Generally laminate flooring rated at ac1 through ac4 is created using direct pressure laminate while ac5 or higher is created using high pressure laminate.
Ac3 v ac4 laminate.
When shopping around for laminate it s essential to balance the durability of a laminate with its price.
Layers of laminate wear ratings denote the durability of the wear layer.
They can also be installed in cafes and boutiques.
During product testing if it fails on just one single test then approval for that laminate flooring rating is denied.
For residential use a rating of ac3 is perfectly adequate.
Ac4 is designed for light commercial use like small shops and ac5 is the heaviest rating used in larger commercial settings.
It can withstand quite a bit of abuse so it is often placed in areas with moderate foot traffic.
While there are huge durability benefits to using a higher rated laminate floor there are also benefits to using a ac3 or ac4 rated laminate floor over an ac5 heavy commercial laminate.
Ac3 laminate flooring is ideal for medium amounts of traffic including hallways or small offices with some but not a lot of foot traffic.
Ac4 laminate flooring is suitable for residential and commercial use.
Ac4 rated flooring is trusted around the world and is installed in some of the busiest residential areas as well as general commercial spaces an ac4 rating would.
Ideal for small shops and offices.
Ac4 rated laminate is more wear resistant than ac3 by 60 than ac2 by 120 and than ac1 by 180.
When you see a rating of ac4 on laminate flooring you can be assured that you will be installing a sturdy floor.
An ac rating is a common term used to indicate the durability level of laminate flooring these ratings are applied to all laminate floors by an independent body known as european producers of laminate flooring eplf.
Heavy intensive commercial traffic these floors should handle the kinds of uses common to public buildings including government buildings department stores shopping centers and busy bars.
Ac4 laminate flooring is designed for commercial applications with moderately intense traffic.
Because the higher the ac rating the higher.
Ac4 laminate flooring is tough enough to be used in small shops or offices.
Ac5 laminate flooring is designed for high traffic commercial areas.
Typically the higher the laminate flooring rating the higher the price may be.
With higher ac ratings you will thus benefit from a longer life for your laminate flooring.
General commercial traffic these should handle busier offices including those with off street traffic.
Until recently many laminate floors have been marketed as being ac3 rated for heavy residential use though they actually performed at an ac4 level on tabor tests.
Ac3 laminate flooring can withstand any type of heavy residential traffic and may also be used in a professional setting with light traffic.
The test devised for abrasion resistance is the european standard en13329.