Laminate flooring trends have come a long way in recent times, resulting in the continual evolution of beautiful designs.

From aged, reclaimed wood to a myriad of ever-popular oak colour tones; to a huge range of other wood species and textures, the breadth of options is impressive. Indeed, if you can’t find something you like in Krono Original laminate flooring, you won’t find it elsewhere!

Latest laminate flooring trends include reclaimed wood and vintage woods with incredible depth of colour. Extra wide and long boards also appeal to many. Knots and grain variation add a touch of realism to any design.

Let’s discuss the key laminate flooring trends by the industry world leader Krono Original®

Laminate flooring designs with varying surface structures

The surface and structure of laminate flooring is of particular importance for the look and character that the floor gives your home. To laymen, the difference between laminate and real wood is no longer noticeable because laminate flooring is becoming increasingly similar to its natural model. This is also thanks to improved surface structures. You’ll notice a wide range of surface textures available that bring an impressive element to your interior.

Naturally beautiful floors

Authentic Embossed laminate flooring from Krono Original® stands for a naturally beautiful surface that is barely noticeably different from real hardwood floor. Synchronous pore combines the look of real hardwood floor with the convenience and practicality of high-quality laminate flooring. Authentic Embossed synchronous pore: authenticity that you can see and feel!

Laminate flooring designs with varying surface structures

The surface and structure of laminate flooring is especially important for the look and character that the floor gives your home. To laymen, the difference between laminate and real wood is no longer noticeable because laminate flooring is becoming increasingly similar to its natural model. This is also thanks to improved surface structures. You’ll notice a wide range of surface textures available that bring an impressive element to your interior.

Diamond Gloss

The high quality of the Authentic Embossed texture is enhanced further by the addition of contrasting multi-gloss levels from deepest matt to glossy elements, which reflect the light differently as you move around the floor. It emphasises the depth of the structure and illustrates the character of natural wood perfectly.Handscraped

Handscraped

Available on some designs is a hand scraped texture – a breathtakingly elegant and realistic oiled wood finish, with gentle irregular undulations, inspired by traditional Amish craftsmanship. The soft matt surface replicates the hardwood area of solid flooring gently polished over time due to footfall. Meanwhile, the deep matt pores are highlighted with glossy accents.

Bevel

The 4-sided bevel defines the plank edge so you may appreciate the generous plank width, adding a luxurious atmosphere to your interior. It is common for the bevel definition to be enhanced by a printed edge – this provides more definition on chosen decors, without the bevel becoming a dirt trap.

If you like the latest laminate flooring trends then wait until you see our super natural Classic Range that provides a new level of realism. The matt or satin finished surfaces with Authentic Embossed glossy or deep matt pores faithfully reproduce the most delicate features of premium quality timber to give your floor a natural look and feel.

As always, we welcome any of your questions.

Live healthily on antibacterial laminate wood flooring.

Antibacterial laminate wood flooring from Krono Original® is exceptionally easy to keep clean and comes with a special anti-bacterial coating. It is also free of substances which are known to trigger allergies, such as wood preservatives or PVC.

Laminate is the perfect flooring for allergy sufferers, families with babies and for anyone who values the comfort in cleanliness.

Antibacterial laminate wood flooring – the basis for healthy living.

Allergy sufferers can breathe a sigh of relief with Krono Original® laminate: the bonded flooring surface does not provide allergy-causing microorganisms with a breeding ground

Krono Original® laminate flooring doesn’t give dust a chance.

Antibacterial laminate wood flooring from Krono Original® does not give dust a chance to adhere to its surface. Also, cleaning your laminate floor is a breeze – simply wipe with a damp cloth and your floor will shine like new.

Choose a laminate floor that will allow you to breathe deeply in your own home!

What is meant by Antimicrobial and Antibacterial floors?

Whether it’s three, five, or even 10 seconds, since the early days on the playground, almost everyone knows if you drop a piece of food, there is a brief period of grace where you can pick it up and (possibly) eat it. While that few-second rule may just have been a childhood myth, that might not be the case anymore. New floor trends that are on the rise include the terms “antimicrobial” and “antibacterial.” With Krono Original’s unique “anti-bacterial“ abilities, now that ‘few-second’ rule may just have been extended.

Before you rush out to your flooring distributor to buy a new anti-bacterial treated floor, beware of this: not every floor currently available as antimicrobial and/or antibacterial actually fulfils this promise. While these terms are popping up more and more recently in flooring choices, it’s only a select few floor types that have earned these monikers in 2017. So what do these “anti-“ powers entail?

For starters, you can put away your antibacterial hand sanitizer, because these floor types don’t need that type of protection, as it’s already built in. Other flooring choices that fall under this category can have a protective coating applied to the floor, but that covers only a select few options, such as laminate. Another choice that is available as both an antimicrobial and an antibacterial floor is none other than cork, as this floor naturally contains a waxy surface. That surface, called suberin, repels insects, bacteria, vermin, microbes, and other germs that could be residing on a busy floor’s surface.

Another flooring type you’ll see while browsing this advancing category is ceramic tile (which makes perfect sense as it is frequently used in bathrooms and kitchens). In general, the natural, hard surface of ceramic tiles won’t harbour any germs or other allergens that can get trapped in other floor types. (Asthma sufferers rejoice!) But, depending on what brand of ceramic tile you purchase, some have even been created with ways to jump-start the antibacterial process, such as using sunlight to activate a chemical on the tiles’ surface to oxidize germs, or the high temperature at which the tiles have been produced can help get rid of these pollutants.

While there still may be ways to go before having every flooring choice encompassed as antimicrobial or antibacterial, some more porous flooring choices can have an antimicrobial or antibacterial protective coating applied to them, that can help prevent germs on these types of floors as well. Currently, this protective coating can be applied to laminate floorings, such as Krono Original laminate as well as luxury vinyl floors (LVT) and concrete floors.

With these advanced new flooring types, the few-odd-second rule for dropping food on the ground is no longer just a playground myth. Your floor will be protected from germs, microbes, bacteria, and more because of the advanced anti-bacterial coating and you can rest easy when your family decides to have a picnic on your floor!

As you can see, there is another good reason for choosing European made antibacterial laminate wood flooring.

In the search of the best laminate flooring, we’ve prepared a brief summary for you.

As with production in general, there are also many aspects of laminate flooring construction where it’s possible to cut corners and produce an inferior quality product.

Thankfully, the majority of European laminate manufacturers are obsessed with not only producing a beautifully realistic looking laminate but offering the best resistance against moisture, scratching and denting. Furthermore, you can be sure that the old continent made laminate flooring fully complies with the strictest European environmental and emissions standards.  

By comparison, there are several common issues with Chinese made laminate flooring, including  the following:

Poor aesthetics.

The cheapest laminate just cannot compete in appearance compared to the best laminate flooring from Europe. Especially laminate from the premium ranges available from manufacturers such as Germany’s Krono Original. Krono Original offer features such as Authentic Embossed laminate flooring, which produces a surface that is barely noticeable from the look of a real hardwood floor.

Harmful emissions.

Toxic chemicals within the Chinese laminate flooring is a particularly worrying issue. On the contrary, you can be confident that European-made laminate complies with the strictest emissions standards, meeting the strict E1 standards.  Recent lab tests carried out in Germany of a cross-section of European-made products available in the market, show very low emissions indeed.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Chinese made laminate. A recent scandal in the USA which was publicised on CNN and many other media outlets shone a light on high levels of dangerous to your health chemicals like VOCs and formaldehyde in Chinese laminate. If safety is a priority, then you should buy European manufactured laminate flooring only.

Unlicensed locking-systems.

At first glance, the click-lock system should not be a source of worry. However, these rather simple looking systems that are designed to hold each plank firmly in place without glue are highly engineered mechanical systems that are crucial to the long-term success & durability of your floor.

You should always buy laminate that comes with a licensed locking system designed by Valinge or Uniclic, the global experts in flooring. While the manufacturer may re-name the system under their brand; it should still be technology licensed to one of those two companies. You are guaranteed that European made laminate flooring will feature a quality licensed locking system.

Chinese made laminate may or may not have locking systems designed by Valinge or Uniclic. If not, then the risks involved include the floor squeaking when walked over, or the locking system may break under high stress.  It’s also possible that the planks will not fit together as perfectly as they should, leaving unsightly gaps between planks in some areas.

Lack of innovative technology.

On the contrary to Chinese laminate flooring, you can be sure that the European manufacturers lead the way in offering the new and innovative technology making it the best laminate flooring available today. For example, you can expect innovations such as the following:

• Light-fastness.
• Heat-proof surface.
• Integrated aqua-stop system, to minimise damage from liquids.
• Perfect fitting; thanks to high-tech production.
• Anti-scratch technology.
• Anti-bacterial coating – this highly sought-after feature is available from Krono Original.
• Latest designs, which reflect current European interior trends.

The above is just a snapshot of the advantages of buying European made laminate. As you can see, there are many good reasons for choosing European made laminate flooring.

The first laminate floor was developed in Sweden, arriving on the market in 1980. This new kind of flooring quickly spread to other countries in Europe. The laminate back then was not of the high quality that it is today – but thanks to on-going developments, by the end of the 1980’s visible advances had been achieved.

Today’s sophisticated looking and very durable laminate is one of the most popular floor surfaces in the world. What has not changed since the 1980s is the composition of laminate flooring. The general construction of laminate floor is composed of three layers.

Layer 1

The top laminate layer consists of an overlay to protect against wear and tear and a design layer, which depending on the production process is made from one or several layers. The surface coating is composed of a special synthetic resin-treated cellulose to give the floor a tough, durable surface. The decorative layer gives the laminate flooring an attractive appearance.

Layer 2

Under the decorative pattern is the high-density wooden composite core (HDF).

Layer 3

At the base on the back of the HDF core you will find a watertight layer that improves the structural stability and serves as a moisture barrier.

All three layers are permanently bonded with resin, heat and pressure.

Especially on the surface, the differences between inferior laminate flooring and high quality European made laminate become clear. In particular for the design: a good quality laminate feels comfortable and demonstrates a very natural-looking structure. At the same time, the high-quality finishing of the laminate provides many advantages.

We hope you have enjoyed the above introduction to the world of a laminate floor.