A general guide to ac ratings.
Ac4 laminate flooring meaning.
Laminate flooring has a rating only if it has passed all of the tests as failing a single test disqualifies a product.
It can withstand quite a bit of abuse so it is often placed in areas with moderate foot traffic.
Generally laminate flooring rated at ac1 through ac4 is created using direct pressure laminate while ac5 or higher is created using high pressure laminate.
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.
That is why the european producers of laminate flooring eplf has developed the abrasion rating system also called ac rating.
To receive an ac rating the laminate flooring must pass a series of tests.
Laminate floors and vinyl floors come with an ac rating which indicates how much traffic stains impact etc they can withstand.
The ac rating assigned after testing specifies the level of stress and the suitable location for the laminate flooring to be installed.
Ac4 laminate flooring is tough enough to be used in small shops or offices.
This is not necessarily the case.
Ac4 laminate flooring use and benefits a lot of people assume that because a certain laminate is thicker or has a longer warranty that it is more durable and longer lasting.
As aforementioned ac1 ac2 and ac3 rated laminate flooring are intended for domestic usage only while ac4 and ac5 rated laminate flooring are suitable strictly for commercial application.
In laminate flooring a wear rating is an indicator of how well the floor will stand up to daily wear and tear.
Each ac rating consists of a 60 increase in wear over the previous class.