Which sealant is best for laminate flooring?

The first thing you should understand is what the sealant is used for, and whether it is possible to do without it. Its use is due to the need to protect the locks at the joints of laminate panels from moisture.

Types of sealants for laminate

The base of the panel in which the lock is made is made from pressed cardboard or woodworking waste, and at the joint it is susceptible to dampness and deforms when exposed to strong moisture. Silicone or acrylic sealants are used to protect joints. There are several more protection options, which will be discussed below.

Acrylic

Acrylic is a polymer that has a number of advantages:

• sufficiently resistant to mechanical stress, and at the same time elastic;
• durable, moisture resistant and provides fairly good insulation;
• the joints do not change their color during operation;
• can be sanded with sandpaper and then painted if necessary;
• From the point of view of environmental friendliness and fire safety, the material can also be given a big plus.

On a note. Most acrylic sealants are not colorless, so when purchasing it is important to select a composition that matches the color scheme. For this purpose, you can come to the store with a piece of laminate and choose the desired color. Small defects such as cracks and potholes can be sealed with sealant; the process has some similarities to applying putty.

Silicone

Silicone includes organic silicon, which is where it gets its name (just remember the periodic table). In fact, its mechanical and chemical properties are similar to acrylic, only less susceptible to temperature, more durable, but slightly less elastic. A plus is the prevalence of colorless silicone-based sealants; when dry, excess is easily removed with a knife or hands. Harmless to humans and animals. The downside is that during operation the composition can change color and give the treated surface a yellowish tint.

Other options

If you have parquet varnish based on white spirit lying around your household, it is suitable for impregnating the ends of the panels at the joints. The SUV, firstly, will impregnate the pressed cardboard or wood from which the panel is made, and secondly, it will give the material good moisture-repellent properties and a slight plus in strength. The disadvantage of this technique is the strong characteristic smell of varnish and solvent; it is not recommended to impregnate joints in a poorly ventilated area. The time for the varnish to dry completely before the smell disappears is at least 24 hours.

Another similar, but painless method is to use acrylic varnish for the same purpose. It does not emit such a strong smell, but for this purpose you should select a thick varnish, for example, Eskaro. The protection it will provide is somewhat worse than when treated with parquet varnish using white spirit, but it is unlikely to be significantly inferior to sealant.

Conclusion

The above methods make it possible to protect the joints on the lamellas when laying laminated parquet. The market has a fairly large selection of goods of varying quality and price, and price does not always mean quality.It is worth choosing materials from companies that have proven themselves and are recognized by consumers. These include:

• Click Protect;
• Click Guard;
• Masterfix;
• Rico Aquastop;
• Soudal.

If the sealant is very cheap, and this is the first time you’ve heard the name of the manufacturer, you shouldn’t be too happy about the opportunity to save money. You may have to pay twice - the first time when buying sealant, the second time when buying a new laminate after it has become damp. There’s no need to skimp on materials; it’s better to buy high-quality ones right away.