How to store laminate

Modern building materials require proper storage. We'll tell you how to properly store laminate flooring.

Laminate requires special conditions

Due to the great popularity of such flooring as laminate, it is purchased not only by professional builders, but also by amateurs. Therefore, problems often arise with its storage.

This type of coating is a rather complex structure, where the safety of each element is important. Otherwise, the assembly may be carried out in violation of the technology, which will certainly affect the quality of the coating in the future.

Laminate is a material consisting of several layers.

1. The top layer is a moisture-resistant, wear-resistant coating made of a protective film.
2. Decorative layer of paper with a wood structure pattern.
3. Load-bearing layer, the basis of which consists of high-hardness fiberboard.
4. The bottom layer is waterproof, balancing or compensating.

Due to its rather complex structure, the material requires special storage conditions. Violations of these conditions can lead to damage to one or all of these layers.

Not everyone who uses this material stores it correctly. Mistakes are often made when storing laminate flooring at construction sites and store warehouses. Or in places where construction or repairs are directly underway.

This leads to deformation of laminate elements, that is, lamellas, damage to their locks, and cracks. Delaminations may appear on the slats. The top layer may burn out in direct sunlight.

Storage rules

Laminate is stored in cardboard boxes the size of one board of a standard area.

REFERENCE. The packaging dimensions are such that 5 lamellas fit tightly without gaps.

After packaging in cardboard, as a rule, with storage rules printed on the box, the container is hermetically sealed in polyethylene. This ensures that the quality of the boards is maintained even if water gets on the packaging.

Boxes with laminate are transported only in closed vehicles, stored in dry rooms.

It is necessary to protect them from shock, overheating, cooling, water and snow. Long-term mechanical impact can also negatively affect the contents of the packs.

Long-term storage conditions

A fairly large volume of laminate in boxes must be prepared for storage in a stack. It is formed by their packaging.

He formed according to the principle of a cube. Its base is three lower boxes with laminate, laid on a flat, dry floor, at an equal distance.

Three more boxes are placed on top, but across the previous ones, at an angle of 90 degrees, also at an equal distance.

IMPORTANT! The stack can be raised to a height that is equal to the length of the package.

This is how laminate flooring prepared in large quantities is stored for a long time. In this case, the load is distributed evenly across all packs, and there will be no deformation leading to damage to the laminate.

Seasonal temperature fluctuations can also lead to deterioration of such material.

For storage in packaging in winter and summer, it is important to ensure optimal conditions:

• temperature not lower than +5° and not higher than +18°;
• humidity no more than 65%.

Storage, especially long-term storage, does not imply a temperature change of more than 5 degrees. Warehouses must always be at the same temperature. No moisture, no precipitation. Even frost can damage the layers of slats. There should be no sunlight, they can damage the top layer.