In advertising, you can increasingly see that the installation of flooring does not cause any difficulties even for a beginner. If you simply follow clear instructions, the result is likely to satisfy you and your loved ones. But the question arises: how best to lay the laminate - along or across? In fact, there are countless nuances of this process, which we will talk about today.

Getting ready to cover

Are you wondering what is the best way to install laminate flooring? Not so fast. First you need to make sure that the coating is completely ready for installation.

Important! The surface on which the laminate will be laid should not have any recesses and irregularities, because the presence of such will lead to a divergence of the connecting lamella locks.

The next step is laying the substrate. It will help smooth out minor irregularities, retain heat and provide sound insulation. The substrate will become a good shock absorber that will save you from squeaking when walking. The material and thickness are selected depending on the class of the laminate itself:

• for an inexpensive coating, polyethylene foam is suitable;
• for the prestigious - a composite substrate or polystyrene foam, cork.

Important! The substrate must be spread over the area of ​​​​the entire floor. And all connections should be glued with tape.

What depends on the laying direction?

First, let's look at the types of laying directions:

1. Along.
2. Across.
3. Diagonally.

The first two are usually combined into a group - direct styling. With diagonal mounting, everything is more difficult. This installation method is more expensive, and the process is more laborious, but this choice may be the best solution if the first two methods are not suitable for some reason.

The visual perception of the room most often depends on the laying direction, so one of the selection criteria is the expected result, we'll talk about it below.

How best to lay the laminate - along or across?

Here we come to the most interesting moment. Not everything is as simple as it might seem, let's look at a few cases.

Installation along the line of light

This is the most common way. It requires the least time, knowledge and money, and is, in fact, “classic”. If you want the seams between the lamellas to be invisible, then this is your choice. It is this direction that will bring all the chances to create the desired interior.

Mounting across the line of light

This option is considered less “professional”, but has its advantages. Installation across the line of light creates a visual effect of "breadth", so this method is practiced in long corridors and rooms. But do not forget that this is a laborious process, because due to trimming the boards you will lose more time.

Diagonal mounting

This coating method is used to make the room “interesting”. In other words, this is a special design technique that can “dilute” a boring interior and visually change the geometry of a room.

Important! This method has several disadvantages:

• Joints are quickly erased;
• Be prepared for a large consumption of material;
• You will have to buy special chemicals for cleaning and maintenance.

This type of installation has the most opponents, but this does not lose its popularity.

Laminate laying tools

Manufacturers advise to acquire special tools, but you can get by with standard tools:

• Electric jigsaw or hacksaw;
• Pencil;
• mallet;
• Square;
• Roulette;
• Level;
• A die or bar for padding panels;
• Assembly crowbar.

Panel bonding options

When laying the floor yourself, you will have to decide not only the question of how best to lay the laminate - along or across, but also how to fasten the individual elements of the coating. There are two types of lamella clutch locks, which will be discussed now.

CLICK locks

The slats are fastened with collapsible locks, which are durable and highly resistant to any impact. Such a system is very simple and lasts for a long time.

Important! The gap in such panels is practically invisible, but it is advised to lay it parallel to the light source.

LOCK locks

The adhesion of the lamellas is ensured by means of special grooves on the plates. Again, it is worth focusing on the light source and mounting along the spread of the sun's rays.

What difficulties may arise?

If the work is carried out without haste, having thought it over well before that, then there should not be any particular difficulties. But it often happens that due to a loose joint of the lamellas, moisture can get under the laying and cause a number of problems. Therefore, it is worth considering all the nuances and making sure that the surface does not have irregularities.

It is worth paying attention to some things before installation:

• Once again, make sure that the subfloor is even;
• Choose only high-quality material;
• Always use a lining;
• Watch the temperature;
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions;
• Carefully inspect each board for defects.

Laying schemes and features

First, consider the list of laying schemes:

• Herringbone - the location of the laths of the laminate at an angle of 45 °;
• Asymmetry - disordered (chaotic) installation of panels;
• Labyrinth - the formation of various patterns from the components;
• Braid - shift by the width of the bar;
• Deck - offset by a third from the previous row.

Peculiarities

It should be understood that there are no specific styling features, and the choice should be based on individual preferences. For convenience, we classify styling features:

• In shape and size. Lamellas are produced not only in the form of boards, you can find square and rectangular slats.
• By type of foundation. It is best to install on a well-dried and even concrete floor.

Important! When installing over wood, the panels must be laid perpendicular to the direction of the boards.

• By design. Everything here is to taste and color - today you can find thousands of design solutions that fit into the interior you are interested in.

footage

All this knowledge is enough to become a “master” of laminate flooring. Now you can easily create the perfect room interior without loss for yourself and your nerves. Brave for the job! Remember that everything is in your hands!

Laying laminate flooring in a hallway has never been an easy task. We are talking about the appropriateness of such installation, its technological difficulties, etc. Since all kinds of damage and moisture cannot be avoided, care must be taken to ensure that your laminate floor lasts as long as possible. What needs to be done for this?

Probably the main rule is to buy lamellas not lower. Such a laminate in the corridor will be subjected to frequent loads, BUT it can resist them. It will endure even the highest level of patency and will not change its appearance, even years after the start of operation.

! Yes, grades 21-23 are exclusively household options, but for such a room it is better to choose exactly grade 32. Of course, its cost will be higher, but the service life will reach several decades, and not 2-3 years.

So, how to lay laminate in the hallway? Many people ask this question, but not everyone knows the answer. The laminate floor in such a room is subjected to significant mechanical stress, so its installation has several important features:

• Stack ONLY on a perfectly flat base. Level the floor as best as possible. Yes, in other rooms allowable differences are allowed, but in this one such a possibility must be excluded. Firstly, laying boards in such a room will be easier. Secondly, the deck will not sag or rise in the event of pressure on the panels;

! All this will help protect the floor from premature damage and wear. Please note that you can use both the adhesive version and elements with special locks.

• certainly use . So the floor will be warmer, stronger, and smoother. We recommend cork or bituminous cork. It has the best characteristics and is suitable for lamellas of any thickness. You can find a cork in any specialized store;
• to visually make the space larger, you can put the boards in a transverse version. The herringbone method is also considered a very popular method. It is more original, but not suitable for every design. The room will get bigger. But, in this case, it is also important to take into account one significant drawback: a large amount of waste - up to 15%.

So, in order for the laminate in a narrow corridor to perform not only a practical, but also an aesthetic function, it is important to follow a few simple rules:

Rule 1. For a narrow room, choose a light color scheme. As a rule, light pastels, blues and white-green tones are considered the best options, which visually push the boundaries.

Rule 2. Make several directional lines towards the expansion in the floor finish. Use mirrored surfaces that also expand the space. This is a fairly economical way to expand.

Rule 3. If you prefer darker and more saturated colors of the slats, we advise you to choose the right lighting for the room.

How to put laminate in the hallway? First, choose a quality substrate and lay it correctly. Many people prefer to connect the sheets of the substrate with tape. This is a positive point that prevents sheets from shifting. At the same time, in the event of an unexpected leak, all the moisture remains in the apartment, and does not spill onto the ceiling of the neighbors from below.

! If you live on the ground floor or in a private house, it is not necessary to connect separate sheets at all. But, the substrate should not move, then the flooring will be durable.

If you do not save on the substrate and choose high-quality material, there will be no gaps in the flooring after installation. Remember that such a layer, unlike lamellas, should be pressed tightly against the walls. In some cases, even go out to them. Later, this flooring is covered with a plinth and corners, which ensures reliability. Some masters also advise laying the substrate in a checkerboard pattern or perpendicular to the direction of the panels.

The process of preparing for laying laminate in the corridor includes two main points:

1. Careful preparation of the rough base, which includes cleaning the floor from dust, dirt and debris. For this purpose, you can use a vacuum cleaner. For moisture insulation, a vapor barrier film is used, on which the substrate is then laid. Such layers also serve as sound insulation;
2. taking into account the indentation from the walls by 10-15 mm. This is the so-called technical gap, which is necessary for cases of humidity differences and changes in the linear parameters of laminated panels. The distance left (gap) eliminates the possibility of deformation. Later, such gaps are hidden by a plinth.

Staged work with coating:

• Stage 1 . Laying the first row. Laying laminate in the hallway starts from the wall. In this case, all the elements used are necessarily connected by ends. To keep the technical clearance uniform on all segments, you can use special wedges or pieces of the laminate itself.
• Stage 2. The first board of the second row must be inserted with its side, pressing it against the board of the first row - a tenon in the groove. First, the second bar is attached to the end of the first. After that, both boards are raised at an angle of 30 ° and the second board is easily inserted into the board of the first row, with the long side into the groove. In exactly the same way, continue to mount the rest of the lanks. The last board is cut to the desired length, and its remains are used as the first element of the next row.
• Stage 3. When you reach the last row of boards, be extremely careful. It must be cut so that the length completely covers part of the floor. When doing this, take into account the dimensions of the compensation gap.

During installation, be sure to use a sealant for seams. Its use will eliminate the possible ingress of moisture into the seams between the panels. And remember that styling can take a long time, even if the room is very small. The duration and complexity are directly affected by a large number of doors, pantries, niches, etc.

Corners and jambs

Separate boards need to be cut or special figured cutouts should be made in those places where they adjoin corners and jambs. This procedure takes more time. The result should be neat, so take your time. Today, even very experienced craftsmen believe that flooring in a narrow room is the most difficult task. The quality of surface preparation plays an important role here. It is on him that the accuracy of fitting the planks to all angles, the jambs, the protrusions depend.

heating pipes

Are there heating pipes in the room? Then be sure to make a curly cut.

Skirting board installation

Today, to visually expand the space, you can lay lamellas perpendicular to the length of the room. For narrow rooms, this is just perfect. At the same time, the space between the joints is about 20 cm - this is the condition, the observance of which guarantees an increase in the strength of the connection of the lamellas. Once you have completed the installation work, install the skirting boards.

! Remember that not to the flooring itself, but to the wall!

The wooden euro-plinth covers different gaps, depending on the configuration. It can be from 15 to 20 mm. If you prefer plastic options, then they are able to hide 18-21 mm.

It is very important to determine in advance the section of the room on which the furniture will stand, and the one on which households, guests and even pets will most often walk. What for? It is better to cover such an area with a carpet or a small rug. So on the floor there will be less traces, and moisture. Be sure to lay the rug immediately at the entrance (at the front door), so all the dust, dirt and water will remain on it, and not spread throughout the flooring.

From excessive moisture, the laminate in the corridor will begin to deteriorate and swell. To prevent such negative consequences, during the rainy and snowy season, wipe your shoes dry before placing them on the floor. Or immediately put it on a special shelf. Then a presentable appearance of the flooring is guaranteed.

In general, all this will help to increase the operational life of your floor, which will retain its original appearance for a long time.

Video, laying laminate flooring in the hallway.

Laminate has long won the trust of consumers, as it is a full-fledged replacement for expensive parquet. This material is used in offices, apartments and country houses. The laminated board has fine appearance, is unpretentious in leaving and is easy in installation.

When choosing this coating, the question often arises of how to lay the laminate along or across. The aesthetic perception of the room will depend on the correct installation. The flooring is mounted only on a substrate that has a flat, smooth surface.

Before laying the laminate, you need to carefully prepare the surface. If you lay it on a slab with a difference in height, then the connecting locks will disperse, and during long-term operation on an uneven base, cracks may occur in the material. The direction of laying the laminate does not affect the quality of the flooring, but it does matter in the overall appearance of the room.

To prepare the base, we repair the slab, seal all cracks and cracks with cement mortar, level with a self-leveling mixture or mount a new screed.

A height difference of not more than 2 mm per 2 m of the surface is allowed.

Substrates for laminate

After leveling the base, we lay the substrate, which acts as a heat-saving and noise-insulating material, smoothes out small irregularities in the slab and protects against creaking when walking on the boards.

Materials used as a substrate:

1. Dense polyethylene is used for laying under a budget-class laminate, it has quite good characteristics, at the same time it performs the function of waterproofing, it overlaps, the joints are fixed with adhesive tape.
2. Polyurethane foam roll material has increased strength, it is laid end-to-end, the joints are sealed with adhesive tape. To increase thermal insulation, you can use a material with a foil layer.
3. Bitumen-cork materials are laid end-to-end, retain heat well and do not transmit sound.
4. Cork is used under the highest class laminate, they are durable, combine the best qualities of all the above-described substrates.

The type of material is chosen depending on the functional purpose of the room and the class of the laminate.

How to lay laminate

Consider how to properly lay the laminate along or across. Most often, the coating is laid along a long wall. Directions for laying laminated boards:

• across windows;
• along windows;
• a diagonal arrangement will help visually enlarge a small room, provided that it is not cluttered with furniture.

Laying schemes:

When laying a laminated board along a stream of light (solar or artificial), the coating looks like a solid sheet. If the light falls across the laminate, the joints become visible.

To visually expand the area of ​​​​a narrow and long room, the laminate is laid in the transverse direction, perpendicular to the short wall.

Each new row is laid with offset seams, this contributes to an even distribution of the load. For a more economical consumption of material on the last row, we use cut boards. For information on how to lay a laminate board on the floor, see this video:

The most attractive view has a scheme in which the material is stacked in a checkerboard pattern with an offset in each subsequent row by half or one third of the board.

Do-it-yourself installation

When you have decided in which direction to lay the laminate, you can proceed with the installation.

After the packages with the material are brought into the room, they must lie for several days so that the boards adapt to the conditions in which they will be installed and operated.

Sometimes the question arises, is it possible to lay a laminate on both sides?

It is necessary to lay the laminate along or across the room, otherwise it will not be possible to dock the elements with each other in a quality manner.

Laying sequence

Laying the laminate along or across is carried out in the following sequence:

1. We install wedges at the walls to ensure that the expansion space between the wall and the material is maintained by 10 mm.
2. We measure the width of the room and mark how many boards will lie in width. If it turns out that more than half of the board will need to be cut on the last row, it is better to cut the same distance from the laminate of the first and last row so that they look like they are the same size.
3. At the boards that we will mount in the first row, we cut off the comb so that there is no difference in height near the wall. We fasten the second row with a board offset of ½ or 1/3, starting with half the board or trimming more than 300 mm.
4. The panels of the last row most often have to be sawn off so that they stand in the remaining space. Small irregularities that have arisen on the cut line will be hidden by the plinth.

We connect depending on the type of locks: Click is connected at an inclination of 45 degrees and snaps into place, lowering to the floor, Lock is connected in one plane, knocked out with a rubber mallet. See this video for details of the process:

The adhesive method is practically not used due to the high cost of glue, the laboriousness of the work and the inability to disassemble the flooring if necessary.

Making holes for pipes

Heating risers, pipes with hot and cold water can pass through the room. Regardless of how you decide to lay the laminate along or across the room, you will have to cut a hole under the pipes.

How to cut a hole in a board:

At the end of the installation, we close the gap between the pipe and the board with a plug. After laying the laminate in the room, you need to install the skirting boards.

We take out the wedges that served as spacers, and fasten the skirting boards on self-tapping screws or clips to the wall.

Installation sequence:

1. Cut the plinth to size.
2. We connect with the elements that come with the kit.
3. We try on the wall, if the dimensions match, we fix the clips on the screws.
4. We glue the plugs and corner joints to the plinth.

When attaching to clips, we mark the location of the clips on the wall.

The choice of method and direction of laying depends on the location of the windows, the room and the presence of furniture in it. With proper installation, laminate flooring will last for decades.

Laminate flooring is no longer a novelty and is in great demand among many homeowners. The article will discuss how to lay a laminate: along or across, since this is the question that arises among inexperienced installers.

Laminate installation process

Regardless of which direction of laying the laminate was chosen, the installation of such a coating is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. It is important to understand how to properly lay laminate so that you do not have to redo anything. Panels can only be mounted on a flat surface. The allowable difference can be no more than 5 millimeters.
2. In some cases, it is necessary to lay a layer of waterproofing film, which significantly increases the cost of installation.
3. The rough base before laying must be cleaned of debris, dust and dirt.
4. When installing laminate, do not forget about laying the substrate layer under the flooring. The thickness of the material should not exceed 5 millimeters. If the laminated panels have a thickness of 8 to 12 millimeters, the thickness of the substrate should be in the range of 4 to 5 millimeters.

Joining laminated panels

Regardless of how the laminate is laid: along or across, there are two ways to fix the panels:

1. For adhesive mix, like the simplest PVC tiles or tiles.
2. floating method using lock connections of the "Click" and "Lock" types.

The choice between laying the laminate along and across

An inexperienced installer can, when choosing how best to lay a laminate, focus on the direction of the sun's rays entering the room through window openings. This will help control how natural light is visually perceived when two different flooring installation methods are used.

It is more expedient when choosing how to lay the laminate: along or across the room, use the longitudinal installation method. The reason for this choice is quite simple: if you lay the laminate across the room, then the sun's rays perpendicular to it will highlight all the joints as much as possible (read also: ""). It will be very difficult to call such a coating aesthetic, because each seam on the floor will stand out in the photo and during visual inspection.

Tools for laying laminate

Regardless of how to lay the laminate: along or across the room, the following set of tools will be required to carry out the work:

• electric jigsaw or hacksaw. A wood saw cannot be used, since large teeth will spoil the decorative layer on the surface of the laminated panels;
• long measuring device;
• scissors with long blades;
• sharpened knife;
• fasteners: nails, screws;
• cord, rope or fishing line;
• wooden wedges and bars;
• drawing tools;
• square;
• rubberized or light hammer. The second can only be used with a rubber gasket, so that when hitting the panel, it is not damaged. The risk of deformation concerns specifically the end locking joints designed to connect the panels to each other. See also: "".

Installation of laminate flooring with “Click” interlocks

Laying panels with such fasteners is quite simple, and their service life is long. Such a connection gives a minimum gap between the laminated panels, but even this will not save you from the visual highlighting of the seams when laying the flooring perpendicular to the sun's rays entering the room. Accordingly, the type of locking joints does not affect how best to lay the laminate: along or across.

Installation sequence with "Click" locks

The laying of laminated panels with click locks is carried out as follows:

1. Measure the width of the room taking into account the compensation gap between the flooring and the wall, which should be about 1 centimeter. This will create a floating floor covering without the risk of it deforming as the temperature rises and the panels expand. If the room area exceeds 12 square meters, then the thickness of the expansion gap should increase according to the following scheme: 1.5 millimeters per meter of room length.
2. Then you need to calculate the width of the laminated panels the row that will fit last.
3. Start laying from the far left corner of the room and the first row should be located with a protruding part to the wall.
4. Previously, we have already decided how best to lay the laminate, which means that laying must be carried out in a longitudinal way parallel to natural light. Each next row must be laid with an offset of 30-40 centimeters relative to the previous one. This will evenly distribute the load exerted on the floor by furniture, household appliances, and residents.
5. The lamellas are connected to each other at an angle of 45 degrees.. Then the top board is lowered, and a characteristic click will make it clear that it is fixed.
6. In the future, the algorithm of actions is repeated. As the last row, it is necessary to lay pre-cut laminated panels of a characteristic width. It is also possible to cut the boards in length.

Features of mounting with a "Lock" connection

Adhesive laying

The method of laying a laminate on an adhesive mixture is less popular than floating.

It has a number of disadvantages:

• increased complexity of installation;
• extra spending on the adhesive mixture;
• after laying it is impossible to dismantle the coating and lay it again;
• the adhesive mixture does not tolerate heat, and then the laminate cannot be laid in this way on top of underfloor heating.

Installation sequence:

1. Any adhesive that has got on the surface of the panels must be promptly removed with a slightly damp cloth.
2. After 3-4 rows of laminated panels have been glued, it is necessary to stop for 2-3 hours until the glue is completely dry.
3. If the coating has not shifted and is laid correctly, then you can complete the installation.
4. The last row must be laid with a crowbar to carefully lay the row in the area between the wall and the deck.

Other installation features

About the fact that it is necessary to lay the laminate parallel to the sun's rays that enter the room.

It is also worth noting a number of other features:

1. The above-mentioned laying of panels perpendicular to the sun's rays penetrating the room allows you to visually expand the room. In the photo and during a personal inspection, the room will look more spacious.
2. You can also lay the panels in a non-standard way, if required by the features of the layout.
3. If we consider the laying of panels relative to the walls, and not lighting, then when laying in length, you can visually lengthen the room, and expand it in width.

Outcome

The article describes in detail the existing methods of laying laminate and their features. The question of how to lay laminated panels is also resolved: in length or width. Very often, the installation method is chosen according to the design that was chosen for the decoration of the room. The choice remains solely with the owner of the house.

According to the manufacturers, due to the locking system of joints, the laminate is assembled easily and quickly. But there is a problem that arises when starting work: how to properly lay the laminate along or across the room? This issue can be solved using certain technologies.

How to properly install laminate

Having chosen the color and texture of the material for laying on the floor in an apartment or house, the owner usually does not think about the direction of laying the laminate. If you believe the experts, the direction in which the laminate is laid determines its durability and wear resistance. Proper laying of the laminate will create a certain decorative accent. Such a laminate belongs to the class of long finishing floor materials, because. its length is 4.5 times greater than its width. There is a limit to the laying options for laminate flooring.

In the light (from the window)

On the recommendation of flooring manufacturers and craftsmen, this installation method is optimal. If you lay a laminate in apartments with a standard layout in this way, you will get a smooth monolithic surface with barely noticeable joints.

A similar assembly is used for materials that have a double-sided chamfer. The surface is reminiscent of a plank floor in country or old Russian style. If there is texture embossing on the laminate, this will further emphasize the texture or give an aged look to the floor surface.

Laminate class 32-34 is suitable for installation in the light. Class 31 laminate should be used with care due to low wear resistance at the joints, and this leads to rapid wear and loss of appearance.

across the world

This assembly method is carried out perpendicular to the window and parallel to the long wall. Used laminate 32-34 class. Such installation allows you to make a visual increase in the room. Laminate flooring across the room highlights:

• laminate texture “in register” (uneven embossed, bumpy surface imitating wood), “chrome effect” (alternating laying of glossy and matte stripes), “brush” (wood imitation, after processing with a metal brush), etc .;
• U- or V-shaped chamfer on 2 or 4 sides;
• 3D drawing.

With perpendicular laying, the incident light highlights the joints between the lamellas, their texture, and gives the surface volume. Rooms with this arrangement of laminate have a special charm, as deep embossing and reflections give it a lively play of light and shadow.

Popular manufacturers have collections that combine different decors and sizes of laminated boards. Experienced professional craftsmen assemble textured lamellas of different formats into a harmonious and spectacular floor.

Along the way along the way

In passage rooms (corridor, hallway, hall) or in rooms with a certain direction of load (study, kitchen), laminate should be laid along intensive movement. This option is necessary so that the lamellas at the joints are less erased. In this case, class 31-34 laminate will last a long time.

Advice! It is impossible to lay a laminated coating across the movement, since the main lamella is erased more slowly than the edges, which halves the life of the parquet.

Diagonal decking

Masters are against such laying of laminate, but the client's desire is the law. In this case, the laminated board is laid at an angle of 40-60 degrees to the walls. This installation is used as a special design technique to change the geometry of the room or make the interior more interesting. This method is often used in rooms where window openings are located on adjacent walls.

Such a collection has certain disadvantages:

For this option, you need to choose lamellas of class 33-34 with a chamfer or a pronounced texture

Custom laminate flooring

Before choosing an assembly option, you need to pay attention to some features.

1. Unusual lamella size

In the collections of manufacturers, you can see not only long boards 30x200 cm. Lamellas are produced for the original flooring:

• rectangular type 40x80, 40x120 cm, etc.;
• square view 40x40, 60x60 cm.

This size is necessary to imitate a type-setting array or a palace (artistic) floor. The design of this parquet is great, and the assembly looks chic. Due to non-standard sizes and decors, when laying the coating, you can not adhere to the rules.

1. base base

Under the laminated coating, the best base will be a leveled and dried concrete screed. When assembling on a wooden base, the lamellas are mounted perpendicular to the base boards. When done correctly, the deflection of the floor is reduced to a minimum.

1. Laminate design

Radial sawing is an implicitly expressed textured surface that imitates wood. The resulting coating has almost no halftones. Lamellas are mounted in the direction of travel or in the light.

The lamellas of the tangential cut are characterized by the presence of dark stripes, knots, in some collections there is an embossing. Such strips can be mounted in any way.

Rustical slats combine tangential and radial sawing with the addition of imitation of a minor defect: cracks, blackening, abrasions, sharp color changes. This laminate looks aged. For a variety of coverage and maximum resemblance to a natural wooden board, the decor in the pack changes with an interval of 1:4 or 1:6. In this case, every 4-6 lamellas the pattern is repeated.

Not only its appearance, but also the durability of the coating itself will depend on how to lay the laminate, along or across the room, therefore, when choosing the laying direction, first of all, you need to think about the possibilities of the coating, and not the aesthetic appearance.