Laminate Buying Checklist
The following laminate flooring checklist will help you learn what you need to know before buying (whether you shop online or at your local store). It’ll help you get all your facts straight so you can make the most informed choice.
Is Laminate the Right Floor for You
What to ask?
Where is my floor going?
What to know.
Laminates can fit everywhere including in our home or business office. Laminate should be ruled out if your space will be in an area of moisture. Laminates can be installed over radiant heat and at or below grade but you must be sure to pick the right one.
Which Laminate is Right for You
What to ask?
What kind of wear and tear will my floor be exposed to?
What to know.
Laminates are rigid and durable. The trick is to pick the right laminate for the job. If you’re laying a floor in an office exposed to lots of foot traffic, office chairs on castors and high heel shoes, you’ll need to pick a laminate with a higher AC (Abrasion Class) rating.
AC1 Moderate Residential is build for light residential use and it is suitable for closets or bedrooms.
AC2 General Residential is built for moderate foot traffic and it is suitable in residential spaces like dining rooms or living rooms that don’t see a tremendous amount of wear and tear.
AC3 Heavy Residential/Moderate Commercial is built for all kinds of residential use including high–traffic rooms and even commercial spaces offices without off-street traffic and hotel rooms.
AC4 General Commercial is built for every kind of residential use as well as more heavily trafficked commercial spaces that have off-street traffic like offices, cafes, and boutiques.
AC5 Heavy Commercial is build for the busiest commercial uses and high–traffic spaces like department stores and government buildings.
Which Style Should You Pick
What to ask?
What will my laminate floor look like once installed?
What to know.
A perfectly installed laminate floor should exceptionally improve the look of any room. Visualizing what a room would look like from a small sample is a process most people find problematic to do on their own. Considering the cost of purchasing and installing a new floor and also the fact that you won’t investing in another flooring anytime soon, buying an hour or two of an interior designer’s time can be very worthwhile.
Color. The color of an installed floor can seem darker than the sample. This is because the customer may be looking at the sample near a window or in a room other than where it will be installed. It’s difficult to imagine the color you hold in your hand multiplied by the hundreds of boards that will eventually fill your room. Dark colors tend to absorb light and light colors tend to reflect it.
Grain. Every piece of wood laminate displays a grain. Some grains are bold, with swirls, bird’s eyes and notches whereas others patterns repeat while others still display almost no grain at all. Furthermore, your sample represents only one board in a floor and the other boards will display slightly different grain patterns. The question is if you like a grainy floor or a floor without grain? Find out the answer before your buy. A consultation with a designer can help you make the best decision.
Tone. The color is not the same as tone! If you’re thinking about a medium brown laminate floor, you’ve already decided on color and perhaps even depth of color. What you still need to agree on is the tone of medium brown. For example, brown woods can vary from yellow, to red, to chocolate or even black in tone. This is something worth thinking about, especially if you’re trying to match your floor to your furniture.
Plank Width. Laminates come in many plank with average width between 3 ¼” – 5”. Many people choose wide planks because it takes less time to install while others prefer narrow board planks for a classic look.
Edges. Every plank of laminate has 4 edges which have to be finished in different shapes and forms. For example, there can be edge finishes for rustic or traditional looks. Eased edges are known as a “micro-bevel” in order to simulate the look of prefinished hardwood flooring. Furthermore, you can use no edges for a seamless surface and a French bleed on the edges for a truly dramatic finish.
Texture. Innovations in manufacturing mean that you can buy laminates that are either embossed with a grain printed on top of the décor layer, handscraped to mimic genuine handscraping, or embossed in registration where the grain and embossing match up perfectly.
Finish. Laminates come in a variety of finishes. All laminates come pre-finished so make sure the one you buy has the finish you want whether it’s satin, semi-gloss or high gloss (aka Piano Finish).
Where Should I Buy My Laminate?
What to ask?
How long will my laminate floor last?
What to know.
Laminate floor will be certified against defects. Most laminates come with substantial warranties against defects. Guaranties can cover from a decade to a lifetime. The longer the warranty, the higher the price. Try to pick the laminate with the warranty you’re most comfortable with.
What to ask?
What if I’m not satisfied with my floor once installed?
What to know.
Choosing your laminate floor is challenging. What can your retailer do for you if you don’t like the floor you picked? If you make a mistake with the color or style, you’ll have to alert your retailer before installing it. While some vendors have a policy that will cover this, others won’t. Remember that virtually no one will let you return your floor once it’s installed.
Damages & Returns
What to ask?
What if there are damages upon delivery?
What to know.
Your retailer should rectify every problem might arise to your satisfaction whether that’s a money-back guarantee or replacing the damaged products. Be aware that a good idea is to order 10% more than you need because this ensures you’ll have enough material in case of a few damaged boards as well as having enough for making future repairs.
What to ask?
Is there a return policy?
What to know.
Always remember to review the vendor’s return policy before making your purchase. While some sellers will not accept returns at all, others have flexible return policies. For example, there are sellers who support even the return shipping costs.
Ordering
What to ask?
How much do I need?
What to know.
You need to measure the dimensions of the room in which you’ll be installing the floor and multiply length x width in order to get the total square footage. Don’t forget to order 10% more than you need to be prepared to cover off any boards that come damaged or accidentally break during the installation process. This will also provide extra boards for future repairs.
What to ask?
Is there a minimum order?
What to know.
While some retailers set minimum orders, others don’t. There may also be minimum orders on certain products. Remember the fact that large orders are usually indicative of better pricing.
What to ask?
What about accessories for my laminate floor?
What to know.
You will need accessories like transition pieces, underlayment and moldings for the final touch. Remember that these accessories need to match your laminate.
All the Extras
What to ask?
Can I take home a sample?
What to know.
Samples are vital to decision making. You may not only want to take a sample home but you may want to keep more than one sample in order to better visualize the way the future floor will look like. Some retailers will offer you to borrow a sample book, while others ask you to pay a nominal $2-$5 refundable fee per sample.
What to ask?
What about financing?
What to know.
Redoing your floors can sometimes be expensive, depending on what you wish for. Some people prefer to pay for their flooring over time. If you wish to use this method, then you’ll have to find a retailer that supports this offer.
What to ask?
How much will it cost?
What to know.
Most laminate flooring is manufactured overseas then warehoused in different locations across North America. Some retailers ship directly from their warehouses. The payment of warehousing and also the cost of shipping ends up in the final cost of your product. Be sure to compare final, delivered prices when comparison shopping.