Things You'll Need:
- Good eyes
- Laminate packaging
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Step 1
Inspect the aesthetic quality of the laminate flooring. It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a nice laminate floor and real hardwood. Lower quality laminate, however, has hardly any wood-like texture and looks completely fake. You want a laminate with a lot of wood-like grain.
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Step 2
Decide if you want to quickly and easily install your own laminate flooring. A quick snap, tongue and groove laminate flooring is easy to self-install. There are three main types of laminate floors. Two types require glue, while the snap in place type does not.
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Step 3
Check out the wear rating of each laminate floor brand. The wear rating always begins with "AC" After the "AC" there is a number. The higher the number, the more wear and tear the floor can take. If you have children or pets, a wear rating of AC3 is much better than AC1 or AC2.
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Step 4
Check the laminate core rating. The core of the laminate flooring should be heavy and dense. The tighter the fibers are together, the stronger and more waterproof the flooring. Typically, a dense laminate flooring will have a core rating of 850 kg per square foot or more.
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Step 5
Determine if the laminate can be used anywhere within the home. Most laminate floors can be placed anywhere, even in areas that accumulate moisture. There are a few, however, that are limited in their use. If you do purchase a laminate floor for a wet area, check and see if warranties are limited to dry use only.
