Flooring
Laminate Flooring
A photographic wood or stone image layer fused under a hard, clear wear layer over a fibreboard core — durable and inexpensive.
Best for
- Budget-conscious full-home flooring
- Rental properties and rooms with heavy foot traffic
- DIY installation, since most is click-lock
Avoid when
- Bathrooms, laundry rooms, or anywhere standing water is likely — the fibreboard core swells permanently once wet
Water is the one thing it cannot survive
Unlike LVT, laminate's fibreboard core absorbs water and swells irreversibly. Even 'water-resistant' laminate only delays the damage; standing water for more than a few hours is usually terminal for the affected planks.
AC rating vs foot traffic
AC3 suits normal residential rooms; AC4-AC5 is worth the extra cost in hallways, kitchens, and homes with large dogs.
Put this into practice
- Flooring CalculatorHow many boxes of flooring should I buy?
More material guides
- Engineered Wood FlooringA real hardwood veneer bonded to a plywood core, giving the look of solid wood with more dimensional stability.
- Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)A fully waterproof, resilient plastic-composite flooring that mimics wood or stone, sold as planks or tiles.
- Cork FlooringA renewable flooring made from the bark of cork oak trees, offering natural cushioning, sound dampening, and thermal warmth underfoot.