In 1997, the North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) was created by a group of American and Canadian laminate flooring makers. Since then, it has become one of the authorities in promoting laminate flooring across the continent. Furthermore, it is a trusted body tasked with ensuring that laminate floors meet quality standards.
The laminate flooring Los Angeles contractors install must have the NALFA seal—and it’s not an easy task to secure it. NALFA coordinates with laboratories across the U.S. to subject laminate floors to a series of rigorous tests. Here are some of the tests various brands of laminate flooring undergo to get NALFA’s thumbs up.
Static Load
The static load test entails placing a specific, stationary weight on top of the laminate flooring for 24 hours. Floor samples meant for home use are loaded with 870 pounds per square inch (psi); while those intended for commercial use are tested with 1160 psi.
Thickness Swelling
The thickness swelling test determines how much the laminate flooring Los Angeles contractors could install in your home may swell or deform when immersed in water for 24 hours. The swelling should be no more than 12 to 18 percent of the original size of the flooring material.
Large Ball Impact Resistance
The large ball impact resistance test aims to determine impact resistance against heavy falling objects. For this test, a steel ball with a diameter of 1.5 inches and a weight of approximately 227 grams is dropped from a height of 800 mm or higher for a residential flooring test and 1200 mm or higher for a commercial floor.
Small Ball Impact Resistance
The small ball impact resistance test is like its large ball counterpart. However, for this test, a steel dart tipped with a steel ball that is 5 mm in diameter and 25.5 grams in weight is dropped from a height of 200 mm or higher (when testing laminate floors for residential use) and 350 mm or higher (when testing laminate floors for commercial use).
There is also the wear resistance test which aims to determine how resilient laminate flooring is against abrasives that are common in their typical environments. All the aforementioned tests comply with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, so you can tell that NALFA-certified floors have really proven their quality. As with most things, it pays to look for the seal of approval, be it for laminate flooring or any kind of carpet Los Angeles homeowners want.
Video: Flooring Tests from Consumer Reports
Video URL: http://youtu.be/xZzEf_PZ97I
Video courtesy of YouTube (www.youtube.com)
Video owner: consumerreports
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