Believe it or not, we start with real wood. We take the leftover wood fiber from the hardwood manufacturing process (you know, the stuff that other manufacturers send to a landfill) and use it to create our unique coreboard, OptiCore^®. OptiCore is backed with melamine, which provides stability and moisture resistance, and topped with what we like to call the “decorative layer.” This is the part that gives the laminate its beautiful, natural hardwood look. 

The decorative layer, or photographic layer, is a high quality photograph of our most beautiful hardwood. Our hardwood design team creates products based on current trends in color and texture, and then we create our own images from the products they design.  Our photographs are beautiful, high-resolution images with vibrant colors and stunning detail that give the product its realistic look. 


 

After the decorative layer, the product is finished with a tough, transparent aluminum oxide wear layer to protect against scratching, staining and moisture. At this point, textures are added to intensify the flooring’s natural look.

And there you have it! We’ll bet you never knew so much TLC goes into creating the gorgeous products in our laminate collection. Do some exploring around shawfloors.com today to choose the perfect laminate product for your home.