Laminate

Laminate floors originated in Europe, mostly Scandinavia. What started out as a secondary business to laminate counter tops, laminate flooring has taken a huge market share of the flooring industry, and is frequently used instead of vinyl, carpet and at times wood and tile.

Simply put, a laminate floor is a computer-generated image of wood (or tile or stone) layered on top of a fiber-board core and pressed between layers of melamine resin. It's the melamine resin that gives a laminate floor its great durability. A laminate floor is appropriate for most applications and is especially user-friendly to the do-it-yourselfer. Laminate flooring is all tongue and groove, lending itself to a floating installation, and although the original styles required adhesive, most styles now are glueless, snapping together with a flick of the wrists. Because of the floating installation method, subfloor preparation is minimal and laminate can usually go over existing flooring except, of course, carpet.

Thirty-five years after the first introduction, laminate floor companies are in abundance. That's why we at Merle B. Smith carry Witex'a laminate manufacturer that sets itself apart from the others.

Witex is a global company founded in Germany in 1978, and was one of the very first companies in Europe to begin laminate production. Branches of Witex were quickly founded worldwide and the US branch is located in Calhoun, GA. Every flooring need is different and Witex addresses this by offering six distinct lines of laminate flooring. Designs include traditional wood looks with finishes emulating different gloss levels such as high gloss and wire brush. Witex's cutting edge designs aren't limited to hardwood, either. Casa Tiles, Witex's tile-look laminate line, is a line of laminate that is both elegant and distinctive. And for something completely different, utterly unique to Witex, is their Xenia line, offering designs that are the dreams of interior designers and architects alike.