Quick Step laminate: advantages and disadvantages

Quick Step is one of the most recognizable brands in the global flooring market. Unilin's Belgian-laminated floors are distinguished by excellent specifications, impeccable workmanship and a long 25-year warranty. A variety of designs and fashionable colors of decors from 13 exquisite collections allows you to become the owner of a truly individual interior. Let's discuss in more detail the Quick Step laminate, its advantages and disadvantages, the nuances of installation, maintenance and the secrets of a successful choice.

For the manufacture of the basis of the laminated floor with a multilayer coating using waterproof high-strength glued fibreboard HDF. Classic Quick Step laminate has a four-layer structure:

• The function of a transparent protective layer with Stratch Guard coating is to prevent the negative impact of external factors, be it blows, scratches, cigarette burns, household chemicals.
• The purpose of the decorative layer is realistic transfer of the pattern of natural wood, texture of tile floor or masonry, which is facilitated by the high resolution of designer paper made using modern methods of printing.
• The high-strength melamine HDF board is the base.
• The task of the stabilizing layer is to ensure the absolute evenness of the position of the fiberboard panel during installation and protection against deformation during maintenance.

Vinyl floors of the premium line "Livyn" have a five-layer structure represented by:

• The top layer with a protective matte coating Stratch Guard.
• Decorative vinyl layer of high-quality decor paper with individual drawings of the texture of various materials.
• Standard fiberboard.
• Fiberglass stabilizing layer, due to which the plate acquires the ability to resist compression and stretching.
• Impact-resistant vinyl substrate with moisture-resistant properties as a neutralizer of deforming effects.

First of all, it is worth knowing that Quick Step laminated floors, which are sold in Russia, are made here, and not in Belgium. A representative office of a Belgian company in our country appeared back in 1997, and in 2010 it was decided to build a production site in Dzerzhinsk (Nizhny Novgorod Region). The level of technical equipment of the plant puts it on a par with European Unilin units.

The company has automated press lines, Homang profiling machines (Germany) and Japanese test equipment. The decor paper supplier is Wilsbeck, a city in the Belgian province of West Flanders, and HDF is supplied from France. Belgian plants produce coatings from the same raw materials.

For a long time, the staff of the Dzerzhinsky plant comprehended all the details of the technological process of producing Quick Step coatings under the guidance of experienced Belgian engineers.not one year worked at the enterprises of the corporation in Belgium. Regular visits of curators, strict control of the work of all departments, certification, training, retraining of specialists - all this contributes to improving the efficiency of the enterprise.

The results are obvious - laminated Quick Step floors from a Russian manufacturer, but having purely Belgian origin can boast of completely identical external and technical characteristics, that is, like the Belgian counterparts. However, the fact remains that they are produced by us. Conscientious sellers do not hide this information from the buyer, although there are those who still indicate inaccurate information on the item card.

10 reasons to buy Quick Step laminate floors:

1. Environmental friendliness - safety of the panels is ensured by modern production technologies and compliance with all standards of safe use of coatings in residential premises.
2. Impeccable decorative qualities. A wide product range with a variety of design solutions for coatings in the form of tiles, squares and classic strip variants.
3. Reliable protection against mechanical damage due to the coating of Stratch Guard with inclusions of corundum, which is the second most dense mineral after diamond. It is corundum in the composition of the transparent outer layer that prevents the formation of small scratches and rubbed areas.
4. The possibility of laying on the system "warm floor" of various types.
5. Simple, fast, intuitive installation. The strength of the assembly is ensured by fastenings with a unique Uniclic construction, which contributes to a better seamless connection of the panels.
6. The top layer with antistatic effect prevents dusting of the coating. If dust and accumulates, then in a minimum amount.
7. Comfort when walking on the floor: moving on the floor is not accompanied by an unpleasant squeak.
8. Trouble-free care: sanitization is possible with any household chemicals.
9. They are not afraid of ultraviolet rays and retain the original brightness of colors throughout the operation.
10. Water resistant with a softening factor of no more than 8% due to high-quality HDF-plates of high density, waterproof outer layer and locks treated with wax impregnation.

The refined collections of decors are presented with traditional solutions with drawings for wood of various breeds and modern versions with imitation of the textures of marble, leather, floor tiles, and fabric cloth. A quick overview of the official Quick Step laminate floor collections:

• "Classic". Models in the classic version with smooth glossy and matte transitions in different areas of the wood pattern. The perimeter of the boards is decorated with a slightly beveled edge to give the floor a realistic resemblance to a plank surface.
• "Majestic". Models with the widest bars of increased length, which allows you to convey all the beauty of the floorboard, which they imitate. This is an ideal solution for the realization of grand design ideas in the interior of large rooms.
• "Creo". Floor panels feature classic, discreet designs. The width of the boards is chosen taking into account the style and wood that imitate the coating. The refined color palette and various textures with imitation of noble oak, elegant ash, exotic merbau wood allows you to find your solution for a laminated floor for any interior.

• "Rustic". Models with shortened, narrowed slats and having a hollowed in chamfer are made in the trends of authentic (rustic) style. The design was designed to visually expand small living spaces.
• Impressive / Impressive Ultra. Innovative synchronized embossing was used for these collections. Surface treatment of boards using this advanced technology allows you to achieve maximum similarity with the texture of wood. The perimeter of the plate is decorated with a chamfer. Thanks to the Hydro Seal coating, the panels acquire water-repellent properties. In the “Impressive Ultra” range, the 33 class boards have an increased 12 mm thickness, which allows them to be used for commercial premises.

• Eligna / Eligna Wide. The 8 mm thick panels feature a balanced length and width. Color solutions demonstrate pleasant natural shades of nature. Due to the fact that there are no grooves (chamfers), the transition of the wood pattern between the dies is smoother. The “Eligna Wide” models with an increased edge width are decorated with V-shaped bevels, making the coatings look more realistic.
• Perspective / Perspective Wide. These chamfer rulers are distinguished by a wealth of colors in natural tones and various structures of natural wood. Chamfering is presented in two versions: you can choose with deep U-shaped or small V-shaped.
• "Arte". A collection of stylish large-format tiles with pictures of artistic parquet, leather and marble. Panels with a pronounced surface structure show striking similarities with the texture of the simulated materials.

• "Exquisa". Laminated floors from this collection can be easily confused with real ceramic flooring, masonry or textiles due to the most realistic transfer of volume, texture and color nuances of these materials.
• "Desire". The elegant design of the panels, where woody patterns form intricately intertwining gold and silver streaks, is inspired by trendy metallic shades. Such a floor is designed to make the interior exclusive, to create a feeling of luxury and prosperity.

In the range of finishing materials, you can choose baseboards, powders, profiles and decor-linings for pipes and batteries, the color scheme of which will perfectly match the shade of a particular floor covering model.

The color solutions of the Quick Step laminate are represented by the widest range of colors of the most fashionable and relevant shades, among which it will not be difficult to choose the right fit for any style of interiors - from classic to minimalism. When choosing the color of the floor, the main thing is to find out for yourself.what effect you want to achieve and what impression your floor should have on those around you. Consider the popular colors of laminate floors.

Beige and yellow tones cause a feeling of carelessness and set up an optimistic mood. A light floor under a natural oak, maple or beech will increase the degree of heat in a dark room and create a calm, peaceful atmosphere.

The gray palette, thanks to its neutrality, helps to create a calm and at the same time very elegant interior. Trendy gray colors of laminate - ashy, smoky, anthracite are combined with the vast majority of shades, which eliminates the difficulties in registration.Among other advantages, gray floors will become a worthy setting for antique furniture.

Red and orange shades are associated with warmth, harmony and home comfort. What exactly contributes to the floor covering with imitation of a merbau tree pattern in warm exotic shades or under a burgundy shade cherry. Such floors most effectively look in the interiors, decorated in the trends of the colonial style, where one of the main style-forming elements is massive furniture.

Black floors are the epitome of style and elegance. Vinyl tile shades of black slate or dark laminate under the skin, marble, travertine in tandem with a light background finish and bright decor look really luxurious.

Brown palette creates a sense of security and gives psychological comfort. It does not matter whether it is a laminate with an imitation of the texture of ceramic tiles, the texture of oak rich chocolate color or the texture of walnut in light brown tones. Gradations of brown are indispensable for creating the effect of maximum closeness to nature. The brown background is the perfect frame for furniture ensembles in country design., because it will be most advantageous to set off an abundance of juicy and saturated colors.

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Light beige and white gamma - the personification of light, purity, enduring values. Finishing with laminate flooring for worn out Norwegian pine, bleached oak, ornate snow oak from the Impressive collection or pure white ash is definitely a good solution for interiors in modern styles: eco and Scandinavian.

Proper installation of Quick Step laminate floors means that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions in the instructions carefully.

Panels need to be allowed to rest for 2 days. Enclosed packages with laminate are placed in the middle of the room where the installation is planned. The ideal conditions for acclimatization are considered to be the temperature from 15 to 22 ° C and relative humidity from 30 to 75%. In cases when the humidity regime is increased or, on the contrary, is lowered, weekly acclimatization of packages in an opened form is recommended. Any floors subject to penetration of moisture need to be removed. Moisture-proof coatings such as PVC or linoleum are allowed to leave. The use of the substrate is mandatoryIdeally, a Quick Step backing is used.

For installation, in addition to standard tools - a hammer, saw or jigsaw, it is advisable to get a mounting kit consisting of a pick-up, struts, block, to tap Uniclic locks. The manufacturer recommends the use of Quick Step assembling accessories designed for these floor panels to prevent damage, which is possible if other accessories are used.

General recommendations for installation:

• Between the wall and the first row of floor panels, limiters are installed in the form of wedges to create a uniform temperature gap.
• Start forming a series with a solid panel, performing the docking of short end locks. The last board is trimmed.
• The assembly of the next row begins with half of the panel or fragment remaining after trimming the last board, in order to avoid waste of material and to provide greater strength of the ligament due to the displacement of the seams.

• The assembly of the second row is carried out by attaching the panels with a long lock to the previous boards using a pad for greater connection density.
• It is important that the distance from the walls to the canvas of the panels be at least 1 cm, and the end connections between the panels form a clear line.
• The joining of the last row is performed similarly from jigsaw-cut panels of the desired width. To make it easier to dock the boards, a special paw from the mounting kit is used.

How to lay the Quick step laminate in the next video.

Keeping Quick Step laminate clean is not at all difficult. Floor maintenance implies observance of simple rules:

• Two types of cleaning are allowed: dry and wet. When wet cleaning it is impossible to excessively use water, a slightly damp cloth for these purposes will be quite enough. Grease stains are removed with a small amount of detergent, it is advisable to use a Quick Step floor care product.
• The use of a special “Cleaning Kit” kit for professional cleaning ensures the most effective cleaning of the coating thanks to the mop-telescope with a special microfiber attachment (microfiber).
• The floors of the panels with beveled edges or boards with triangular chamfers are cleaned with a vacuum cleaner before wet cleaning, and finally wiped with a microfiber nozzle.

In order to preserve the attractiveness of the coating, additional protection in the form of special gaskets is necessary for furniture legs, and mobile furniture should be equipped with soft wheels. If to use the rubberized laying, then the surface of a floor will become covered with ugly black spots.

Door mats are a reasonable precaution. They will act as a barrier against contaminants containing sand, due to which scratches appear.

The main criterion for the choice of laminated floors is the class of wear resistance. For all Quick Step collections, marking 32 is typical, which may seem strange,since the majority of coating manufacturers strive to offer 33 class floors, attracting buyers with “excess strength reserves”. The Quick Step Company does not rely on numbers, but on the results of tests for the durability of its products. in accordance with European standards EN 13329.

Class 32 models are commercial floorings, which implies the possibility of laying them in places where average permeability is. Of course, they are suitable for any room in the apartment.

The only exception in the model range is the Impressive Ultra line, where panels of increased thickness of 12 mm are extremely durable and are designed specifically for rooms with high humidity conditions. Here, potential buyers may be confused by the price of the issue, since coatings from this collection are much more expensive than analogues of other brands.

When planning to trim Quick Step flooring stairs, take care of your purchase. universal profiles. It will not be superfluous to purchase a repair kit, with the help of which it will be possible to restore damaged areas of the coating.

Customer reviews about the Belgian and Russian laminate are somewhat different, although in general they are positive. If there are no complaints about the “Belgian” either in terms of quality, assembly or operation, then dissatisfied statements are periodically heard against the “Russian”.