Laminate Floors
Is Laminate Flooring Right for You? An Honest Decision Guide
An honest look at laminate flooring pros and cons, the homes and rooms it suits, and the situations where hardwood, vinyl plank or tile is the better call.
The Look of Hardwood for Less
Laminate Flooring Installation in Glenview, IL
Laminate gives you a convincing wood look and a scratch-resistant surface, usually for less than hardwood. It's one of the quickest floors to install when the prep is done right.
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A Wood Look That Stands Up to Daily Life
Laminate is a layered floor with a dense fiberboard core, a printed wood image and a hard wear layer on top. The planks click together and float over the subfloor, with no nails or glue.
It's a good fit for living rooms, bedrooms, hallways and home offices, especially in homes with kids and pets. Water-resistant laminate also opens up kitchens and entryways.
Quality Installs is a family-owned company that Bob Leibrandt started in 2004 and still runs, and our installers are licensed, bonded and insured. We're a flooring contractor in Glenview, and you can read how Bob started the company.
What Laminate Installation Includes
Measuring and Layout
The job starts with measuring each room and choosing the plank direction, often along the longest wall or toward the main source of light. Balanced rows keep skinny boards from ending up along one wall.
Underlayment and Vapor Barrier
Laminate goes over an underlayment, either attached to the planks or rolled out separately, to cushion the floor and quiet footsteps. Over concrete, a 6 mil polyethylene vapor barrier goes under everything to keep slab moisture out of the boards.
Click-Together Installation
The planks lock together edge to edge and float, so nothing pins them to the subfloor. A gap at every wall, pipe and door frame lets the floor expand and contract with the seasons.
Trim, Transitions and Cleanup
Baseboard or quarter round covers the gap at the walls, and T-moldings or other transitions finish doorways and very large rooms. The job ends with cleanup and a walkthrough.
Types of Laminate Flooring
Laminate is rated for wear. Many products list an AC rating, a European wear class where a higher number means a tougher surface, and the North American Laminate Flooring Association certifies floors in levels from residential to heavy commercial.
Standard Laminate
Standard laminate is the budget-friendly choice for bedrooms, living rooms and other dry spaces. It looks like wood and resists scratches, but it shouldn't be left wet.
Water-Resistant Laminate
Water-resistant laminate is built to hold off spills much longer before they soak into the core. It suits kitchens, entryways and mudrooms, but check each product's limits before using it in a bathroom or laundry room.
High-Traffic Laminate
Laminate with a higher AC rating or a commercial NALFA level has a tougher wear surface. It's worth it for busy households, big dogs and light commercial spaces.
Subfloor Prep for Laminate
Laminate floats, so the subfloor has to be flat or the joints can flex and separate. Many manufacturers allow no more than 3/16 inch of unevenness over 10 feet, so bumps get ground down and dips get filled first.
Wood subfloors need to be dry and solid, and concrete needs a moisture check plus that vapor barrier. Laminate shouldn't go in rooms with floor drains or sump pumps, so those spaces are a better fit for vinyl plank.
The home should be at normal indoor temperature and humidity before the planks arrive. Cabinets and islands stay where they are, since a floating floor goes around them rather than under them. The rooms also need to be cleared before install day.
How Long Laminate Installation Takes
Laminate is one of the faster floors to install, since there's no nailing, gluing or finish to dry. The schedule depends on the square footage, the number of rooms and closets, and how much prep the subfloor needs.
Rooms with lots of doorways take longer, since door frames get trimmed at the bottom so the planks can slide under them with room to expand.
Many laminate makers ask for the unopened boxes to sit in the rooms where they'll be installed before work starts. Plan for the flooring to arrive a bit ahead of install day so it can acclimate.
What Affects the Cost of Laminate Installation
Laminate is usually easier on the budget than hardwood, and your free estimate is based on what your job involves. These are the main cost factors.
What moves the price
- Square footage and the number of rooms
- The laminate you choose, including its thickness and wear rating
- Underlayment, plus a vapor barrier over concrete
- Removing the old floor and any subfloor prep
- Doorways, closets, trim and transitions
Laid Out Step by Step
Four steps from the first call to the final walkthrough.
Free Estimate
Call or send the form, and the crew measures your rooms and quotes the job for free.
Pick Your Floor
Hardwood, vinyl plank or laminate, matched to the room, the foot traffic and the budget.
Installation
The crew preps the subfloor and lays the new floor, with a quick turnaround.
Final Walkthrough
You walk the finished floor with the crew, and the job site is left clean.
Floored by the Details
“Absolutely fantastic job! Quality Installs exceeded our expectations!
Excellent communication from management, very reasonable prices, professional, fast and clean work. Really pleased to have them doing our flooring project. Will definitely contact them in the future and recommend the company.”
“Quality Installs is a business that lives up to its name. Work is thorough, communication is punctual, and working with Bob was a pleasant experience. His team is diligent and they pay attention to detail. Highly recommend!”
“The team exhibited a remarkable level of professionalism, executed the task with exceptional speed, and the results they delivered were nothing short of remarkable.”
Questions Before We Start
Still have a question? Call (847) 361-0099.
Is Laminate Waterproof?
Standard laminate isn't. Its fiberboard core can swell if water sits on it or gets into the seams. Water-resistant laminate holds up much longer, and vinyl plank is the safer choice for rooms that get wet.
Is Laminate or Hardwood Better?
It depends on the room and the budget. Laminate costs less and stands up to scratches, while solid hardwood is real wood that can be sanded and refinished down the road.
Why Does Laminate Need a Gap at the Walls?
Laminate expands and contracts as humidity changes. The gap gives it room to move, and trim hides it. Without one, the floor can buckle or the joints can pull apart.
Should Cabinets Sit on Top of Laminate?
No, not with a floating floor. Cabinets and islands pin the planks down and keep them from moving, which can lead to gaps or buckling. The laminate goes around them, and trim finishes the edge.
Do You Take Out the Old Floor?
Old flooring, especially carpet, has to come up before laminate goes down. [Bob to confirm: whether Quality Installs removes and hauls away old flooring, and whether that's included in the estimate]
From the Blog
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Ready to Turn Your House Into a Home?
Tell us which rooms you're thinking about, and we'll set up a free laminate estimate that fits your timing.
(847) 361-0099- Hours
- Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.