Laminate Flooring Durability
Flooring Tests, Ratings and Wear Resistance

Durability is one of the key features of why laminate flooring is such a popular choice!  As you start your flooring search, you’ll want to know what the durability ratings mean, which is best for you and what you can expect with a laminate floor.

Using AC Ratings to Help You Decide

Once the tests are finalized, each piece of flooring receives a specific rating. This rating describes how durable, strong, and resistant the flooring is, helping you find the right choice for your needs.

Here’s what each rating means:

  • AC 1: The least durable. It is ideal for low-traffic areas such as guest rooms or bedrooms.
  • AC 2: Floors with this rating go perfectly in medium traffic areas, such as a living room or dining room.
  • AC 3: If your floors will receive a fair amount of traffic, look for flooring with this rating.
  • AC 4: This is commercial grade flooring. It is best used in areas of your office or building with a healthy amount of traffic.
  • AC 5: This is the most durable laminate flooring rating. It is perfect for areas with regular, heavy traffic.

AC Rating

Laminate Flooring Resistance

Laminate flooring is resistant to damage on a number of levels. From your pet’s paws and your kid’s playtime activities to strong chemicals and the blazing sun, laminate stands up to daily tests everyday.

Scratch Resistance

Have pets? Wear high heels? Then scratches can be a real threat to your flooring! With laminate’s construction,  it is built to resist claws, shoes, and other damaging products that could leave your floors full of unsightly scratch marks.

Dent Resistance

Dropping something as heavy as a baking sheet or a picture frame can dent, or worse, crack some types of floors. With laminate, dent resistant properties are at its core to provide some peace of mind through every day accidents.

Moisture Resistance

Laminate flooring might not be waterproof, but it is water resistant. Underlayment protects your floors from damaging effects of moisture from the subfloor and sealing the laminate edges can help prevent moisture from damaging the locking system. As long as you keep puddles of water from sitting on the floor for extended periods of time, your laminate will stay looking fresh, clean, and new for years to come.

Chemical Resistance

With laminate flooring’s aluminum oxide finishing layer, it can withstand everyday household products and even industrial strength solutions. This comes in handy when a guest spills a glass of red wine or there is an accidental nail polish spill.

UV Resistance

There’s nothing quite like opening your windows on a sunny day and filling your home with natural light. The problem is, the UV rays can quickly fade your floors if they are not fade resistant, especially expensive hardwoods. Laminate can take a beating from the sun and still look amazing due to the UV resistant technology in the wear layer.

Tests for Durability

Reputable manufacturers want to ensure that each plank sold stands up to the admirable reputation laminate flooring holds. That’s why they undergo thorough tests to ensure the quality is up to par.

To determine just how durable each type of laminate flooring is, manufacturers use the Taber Rotary Platform Abraser. This test determines how much wear and tear the flooring can take before the top layer becomes dented, damaged, faded, or scratched.

Based on the results, a rating – called the AC rating – is assigned.

Love the durability laminate flooring offers but still aren’t sure what’s right for you? Let’s talk. Our flooring experts will work with you to find the perfect floors for your needs.

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