for a healthy living environment

When choosing new flooring, it is advisable to look out for something that is not only visually pleasing but also contains safe materials, has been quality tested and is proven to be environmentally friendly. This is not just because children like to lie on the floor on their stomach or crawl around on it, but because every consumer wants the assurance that there are no hidden risks to health lurking in their floor covering. Easy-to-maintain laminate flooring is right up there with the frontrunners in ecologically clean flooring for a healthy home.

The nature of its surface finish alone makes laminate a very hygienic type of flooring: it has a protective coating of melamine resin which is particularly tough and hard-wearing and, when laid, the floor boards are secure and inherently stable due to the modern click installation system. The sealed laminate surface is very difficult for everyday dirt particles to adhere to and the conditions are also unfavourable for the growth and spread of house dust mites and other micro-organisms that promote allergies, which is something that not just allergy sufferers appreciate.

Laminate floor covering is easy to clean, so it is ideal for families and pets. Household dirt and dirt from outside can be easily removed by sweeping, vacuuming and the occasional wipe with a slightly damp cloth. It is recommended to add a laminate cleaning agent to the water and these are available from the manufacturers in retail outlets. Only a small quantity is required, thus minimising the use of cleaning agents which in turn looks after the environment and also the household purse!

Ecologically clean manufacture

There is a lot more to laminate than that, however. Laminate boards manufactured in Europe carrying the CE mark and also the “Quality and Innovation made in Europe” logo of the European Producers of Laminate Flooring Association (EPLF, www.eplf.com), are stringently tested and provide safe flooring for the user. With their excellent environmental credentials, these laminate floors rank amongst the leading products on the market – resource-efficient manufacture, durability, superb characteristics in use – and when the time comes to dispose of it, it is actually totally recyclable. It is with good reason that they are described as “green high-tech products”. Certified laminate flooring is manufactured predominantly from renewable raw materials and is entirely free from plasticisers. The main components of the boards are wood fibres and cellulose from wood, i.e. paper. The sustainable origin of the raw wood materials used is verified by recognised seals of approval which also guarantee that all floor components are manufactured without the addition of pesticides, organic chlorine compounds or harmful heavy metals. The resins and adhesives used as binding agents are environmentally compatible. So laminate consists of natural raw materials, thus contributing to a healthy living environment.
In terms of variation in design, laminate flooring is practically unbeatable. Attractive decors with the perfect appearance of wood, stone, textile or other creative effects, plus a range of surface textures and board sizes, give unimaginable scope for design in any room.

Images
elnd1415_b1: Safe raw materials, quality-tested products that are certified as environmentally friendly – easy-to-maintain laminates are among the frontrunners in flooring for a healthy home. – Photo: Kaindl

elnd1415_b2: Clean and green in the kitchen, too; because of its hard-wearing, sealed surface, laminate provides hygienic flooring. – Photo: Meister

elnd1415_b3: Tough and easy to maintain: laminate floor coverings are ideal for families and pets. Household dirt and dirt from outside can be easily removed by sweeping, vacuuming and the occasional wipe with a slightly damp cloth. – Photo: Egger

elnd1415_b4: Safe and sound, a natural living environment: laminate flooring is free from plasticisers – Photo: Wineo

elnd1415_b5: Excellent environmental credentials: Laminate flooring is sustainably produced – it consists predominantly of natural raw materials and contributes to a healthy living environment. – Photo: HARO