Members of the European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF) recently held a meeting in Germany to set the course for new research projects.

Under the chairmanship of recently-elected Eberhard Herrmann (Classen) and with topics driven by Jasper de Jaeger of Unilin and Dr Rico Emmler of IHD Dresden, a group of 20 EPLF specialists from six countries met for discussions at the DIN Institute in Berlin. The outcome is an extensive upcoming research programme.

The increasing popularity of moisture-resistant laminate floors for kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms has made it necessary to create a system of classification for moisture resistance.

Due to the wide choice in the degree of gloss for these easy-to-maintain laminate floors, greater technical understanding of how micro-scratches appear and how the polishing effect occurs on matt surfaces is also required.

The members of the Technical Committee have agreed to run individual tests and the results from these will be summarised over the coming months.

www.eplf.com