Live Chat. Track Order. Categories Monthly Deals Buyer's Guide. Vinyl Flooring Linoleum vs. Underlayment All Underlayment. Complete Your Order. Laminate Floor Buying Guide. Laminate Flooring Buying Guide Are you looking to upgrade your home or business with laminate flooring? With so many looks and products to choose from, the buying process can be overwhelming. This guide helps simplify your decision by giving you all the details you need to find the best laminate floor for your application.
Wood-look floors are the hottest trend in flooring right now, and laminate flooring offers homeowners an affordable way to achieve their dream wood floor look.
A low-maintenance and durable solution, laminate flooring continues to be the staple go-to wood flooring alternative despite the other rising trends, like vinyl or ceramic tile. In fact, real estate experts are calling laminate flooring one of the top options for increasing home value , preceded by solid hardwood, stone and tile. But navigating the laminate flooring market can be overwhelming.
AC ratings, water resistance, styles — where do you even start in the buying process? Keep reading to learn how to choose the best laminate flooring product for your home or business. How do you get that gorgeous wood look without paying a pretty penny for solid hardwood? Easy — laminate flooring. A low-cost alternative to standard wood or stone, laminate is a durable floor that comes in many attractive styles. Laminate is a popular flooring option in rental homes and condos but is also ideal for families and businesses.
The realistic wood and stone looks along with the low-maintenance cleaning routine make laminate a flooring favorite. What keeps this traditional floor trending as a popular option in modern homes and businesses? Vinyl Flooring. Laminate flooring is a popular, versatile option found in homes, apartments, businesses and offices. Because laminate is such a durable floor, it works well in high-traffic areas as well as homes with kids or animals.
Products with higher AC ratings, like 4 or 5, are typically used for commercial purposes, while products with AC ratings from 1 to 3 are best for homes. The higher the AC rating, the better the floor is for handling heavy traffic. Here are some considerations for residential and commercial use. Residential Laminate Flooring Laminate flooring can technically be installed in any room of the home, but most manufacturers recommend avoiding water-prone areas, like bathrooms, laundry rooms or basements.
Enter: waterproof laminate flooring! This means you can install it in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, you name it. Even better — waterproof laminate floors mimic all the current look and style trends of solid hardwood and traditional laminate, giving you everything you could ever ask for in one sharp floor. Shop Residential Laminate Flooring. The higher the AC rating, the better able the material is to handle high-traffic commercial environments.
Commercial environments with heavy foot traffic will want to consider a laminate floor with a 4 or 5 AC rating. Shop Commercial Laminate Flooring. Laminate is progressing more and more with technological advancements in construction. You want to make sure you not only get good advice but that you get good service all the way through your purchase and installation process.
For example, a reputable dealer will be able to tell you the AC rating of each of their products. Knowing the right questions to ask and the details to pay attention to when shopping for a new laminate floor will help make the process feel more approachable. August 31, at Hi, just wondering which is better, 8mm thick with AC4 or 12mm thick with AC3?
Regards Jason. September 6, at Thank you for getting in touch! I would go with the 8mm thickness with the AC4 rating. The thickness of the product is less important than the AC rating. That is what you want to look at for durability. Please let us know if you have any other questions! Thanks for your advised BuildDirect. Have you heard of Berryalloc, Krono Original or Kronoswiss brands? Not sure which one to with, they all look pretty good.
Also how can you tell what a good locking system? Regards, Jason. August 15, at I have 2 layers of ceramic tile in large areas of my home and want to use a laminate over it. What type should I look for and would it need an underlayment even if it had a cork or cushioned backing? We do not recommend laying laminate over top of tile because it is very hard to tell if the floor is completely flat and level. I would highly suggest trying to take up the tile if you are able to.
If you have a laminate with cork or underpad already attached you will only need a vapor barrier beneath. If nothing is attached you will need a full underlay with cushioning and vapor barrier incorporated into it.
July 27, at I have put down laminate in my bedroom, but I am about 5 planks short of completion. The laminate wood that I used had to be ordered. They are the same brand SwiftLock , made by Shaw I guess, and they both have the same dimensions. If this is the case, would they both have the same profile so that I can interlock the two different pieces of wood? Please Help me with this! July 29, at Please let us know if there is anything else we can help out with! January 18, at I highly suggest taking the carpet up.
If there is too much cushioning beneath laminate floor it will not stay stable and could come apart. If you do install over carpet your warranty will also be void because it would need to be installed over the plywood or concrete subfloor with the proper underlayment. September 2, at Yes you can put laminate flooring under a stove. We only recommend not putting the floor under any cabinets or islands as they get too heavy for the floor to be able to expand and contract.
May 18, at June 3, at Floating installs are definitely capable of holding up in a high traffic area, just some better than others! Contact mikelindstrom builddirect. October 20, at I am thinking about a textured type. Would this be a good choice? Any input would be appreciated.
September 21, at I picked out Oak Amber vinyl flooring laminate. An independent installer suggested that I purchase interlocking vinyl laminate flooring.. September 29, at Why is it more expensive, or why was the suggestion made?
I hate to answer a question with another question, Eleanor. Maybe this is why your installer made the suggestion. But as far as look and function, your choice of laminate flooring is a widely applied flooring surface. March 5, at I manage a commercial office building and a tenant who rents a space above us is interested in replacing his carpet with laminate flooring.
I am wondering if this is a good idea in terms of the sound that may affect our workspace directly below. What steps should we take in order to minimize the sound? October 28, at October 2, at July 5, at We are looking at laminate flooring for our condo. Would a floor with AC4 and 10mm be better than one with AC3 and 12mm? April 18, at You should have covered the part about baseboard removal, install and requirements in a little more depth as this affects the cost and quality of the finished floor considerably.
September 20, at June 4, at Attendo risposta grazie Romio Matteo. May 21, at May 22, at I would presume that this area will have quite a bit of traffic as you mentioned this is for kids to play and be a gathering place for family. In this regard I would recommend at least an AC3 rated laminate flooring as it is really durable for high residential use. If going over basement, you want to put a moisture barrier down most underlayments you buy will have a built-in moisture barrier already.
October 22, at I have a sliding glass door in the room in which I want to put laminate. I am concerened during the winter with pets and people coming in and out of the door. The floor we are looking to purchase is AC rated 4, and 7mm thick. Should I look at a higher AC or thickness? October 24, at AC4 rated laminate floormg would be a great choice, as it is ready for use in a wider range of commerica; uses like in boutiques or offices. For residential, you are definitely covered if you get AC4 even AC3 would be a good choice too.
In terms of thickness, if you are walking on a 7mm you will get more sound feedback than a 12mm laminate flooring. The thicker the flooring ,the more high density fibre the plank is comprised of, and therefore the more the flooring is going to sound like a natural product. But if your flooring is AC4, your flooring will definitely be durable.
Hi We just had floating laminated flooring put in. I had put little pads on my oak dinning room chairs. It looks like there is some gluefrom the pads on the floor.
How can I remove the glue without damaging the floor. August 4, at Really a rag that is rung out with HOT water should do the trick. If not the best way I found was a little bit of vinegar mixed in with the water works as well.
The surface of the laminate is impervious and so nothing should be able to permanently stick to it however I know the glues you are talking about and how the residue stays for a long time. Well-installed, high-quality engineered wood can be as durable as solid wood.
It also dents easily, despite differences in wood species. Depending on the thickness of the veneer, some engineered wood flooring can be refinished as many times as solid hardwood flooring. However, most can be refinished only once or twice, and some can never be refinished. If you think you may need to refinish your engineered wood flooring, check with the manufacturer or retailer before you buy. Pros: Constructed of dense fiberboard with a photo beneath a clear-plastic protective layer, laminate can mimic almost anything.
Some brands use a cork backing underneath, which they claim can help muffle sound. The best laminates resist scratching and discoloration from sunlight better than most wood products.
It can be extremely tough stuff. Cons: The repetitive pattern can compromise realism read: look fake , so when installing, mix planks from different boxes for a less repetition. Pros: Especially good at fending off wear, dents, scratches, discoloration from sunlight, and stains. Installation is easy, particularly for tiles or planks, and more color and design choices are available these days.
Cons: While the premium brands can mimic the look of stone, tile, and even oak, even the best products still look like vinyl up close. Top-of-the-line vinyl can cost as much as or more than the best solid wood and laminate floors. Pros: Made of linseed oil and wood products, linoleum is a natural, resilient material.
Linoleum tends to fend off discoloration from sunlight. Cons: Installing porcelain tiles can be challenging. A lot of prep work is needed, and your subfloor needs to be perfectly smooth before you can set your tile in thinset and put grout in the cracks.
For most applications, it might be best to hire a professional. Tiles can crack, and some grout can stain. Dropped cups and dishes break more easily. Tile is also relatively expensive and more difficult to install. Replacing cracked tiles can be a challenge. Sampling Is Smart Before you buy, get samples of your top flooring choices. Compare for Consistency Manufacturers try to match solid and engineered wood flooring for color and grain.
On the flip side, laminate floorboards within a given package may have an identical pattern that the eye can pick up if installed too close together.
To reduce repetition, shuffle boards from multiple packages when installing. Divide an irregularly shaped room into smaller rectangles, calculate the square footage of each rectangle, and then add them together. Then buy 7 to 10 percent extra to allow for mistakes, bad samples, and waste. Consider buying an extra box of flooring, in addition to the 7 to 10 percent extra, for future repairs or additions. Know Your Traffic Patterns Common high-traffic areas are entryways to rooms and to the house itself.
Consider very resilient flooring for family rooms and other lounge areas that pets and kids frequent. Our top products performed best in simulated foot-traffic tests. For less busy areas, consider one of the top engineered wood or bamboo floors, for their natural veneer and easy installation.
Preparing to Install Flooring Before installing wood or laminate flooring, unpack it and let it sit for one to three days in the space where it will be installed so that its temperature and moisture content will find equilibrium with the levels in the room. This is a critical step to prevent buckling or unsightly gaps between boards.
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