Laminate Floors Offer Alternative to Hardwood
Waterproof Laminate Floors Are Cost-Effective, Durable and Look Amazing
Today’s laminate wood floors are a cost-effective and high-performing option for incorporating hard surface flooring into your home or office. Laminate flooring is a very popular choice in flooring as it is cost-effective, robust and looks just like a real hardwood flooring. Recently, laminate flooring has become even more realistic looking and of a much higher quality due to advances in the ink-jet technology used to create realistic wood-look planks.
This is Not Your Grandmother’s Laminate
When we say laminate flooring, what do you think of?
It's time to put the image of the laminate floors with avocado-colored appliances your mom or grandmother had in her kitchen in the 1970s away. We’ll be the first to admit that early laminate floors (think 1970-80s) were not waterproof or very durable and certainly didn’t look like or perform like today’s laminate floors. Modern laminate wood floors are orders of magnitude better in every respect.
We get it, old laminate floors deserve the bad reputation they had. Today's modern laminate woods provide some of the best performance and value of all types of flooring. Laminate floors are the fastest growing segment of the flooring industry and are a welcome relief from the constantly rising prices of other floor coverings such as luxury vinyl planks and tile.
It's time to put the image of the laminate floors with avocado-colored appliances your mom or grandmother had in her kitchen in the 1970s away. We’ll be the first to admit that early laminate floors (think 1970-80s) were not waterproof or very durable and certainly didn’t look like or perform like today’s laminate floors. Modern laminate wood floors are orders of magnitude better in every respect.
We get it, old laminate floors deserve the bad reputation they had. Today's modern laminate woods provide some of the best performance and value of all types of flooring. Laminate floors are the fastest growing segment of the flooring industry and are a welcome relief from the constantly rising prices of other floor coverings such as luxury vinyl planks and tile.
Laminate Floors Look Amazing
Developments in laminate flooring technology mean the difference between natural timber and
laminate is much harder to distinguish today. Many laminate planks feature unique embossing
to accurately mimic the appearance and texture of natural wood.
Mohawk recently introduced their RevWood Signature waterproof laminate wood lines and the realistic look of the planks is just stunning. The Signature lines incorporate 64 layers of design data compared to an average of 4 on all other laminate floors.
Mohawk recently introduced their RevWood Signature waterproof laminate wood lines and the realistic look of the planks is just stunning. The Signature lines incorporate 64 layers of design data compared to an average of 4 on all other laminate floors.
Are Laminate Floors Waterproof or Water-Resistant?
Yes, laminate floors are available as water-resistant and waterproof. The term waterproof is
one of the most misunderstood marketing claims you’ll find on flooring products. And different
manufacturers use these terms almost interchangeably in some cases. They are not equal
terms.
Water-resistant means the laminate floor can withstand or resist water for a period of time. Eventually, it will be damaged by standing liquid or water.
Waterproof flooring is impervious to water. The laminate wood floors will stand up to water indefinitely, and remain in its original shape without damage.
This is where things start getting a little tricky. The flooring itself may be waterproof. But what’s around it may not. If moisture seeps down into the subfloor, which is not waterproof, the damage could occur from the bottom up. With so many products claiming to be waterproof, you’ll be best served looking for products that also warranty your subfloor. That is a great way to determine what companies actually stand behind their waterproof claims.
The trim pieces around the perimeter of your flooring and drywall are also areas where water can also do damage to your home. A point we can’t stress enough is that there is no such thing as flood proof floor.
Water-resistant means the laminate floor can withstand or resist water for a period of time. Eventually, it will be damaged by standing liquid or water.
Waterproof flooring is impervious to water. The laminate wood floors will stand up to water indefinitely, and remain in its original shape without damage.
This is where things start getting a little tricky. The flooring itself may be waterproof. But what’s around it may not. If moisture seeps down into the subfloor, which is not waterproof, the damage could occur from the bottom up. With so many products claiming to be waterproof, you’ll be best served looking for products that also warranty your subfloor. That is a great way to determine what companies actually stand behind their waterproof claims.
The trim pieces around the perimeter of your flooring and drywall are also areas where water can also do damage to your home. A point we can’t stress enough is that there is no such thing as flood proof floor.
Laminate Floors Are Highly Durable
When clients ask us for durable flooring, we respond with, what does durable mean to you? We
get a myriad of answers from scratch resistant to I have young children to dent resistance to we
have pets. The great news is laminate floors have you covered; no pun intended.
Laminate flooring is a strong, scratch-resistant, and highly durable flooring surface. Laminate floors are as much as 4X more scratch resistant than a luxury vinyl floor and is protected by a tough external layer and resin coating. It’s great for high traffic areas and houses where there are pets and children. Better quality laminates will have features such as stain resistance, fade resistance and dent resistance.
Laminate flooring is a strong, scratch-resistant, and highly durable flooring surface. Laminate floors are as much as 4X more scratch resistant than a luxury vinyl floor and is protected by a tough external layer and resin coating. It’s great for high traffic areas and houses where there are pets and children. Better quality laminates will have features such as stain resistance, fade resistance and dent resistance.
Laminate Floors Are Highly Affordable
Most people learn of laminate flooring due to its cost-effectiveness. Because laminate flooring
is made mostly from composite wood fused together at high temperatures, it’s considerably
more affordable than hardwood, which can start at twice the price of a mid-range laminate
floor. Further propelling the popularity of laminate floors is the continually rising prices of
luxury vinyl flooring. Due to the pandemic, shipping and other issues, the price of luxury vinyl
floors has nearly doubled since 2019.
Laminate Flooring is Easy to Clean and Maintain
Laminate flooring’s moisture and stain resistant surface makes cleaning spills a breeze. There
are no special cleaners needed to keep a laminate floor in top shape. Daily sweeping is all you
need. Some waterproof laminate floors can even be wet and/or steam mopped, not something
you can do on hardwood or luxury vinyl flooring.
More Laminate Flooring Resources for You
The Quantum Floors blog is full of informative article on laminate floors and much more.
- Our Flooring 101 page is chock full of free white papers. Download as many as you wish.
- Our FAQ page has lots of useful information on laminate flooring and much more.
- View our online laminate catalog here and then visit our showrooms for an even bigger selection.
The Laminate Wood Floor Experts
The Flooring Consultants at Quantum Floors are laminate flooring experts. When choosing
laminate floors, there are many different decisions to make including color, plank width,
thickness, AC ratings and much more. We’ll ask lots questions to be sure we recommend the
perfect laminate flooring for your home and your needs.
Our showrooms – Boynton Beach, Coconut Creek, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach Gardens and Stuart – have tremendous selections of waterproof laminate flooring available and our installation teams are expert craftsmen installing it. You’ll find laminate floors from trusted manufacturers such as Mohawk, RevWood, Quick-Step and Pergo, which are all made in the USA.
Our showrooms – Boynton Beach, Coconut Creek, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach Gardens and Stuart – have tremendous selections of waterproof laminate flooring available and our installation teams are expert craftsmen installing it. You’ll find laminate floors from trusted manufacturers such as Mohawk, RevWood, Quick-Step and Pergo, which are all made in the USA.
