Which laminate flooring is the best?
Laminate has become very popular over the last decade, and this surge in popularity has caused a huge increase in the types and styles of laminate that are available. If you are trying to select new flooring, the options available can be overwhelming! To help narrow down your choices, here are some of the main differences between different types of laminate. As for which is best, you’ll have to decide what matters most to you!
Appearance
While many home and business owners want their laminate floor to have a wood look, not everyone does. Laminate can also look like stone, tile, and marble. If you do want the wood look, you will need to decide how close you want the resemblance to be. Some laminates are even textured to feel like wood! Regardless of the look you want, deciding on a color family and style will narrow down your choices significantly.
Water Resistance
If you are installing laminate in a kitchen or bathroom, high water resistance is a must. Even if you are flooring a bedroom or living room, there are a number of reasons that water resistance might matter to you: small children tend to spill things, frequent entertaining can also lead to spills and stains, and a wet climate can bring excess moisture into your space on shoes and through open doors. Think carefully about how you will use the space before deciding how much moisture resistance you need from your floor!
Durability
You also need to consider how and how often the room you are flooring will be used. If you are installing laminate in a busy showroom, durability will likely be the most important feature for you; your choice of flooring for a guest bedroom that you rarely use can be based largely on appearance. The thickness of the planks is a great way to gauge durability, but the way the planks are finished and sealed can also have an impact. There are many independent parties who have tested the leading laminates for durability - if this is important to you, be sure to consider their findings before making your choice!
Chemical Content
Some flooring types have higher concentrations of toxins and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than others. If you are flooring your child’s bedroom, this is likely to be a deciding factor. It might not matter as much in a well ventilated workshop. Laminates that have earned the FloorScore certification are made according to strict guidelines on chemical usage. If low VOC content is important to you, look for the FloorScore label.
The best
laminate flooring for you is the one that best meets your needs and desires for your space. Many laminates excel in more than one of these areas, so you don’t have to choose just one strength. We recommend ranking these factors in terms of importance, then comparing the laminates that satisfy at least your top two categories. If the number of options is still too large, don’t hesitate to give our expert designers a call for help!
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