Go to content Go to search
Free tickets to Grand Designs Live London Excel, 4 to 12 May 2024 London Excel, 4 to 12 May 2024
Quality laminate flooring in the dining room

EU standards help you find a
quality laminate flooring

Quality standards for laminate flooring

There is an abundance of choice in laminate floors on the market. Each manufacturer claims to have the right product to suit your needs. Quality and fields of application, however, can vary greatly from one laminate flooring to another. Thankfully, European standards are designed to help you choose the right option.

The European rulebook

Over the past decades, European standards and regulations have come to play an important role in our lives. From prescribing the size of shipping containers, to dictating maximum levels of ingredients in the food we eat, to name but a couple examples. Though they might appear overprotective or irrational at times, these rules are in general designed to protect us, and to create better living and working conditions.

Quality laminate flooring in the living room
#Loading#

The laminate standard

In the late 1990s, the EU introduced standard EN 13329, specifying characteristics requirements and test methods for laminate floor coverings. It also includes a classification system, based on EN 685, indicating in what areas and under which conditions laminate floors can be used.

  • Classes 21 to 23 mean a flooring is fit for domestic use.
  • Classes 31 to 34 indicate a flooring is fit for more intensive, ‘commercial’ use.
  • Classes 41 to 43 indicate a flooring can be used in industrial environments.

While the first digit gives an idea of the general environment (2: domestic, 3: commercial, 4: industrial), the second digit further subdivides this usage into ‘light’ (1), ‘moderate’ (2), ‘heavy’ (3) and ‘very intensive’ (4).

 

Overview

 Class 21
 Light domestic use
 Class 22
 Moderate domestic use
 Class 23
 Heavy domestic use
 Class 24
 Very intensive domestic use
 Class 31
 Light commercial use
 Class 32
 Moderate commercial use
 Class 33
 Heavy commercial use
 Class 34
 Very intensive commercial use

EU standards for quality laminate flooring
#Loading#

Make an informed choice

Laminate manufacturers are obliged to clearly label the precise classification on the product packaging. When taking a closer look at Quick-Step Laminate floors, you will see that all of them are in class 32, meaning they are fit for anything up to and including moderate commercial use. The Impressive Ultra collection even goes one step further and is labelled class 33, for heavy commercial use. Both labels guarantee top quality flooring, perfectly fit for everyday use.


Discover our laminate flooring

Related Stories

Quick-step vinyl in the kitchen

Vinyl or laminate: what floor is best for me?

Laminate or vinyl flooring: what’s the best option for your home? From water resistance to sound, looks and more, here’s a step-by-step comparison.

#laminate #vinyl