Laminate Floor Manufacturers Key Terms

Knowing the laminate flooring vocabulary is half the battle in choosing and installing flooring

By Shannon Tani

Laminate flooring is a popular choice because it is relatively easy to install. In fact, many consumers choose to install it themselves, though professional installation is available. However, when looking at laminate flooring manufacturers, it's important that you understand the choices that are available. This requires knowledge of certain words that are specific to the industry. When you know what type of underlayment you need, whether you want to use a glueless laminate flooring and what the AC ratings of the flooring you choose are, you are able to make more informed decisions.

Pergo flooring

Pergo is simply a laminate flooring manufacturer, but it is the most well-known name in the industry. When shopping for houses, for example, many home buyers like to see that a home has Pergo flooring.
Try: The Flooring Expert explains what Pergo flooring is. You may also be interested in seeing some examples of Pergo flooring from the Pergo site.

AC ratings

Laminate flooring has an AC rating, which is a rating of how durable the type of floor is. A higher rating means that the flooring is stronger and can withstand heavier traffic.
Try: Build Direct explains the AC ratings.

Glueless laminate flooring and floating floor

In the past, consumers needed to apply glue to flooring before they laid it down. This was often a messy process. Now, consumers can purchase glueless laminate flooring, which has interlocking pieces to hold it in place. A floating floor is a floor that is not glued down to the main surface. It seems to "float" on top. You can install a floating floor on top of any type of floor.
Try: Service Magic explains how glueless laminate flooring works. Learn more about the benefits of a floating floor from LaminateFloorsCheap.com.

NALFA Certification Seal

The North American Laminate Flooring Association offers a seal of approval to laminate manufacturers that produce a quality product.
Try: Learn more about the NALFA Certification Seal from their website.

Underlayment and subfloor

The underlayment is the treated floor that you would lay the laminate flooring on top of. The type of underlayment that you choose is important. For example, wood-based underlayments can buckle over time, causing the finished floor to warp. The subfloor is the base of the floor of a house. On top of this is the underlayment and on top of the underlayment is the laminate flooring.
Try: Ask the Builder describes underlayments and how to choose the best one for your floor. OnlineTips.com describes the subfloor and how to install one.

Greenguard

Greenguard certifies products that have low chemical emissions. When looking at laminate floor manufacturers, it's smart to look for one that has been certified by Greenguard.
Try: Learn more about Greenguard's environmental standards from their website.