A:  You’re more apt to find an objective rating system with older, more established types of building products than you are with laminate flooring.  Laminate flooring is still a fairly new industry and, as such, there are no true rating systems in place.

NALFA – What About Them?

NALFA stands for the North American Laminate Flooring Association, and is the closest thing you will find to a laminate floor rating system.  But be careful here.  This is like the fox watching the chicken coop.

NALFA is simply an industry-supported group that has no objective take on laminate flooring rating.  The manufacturers police themselves.

Given the fact that there is so much bad laminate flooring on the market–and I mean outright illegal bootleg laminate from lovely places like China–it really is a good idea to make sure that your laminate product is certified.

In all fairness, this is not much different than anything else in the building materials industry.  Face it, this is not like the Fed supervising federal banks or anything.  It’s a loosely run industry with moderate standards.

You can sum up NALFA in one sentence from their website:  ‘…the NALFA seal sells.’  NALFA’s ratings are about selling, not about protecting consumers.

NALFA Laminate Rating – Better Than Nothing

Still, NALFA’s ratings are not complete bullshit. If a laminate flooring manufacturer wants their product to get the NALFA seal they must face, what the NALFA site calls, “a rigorous and demanding series of tests designed to evaluate its performance, durability, strength, and overall quality.”

To their credit, NALFA is transparent about the details of these tests (Laminate Flooring Specifications and Test Methods 2008), which must be performed by an independent laboratory.  Some of the things covered in the tests are:

• Static load
• Thickness swell
• Light resistance
• Cleanability

And many other categories.

NALFA-Approved Companies

Now, this may be an ass-backwards way of looking at it, but NALFA-rated companies do tend to look pretty good.  We have companies like:

• Columbia
• Pergo
• Quick-Step
• Shaw

And on and on.  So, at least from that angle, the better laminate flooring manufacturers are gravitating towards NALFA.  Social proof in action?  I suppose so, but I believe it.

Laminate Flooring is a Photograph of Wood Over Fiberboard

Laminate flooring looks amazingly like real wood. But it’s not. It’s a surface layer consists of one or more thin sheets of paper impregnated with resins (usually melamine). This surface layer is a photograph of wood grain, not real wood.

Under the wood-grain photograph is a base of high-density fiberboard. In other words, a wood-chip composite.

Laminate Flooring Snaps or Glues Together

Solid hardwood floors are nailed down to the sub-floor. Laminate flooring, on the other hand, snaps or glues together. Also, it is a floating floor.

Laminate Flooring Can Be Laid Over a Variety of Surfaces

It can be laid over most existing floors–ceramic tile, wood, or vinyl–except for carpet. And of course it can be installed on sub-floor.

Laminate Flooring is Thicker Than Vinyl Tile, Thinner Than Solid Wood

Laminate flooring is generally 1/2″ thick–compared to 3/4″ for solid wood and mere millimeters for vinyl tile.

What’s the difference between snap-together and glue-together laminate flooring?

The most important difference is that glue-together laminate flooring forms a solid, impervious surface, so that moisture cannot penetrate through to the sensitive fiberboard substrate. Snap-together laminate flooring, though easy to install, has tiny seams between the boards through which moisture can penetrate.

What’s a floating floor?

A floor that is not attached to the surface on which it rests. The individual boards of a floating floor are attached to each other, either by snapping together or gluing together.

Does laminate flooring need to be sealed or waxed?

No. In fact, it cannot be sealed or waxed. Its surface is ready to walk on the minute you lay it down.

How do you clean laminate flooring?

Broom, vacuum, or damp mop with water. Be careful not to apply too much water to the surface; the mop head should be just barely damp. A quarter cup of vinegar in a 30 oz. spray bottle of water also works well. You can spot clean with Windex or 409. The good thing about laminate flooring is there are so many ways you can clean it without running the risk of damaging it.

Can I install laminate flooring in a bathroom or kitchen?

Yes. Laminate flooring will tolerate “topical moisture”: wet shoes and bath towels, normal dripping off when exiting a bath or shower, and small amounts of spilled liquids (quickly mopped up, though). Laminate flooring will not tolerate pooled water.