8 Best Laminate Flooring Brands 2021 (and Brands to Avoid)

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Best Laminate Flooring brands are always important for any householder? As a centerpiece, every people love to have a hardwood floor in their home. But the reality is an annoying scenario for those who have floors made of hardwood. Why? Because these are very susceptible to scratches, dents, and water damage. So what will be the alternative to this problem? The answer is to use laminate flooring.

best laminate flooring

About laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is made from a small composite of wood and prepared in such a way so that it gives a natural look like the hardwood. It is easier to be maintained as well once it is acclimated as very cheap to repair. So now the question is, which is the best laminate? And which should we avoid buying? In this article, we will answer the best laminate flooring brands and the brands you should avoid from purchasing. 

Before moving into the discussion, let us have some pros and cons about the laminate flooring.

Pros

  1. Stylish: Modern technology succeeds in making the laminate floor look like natural stone or wood. The designer uses high-definition printing and embossing techniques to create some mindblowing pattern on the laminate’s surface.
  2. Price: Maybe the price is affordable and ranges from $1 to $11 per square foot. It is important to be diligent while purchasing it.
  3. Versatile: There are so many selection options, you can easily choose for your bedroom and bathroom. As these are waterproof so, very convenient for you to use for a long time.
  4. Durable: Though it is not as effective as the vinyl plank, it can stand against the liquid assault or the kids’ and pets’ unavoidable interferences.

Cons

  1. Contain Chemical substance: Some laminates are made from some volatile chemical substance, as VOCs are very sensitive to some immune. So it can create some health risky tendencies to some extent.
  2. Can create hollow sound: To some extent, if you are sensitive to noise, laminate may not be a good choice.
  3. Laminate is not biodegradable.
  4. It will bother you if you do not like the staining because laminate is susceptible to staining.

Best laminate flooring brands: Pergo and Mohawk

Why are these best?

In a nutshell, the core technology is the same for both of the brands. Historically Pergo was introduced in 1977. The world’s largest flooring company named Mohawk Industries, Inc, with operations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, owned this brand in 2013. Generally, Pergo products are manufactured by the flooring division of Unilin BV, based in Belgium. It is an essential factor of how it is constructed for every product depending on what sorts of mechanism or technologies.

Facts about these brands

  • To prevent moisture from seeping between planks, this brand follows the UniClic locking system.
  • Hydroseal sealant-coated edges are available.
  •  For ultimate protection, GenuEdge technology is followed.
  • Durability: All of them are superior to scratch, wear impact resistance to stresses in different environments.
  • Beauty: There are superior customization options with great design.
  • Ease: Floors are effortless to install and maintain.

Rating: We gave Pergo a 4.5 rating and Mohawk a 4.25 rating out of 5.

Runner Up: Shaw Laminate flooring brand

This is one of the largest brands in the shaw industry’s portfolio. It has been working for more than 50 years with its experience and expertise. Since 1967, they have been designed for their customers. They believe space should be a comfortable one.

So why we think this should be given runner up?

  • It is one of the best waterproof laminates in the industry, with 24 hours moisture resistance guarantee.
  • There are almost 60 total colors or styles with separate lists.
  • Most of its plank floors are 48″ to 51″ long results in fewer ends and faster installation.
  • You will get AC4 rated laminate variants such as(the Shaw Mt. Everest and the Matterhorn laminates boast planks that become nearly 79″ long. It also robust 8″ wide). They’re 10mm thick. They will come up with a 30-year residential warranty and a 5-year light commercial warranty.
  • As most of the variants are made in the USA so obviously, this will be the best choice if you’d like to get support from home. 

Rating: We gave shaw a 4.2 out of 5.

TrafficMaster Laminate Flooring: best bang  laminate flooring brand

This brand generally produces residential, commercial, indoor, and outdoor flooring products. Shaw Industries, Inc. generally manufactures it. Its line distributes exclusively through Home Depot Stores. Do you need a master that can manage the traffic in your home? Is your floor worn down easily? So let’s know about one of the most durable brands in the market. It began its journey in 1946 under the supervision of shaw industry inc.

Why is this the best bang laminate flooring brand?

  • Despite its moderate price, this is a very durable brand due to the thick vinyl cover on the upper surface of each panel prevents scratches and dents.
  • You don’t need nails or glue to the subfloor, as it refers to floating laminate.
  • Each section in this brand clicks together with other boards and tiles through the tongue. Groove connection results in a complete floor. Those don’t need an attachment to the subfloor below. So you can easily avoid various steps in the installation. 
  • It features square bevel beveled edges locking with a tongue and groove mechanism to avoid V-shaped edges’ irritation.

Rating: We will give this brand 4 out of 5 as the best laminate flooring brand.

Best Selection: Armstrong Laminate flooring brand

Now we will discuss one of the largest brands in the North American flooring industry, working for the 20th century in the flooring of America’s homes, schools, offices, stores, and hospitals.

Why do we think this is the best selection?

  • Armstrong style option would be the first criteria you should consider, where you will find almost 20+ stone brand collections with attractive tiles styles.
  • You are getting an excellent Lifetime residential warranty and a 15-year commercial warranty from one of the variances like Audacity; Armstrong waterproof laminate flooring.
  • It provides you with a variety of price ranges which is its best selection criteria. It will cost from $4-$5 per square foot with pretty good quality.
  • If you want to get the Armstrong as a floor cleaner, then Armstrong spray and bottle would be the best choice.

Rating: We will rate this as 4.5 as the best selection out of 5.

Best Waterproof Laminate: AquaGuard Laminate flooring brands

It’s a fact that all laminate is specialized for waterproof capabilities. The vinyl sheet flooring is the best for the waterproof capabilities, but laminate flooring can resist the water for about a day. There are various floorings like Mohawk RevWood Plus, Harmonics SplashDefense, Pergo WetProtect, Shaw Repel.

Why is this the best waterproof laminate flooring brand?

  • You will have the guarantee of 15 years of commercial resistance with an aluminum-oxide protective coating.
  • Durable melamine balance layers are available at its back.
  • It will provide plastic pattern layers with a realistic view.
  • There are 2 pass power sealer edge coating for water resistance.
  • A modern tap tight lock system is available for quality functioning.

Rating: We will provide 4.5 out of 5 to award this as the best waterproof laminate flooring brand.

Best living-room laminate: Dream Home flooring brands

The previous brands are usually made for considering residential as well as commercial. This brand only refers to residential use. 

Why is it best for residential use?

  • Most of this brand’s styles start from the cost starts well below $1 per square foot for installation in light spaces and the wall covering.
  • You are getting a lifetime warranty, and that also has a water-resistant warranty within this low price.
  • Many options vary from 30+ styles give you different styles, colors in walnut, hickory, oak species. They are range from 7mm to 14mm, with various options for your suit.
  • It is a certified flooring for indoor healthy quality.

Rating: We will give 4 out of 5 as residential flooring.

Best cheap laminate: Tarkett flooring brand

In 1997 two renowned company French Sommer-Allibert and German Tarkett AG, merged and formed this brand. Basically, various companies in Germany, Sweden, and France combined to form those two companies. The name Tarkett generally comes from the predecessor’s developed products. – Wikipedia

Why we recognize this laminate as the best cheap one?

In 1997 two renowned company French Sommer-Allibert and German Tarkett AG, merged and formed this brand. Basically, various companies in Germany, Sweden, and France combined to form those two companies. The name Tarkett generally comes from the predecessor’s developed products. – Wikipedia

Why we recognize this laminate as the best cheap one?

  • The important one is obviously the pricing range. It will cost $.99-$1.19 per square foot, with plenty of selection in rustic, traditional, contemporary, and modern designs.
  • The best choice for those who want to improvise their home for selling purposes.
  • The abrasive rating of this brand is AC3 with 25 years residential warranty.

Rating: We give Tarkett an overall rating of 4 out of 5.

Best lifetime warranty laminate flooring: Select Surfaces laminate flooring brand

The journey of this brand starts in 1995 with its first office in  Minnesota. Many of the consumers basically don’t know much about them. Let’s know about something about this brand. 

  • They start from 10mm to 14mm thick, midgrade to premium with underlayment attachment for speed installation.
  • You are getting the styles from traditional and rustic to contemporary with a variation of more than 20 designs of classic hardwood look.
  • So the most desirable one is the lifetime warranty for residential use and 15 years warranty for commercial use.

Rating: We will provide 4.5 out of 5 for this laminate flooring brand.

Till now, we have discussed the best brands you should consider while buying the lamenting floor. Now we will discuss two of the selection you should avoid during considering.

Worst quality: Traffic Master laminate flooring brand (for cheap selection)

If you think that you can get a good quality of the item from Traffic Master laminate, It will be a great mistake if you are looking for a great one with this lower price.

Why are we thinking so?

  • As mentioned earlier, you are getting 15 years of warranty per foot at 68 cents. Maybe you can get 25 years for other lines, but avoid whenever you plan to consider this because this is the shortest time for the warranty after comparing it to others.
  •  You won’t get it as good for more than 8-10 years in a busy household. So It is wise to avoid this variant.

Worst warranty: If you consider the cheap Armstrong

As mentioned, this brand provides a variety of items considering its consumer choice. If you choose the cheap one, you will make a mistake because we have seen that the cheap Armstrong’s warranty doesn’t maintain the warranty is provided. It starts to degrade after the first year and increased year after year, so though they told you to give you the warranty for 20 years, it fails to maintain that for more than 10 years.

Maybe to some extent, laminate flooring doesn’t provide you with the perfect warranty, but we can recommend the shaw brands for the best outcome.

FAQ

1. Which is the best laminate for installation?

Ans: Actually, it depends on the installation method. Basically, most of the brands use the click-locks planks with the floating floor systems. So you will feel more comfortable if your subflooring is sound during installation.

2.Should we really avoid the Armstrong brand?

Ans: No at all. We told you to avoid it if you focus on the cheap variant. And in the case of laminating, it is important to be a diligent one.

3.Which will be the best option for laminating in repairing cost?

Ans: Sorry to say it is very tough if your laminate flooring gets damaged at any level. Though you can use various kits like “touch-up” for the minor damages

4.Which will be the best option for the realistic look?

Ans: Actually, as the laminate is made to look realistic, and the brands try their best. But the beauty and the parameter of looking realistic varies from person to person. We suggest the brand like Pergo and Shaw for the best outcome.

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