Laminate Flooring Portland, OR

Yes! Although laminate scored #6 on our overall eco friendly comparison, it ranked #3 in VOC's and #2 in energy to install. Our laminates feature air quality emission ratings like carb II, green guard gold, euro m1, and more. Their core materials are collected from sawmills, sustainable forest management processes, and roadside maintenance. Finally, they are owned by Mohawk, which is a front runner in sustainable flooring manufacturing, focusing on achieving net zero manufacturing processes.

Laminate flooring is made up of around 85% wood fiber, printed paper, melamine, and resins. From the top down:

• Ultra hard protective layer of melamine and aluminum oxide. This gives the laminate scratch, fade, and water resistance.

• high resolution layer printed on paper.

• The HDF core layer is wood fiber that is fused together with resin and heat, which makes it more water resistant than other fiber board. Poorly manufactured products will emit the most VOC’s from their core.

• Melamine stability layer, the also prevents moisture from hitting the core.

• PE foam layer (attached pad) - many laminates will have this. PE foam increases water resistance, comfort, and reduces noise transfer.

Yes. However, the brands we sell go through strict manufacturing and third party testing to ensure that they have very low emissions of it, and that those emissions will not harm your health. During manufacturing, these brands use superior binding and curing techniques to ensure less formaldehyde can escape after the products leaves the production facility. They have better chemistry so they are able to still build a long lasting product, but with less formaldehyde than other brands. Finally, their Uniclic locking system makes for a close to glue-less install.

No. Although it is primarily made of wood fiber, it is difficult to separate it from the melamine and resin used to make laminate flooring.

No, they are water resistant. Quality laminates handle everyday life exceptionally well—wet shoes, dog bowls, kitchen spills, and occasional accidents. They're among the most water-resistant wood-look floors available. However, they're not flood-proof, and prolonged water exposure can still damage the fiberboard core, causing swelling, and warping. They should be able to handle topical spills for 24-72 hours without damage, however, we recommend you clean up spills/leaks as soon as you notice them.

For our brands, Quickstep and Pergo, expect to pay between $4.57 - $5.49/sf, shipping may be additional. Our expert install services start at $4.50/sf.

Abrasion Class (AC) is the system of measuring durability for laminate flooring. the scale goes AC1 - AC6. Our laminate flooring brands are a minimum of AC4, which is light commercial. We have an AC5 Stanton Nuvo Lux built for medium foot traffic in a commercial settng, and up to an AC6 Sequioa Laminate that is rated to take heavy duty commercial foot traffic. AC4 is the equivalent of a 20mil wear layer LVP rating. AC5 would be closer to a 28mil.

Planks typically start at 7.5” wide and 48” long. Quality laminate will be around 10-12mm thick, that is generally 10mm of laminate with or without a 2mm attached pad. We also sell large format planks up to 9.5” wide and 80” long, and planks 14mm thick (0.55”) like the Pergo Elements Ultra. Laminate flooring is perfect for the homeowner that loves wide plank flooring.

Embossed-in-Register (EIR) tehcnology. Instead of printing a flat piece of paper for the visual, that feels like smooth plastic, quality laminate flooring uses a press to imprint the actual texture of the wood. Because of this, a knot actually has a depression, the grain has ridges, and different parts of the plank have different texture. Quickstep, for instance, has over 1000 colors per square inch. This is not the laminate of 10 years ago. This is the future.

Many premium laminates come with a 2mm attached pad. However, we still recommend the addition of a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier if we are installing over concrete. If the the laminate doesn’t have an attached pad or you want extra comfort, we recommend adding an underlayment like our Silent stride foam pad.

Most laminate flooring is floated, meaning it is not attached to the subfloor. Each plank is secured to the surrounding planks using a click lock joint. Each plank is inserted in the previous plank on an angle, and then carefully tapped in order to “seat” all ends of the plank. When seated, the plank will be sitting flat, locked into place.

Because laminate planks come boxed in one size, it is up to the installer to stagger their end joints. Most of the time, there will be a noticeable pattern after install. This is generally unavoidable and one of the reasons laminate is able to be sold and significant savings over hardwood.

Absolutely! however we don’t recommend it in areas where heavy furniture will be rolled across it. This can break the locking joint. Make sure the subfloor is flat to 3/16” over 10 feet. Finally, an AC4 is ok for areas with light traffic, but we recommend choosing an AC5 or AC6 wear rating if possible.

Simple! Use a Bona care kit. Of course each brand recommends its own cleaning solutions. But the one product you can use on all floor surfaces is Bona.

Start by vacuuming or dry mopping to collect larger debris. Them mist the bona spray on the floor, and mop the floor using the provided micro fiber head. Rinse the head several times during cleaning as it gets soiled. DO NOT WET MOP.

Finally, avoid the use of oil soaps and steam mops. These with create a film on your laminate, and break down the wear layer quicker.