Laminate flooring: Get the wood look for less

Do you want the look of real wood floors, but can’t afford the price? If so, consider laminate flooring.

Pergo first popularized laminate floors in the early 1980s. Since then, laminates have become the #1 choice for wood-loving homeowners on a budget. That’s because they look remarkably like real wood, down to the color, grain, and texture. Laminate is also durable, scratch-resistant—and only half as expensive as wood. Plus, the newest laminate styles are almost identical to real wood.

Because laminates are also easier to install, handy homeowners can save even more on their new floor by doing it themselves. Whether you decide to DIY laminate floor installation or hire a professional, here’s what you need to know.

Laminate flooring is a synthetic material composed largely of fiberboard made from wood byproducts. The best laminates are free of air-damaging chemicals and recyclable, according to the North American Laminate Flooring Association.

Laminate comes in these layers: 

Laminate floors are “floating floors”—which means individual planks or strips aren’t nailed to the subfloor, as they would be with hardwood or engineered wood. Instead, flooring strips snap together with neighboring strips. The weight of the entire floor holds it in place.

It’s hard to match the comforting appeal of a real wood floor—but laminate flooring products are a realistic imitation. Upon closer inspection, however, the difference is obvious; laminate can have a “plastic” or artificial appearance and may not feel as solid underfoot as wood. 

Sometimes, laminate is a better choice. Here’s why you might want to use it instead of hardwood flooring.

Laminate is a good choice when you’re on a tight budget but want a wood look in the bedroom, family room, living room, or home office. Because it’s easily damaged by water, most laminate flooring isn’t a good choice for bathrooms or laundry rooms. Tiles or vinyl plank flooring are better options in moisture-prone areas.

Even laminate flooring that’s advertised as “waterproof” is vulnerable to water damage. Armstrong’s waterproof warranty, for example, states that the laminate will resist spills and leaks from kids or pets (if cleaned promptly), but water damage to the flooring and its surrounding structures is not covered.

Select a brand that’s highly rated for moisture resistance, such as AquaGuard, Mohawk, Shaw, or Pergo. (Be sure to check the manufacturer’s specifications and warranties.)

Before you choose laminate flooring for your home, be sure to see the actual product in person—not just a photograph of it. Color and “grain” vary by brand, and from box to box, so it’s important to inspect materials up close. The highest-quality laminate planks imitate wood most realistically.

You’ll need to choose between two types of laminate flooring, according to the World Floor Covering Association, an industry group:

When choosing laminate flooring, look for the Abrasion Criteria (AC) rating. This rates the durability (or resistance to wear and tear) of laminate flooring on a scale of 1 to 5 (the highest). Laminates in the AC 1–2 range are generally recommended for bedrooms and other low foot traffic areas, while kitchens, family rooms and high-traffic locations are better suited to AC 3–4 laminates. 

Armstrong, Pergo, Mohawk, Tarkett, and other popular laminate brands carry limited warranties ranging from 10 years to lifetime. As a general rule, the longer the warranty, the better your floor will wear over time.

Compared to real hardwood flooring, laminate can be a bargain. Hardwood floors cost an average of $9–17 per square foot, or more, when professionally installed, according to home improvement expert Don Vandervort of HomeTips.com. Laminate flooring costs just $4–8 per square foot with installation. Installation fees increase if furniture or flooring needs to be removed in advance.

“If you do the work yourself, you can usually install a new laminate floor for $2–4 per square foot,” Vandervort adds.

If you want to install a laminate floor yourself, here are the general step-by-step instructions. But keep in mind that installation methods can vary by brand, so read the directions that come with your product. 

Skill level: Moderate

Cost: $2–4 per square foot

Repair time: 1–2 days

Tools required:

About 48 hours before installing laminate flooring, move the product into or near the room where it will go. This helps your planks reach the same temperature and moisture content as the space itself. (Manufacturers recommend leaving flooring in its packaging during this step.) If you have radiant floor heating, turn it off. Maintain a room temperature of 60–85º F and a maximum 75% relative humidity.

Move out all furniture and obstacles, such as beds, dressers, desks, chairs, and shelving.

Depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, you may need to do this: Use a flat pry bar or trim puller to pull off the baseboards, gently, holding the bar against a thin block to avoid damaging the walls. 

Also, remove your existing floor before installing the new floor, if necessary. Types of flooring that must be removed include:

If the surface is flat and sound, you can install laminate flooring on top of:

If you do install laminate over an existing floor, keep in mind that you’ll be increasing the floor’s height, which may affect the clearance of doors. If the doors no longer fit, they’ll need to be removed and trimmed.

When applying laminate over flooring other than wood, add a vapor barrier of 6-mil plastic sheeting first (unless the new flooring has its own vapor barrier). Again, follow the manufacturer’s directions. In most cases, you shouldn’t apply a vapor barrier over a base of wood flooring.

The base beneath a laminate floor needs to be smooth, flat, level, and dry. It should be free of large cracks, gaps, or bumps, any of which could be visible when the new floor is installed. If there are minor cracks or gaps in hard flooring, you can fill them in with a patching compound such as Fix-It-All. Use a “leveling compound” to fill and flatten irregular areas, following label directions. Clean up debris with a shop vacuum. 

A cork or foam underlayment insulates and cushions the flooring, making it more comfortable underfoot. Some laminate flooring comes with attached underlayment. If yours doesn’t, you’ll need to install the underlayment—and possibly a vapor barrier of 6-mil plastic sheeting beneath it—according to manufacturer’s instructions. 

Even a manufactured product such as laminate flooring can have slight visual differences from one box to the next. By mixing together the planks from several cartons before you start, you’ll have more consistent color across your floor.

While doing this, also inspect planks for damage.

Check the directions that came with your flooring for cutting, fitting, and attachment techniques. 

Because this is a “floating floor,” planks don’t fasten to the floor. They’re held together by interlocking tongues and grooves that run along the planks’ long sides and ends.

Pay special attention to directions about maintaining an expansion gap around the perimeter—this is important because the flooring will expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. Failure to allow for this can cause the floor to buckle. 

Though the installation process differs by manufacturer, it generally goes like this:

If the instructions say so, fill the expansion gap with silicone sealant, and then nail baseboards back in place. If you were unable to remove the baseboards, cover the expansion gap with quarter-round trim.

Although it’s relatively simple to lay laminate flooring yourself, consider hiring a professional installer when:

This last point is important: Read through the instructions that come with the flooring and the advice offered here. You’ll need a moderate comfort level with DIY practices, such as using power tools to cut flooring. If that sounds like unfamiliar territory, you’re better off hiring a laminate flooring installer or an experienced handyperson.

Most home-improvement professionals with flooring experience—including flooring contractors, finish carpenters, or an accomplished handyperson—can install laminate flooring. For best results, flooring contractors are the most reliable choice. 

The best way to start your search? 

Here’s how to make sure you have a good flooring contractor:

Find a professional flooring contractor in your area.