When it comes to durability, scratch/dent resistance, ease of installation/maintenance and affordability, laminate flooring checks all the boxes. In fact, it’s these attributes that have given the category the upper hand over many of its hard surface counterparts.
However, where laminate has had to play “catch-up” in recent years is in the waterproof/water-resistant department—the domain of rigid core products like SPC and WPC. But that gap is closing, proponents attest, as innovations in coreboard construction, improved installation/locking systems and other proprietary treatments have enhanced laminate flooring’s resistance to water incursion.
“I continue to hear about the migration back to laminate, and I credit the fact that laminates have caught up to the resilient category with the waterproof/water-resistant story,” said Ted Rocha, executive vice president, SLCC Flooring.
Other executives agree, citing innovations that are putting laminate flooring—whose coreboards still mainly comprise wood-based fibers—on a more equitable footing with rigid core flooring products. Take Mohawk’s RevWood Plus and Premier lines, for instance. Both feature the company’s proprietary WetProtect technology that allows the product to be safely installed in areas of the home prone to spills and everyday household accidents. “WetProtect offers the right kind of waterproof with water-tight joints, Mohawk’s proprietary waterproof finish and the industry’s only lifetime surface and subfloor warranty,” said David Moore, senior product director, Mohawk.
Following is an overview of some of the latest laminate flooring products designed to give rigid core a run for its money.
AHF Products
AHF Products, via its Bruce TimberTru brand, offers a pair of laminate flooring products: Natural World and Basic Wonder collections. The former comes in a 12mm total thickness while the latter is an 8mm product. With wear ratings of AC4 and AC3, respectively, both lines offer the realistic looks and textures of real wood floors, plus proven protection against stains, fading, scratches and scuff marks. More importantly, both collections offer top-down moisture protection for up to 24 hours.
“While the SPC/LVT business remains strong, import supply chain challenges have created a new opportunity for our laminate, which is predominately made in the USA,” said Chris King, vice president of sales, AHF Products. “These floors will stand up to the challenges of a busy home. From basements and bathrooms to great rooms and kitchens, there are virtually no restrictions to where TimberTru can be installed.”
BHW
BHW Floors takes the wraps off its new Waterfront 100% waterproof laminate line. The product is constructed on a 12mm format (10mm + 2mm attached IXPE pad). The planks measure a whopping 9 3/8 inches wide x 87 inches long. What’s more, it’s AC4 rated for wear and boasts state-of-the-art EIR technology. The initial line consists of eight clean, European white oak looks. “This is probably one of our most exciting launches this year,” said Jason Grant, vice president.
The Waterfront Collection product line is constructed with Unilin’s 2G locking system for quick and easy installation. Transitions are readily available and utilize the same decor paper as the flooring for a worry-free, exact match install. Waterfront offers a 50-year residential warranty and a 15-year light commercial warranty.
Cali
The West Coast lifestyle brand Cali unveiled a pair of laminate flooring collections—Shorebreak and Mavericks—that aim to perform just as good as they look. More importantly, to bolster its offering beyond its traditional LVP and wood products. “We entered the laminate flooring arena, not because it was cool but it allows us to do some different things from a technology standpoint,” said Alex Brodkin, VP, product and sourcing. “We looked at LVT tiles, but we weren’t happy with the designs and how the visuals were coming out.”
That led to the creation of Shorebreak, a realistic-looking laminate in a 12 x 24-inch format featuring a 10mm core + 2mm attached pad. The company followed up with Mavericks, a supersize, 86-inch-long x 9-inch-wide board with a total thickness of 14mm. Perhaps even more impressive than the epic Mavericks plank size is the floor’s meticulous recreation of an authentic hardwood plank, according to Brodkin. A natural matte finish, rich colors and intricate oak grain textures deliver realism.
“It’s just that authentic, and the kind of product you have to see to believe,” explained Doug Jackson, Cali’s president. “Mavericks has real potential to change the waterproof flooring game.”
Eternity
Eternity, a provider of a range of trendy hard surface flooring products, is doubling down on its ever-growing array of innovative, high-performance laminate flooring lines across several platforms: Sequoia (made in Spain); Hyperion XXL (produced in Vietnam); and AquaFi, a U.S.-made product.
Hyperion XXL waterproof laminate features 7 ½-foot, 5-foot and 2½-foot random-length planks, overall solid thickness of 12mm on a 9-inch-wide board. Meanwhile, Skyscape XXL waterproof performance laminate flooring planks are nearly 8 feet in length, with a 12mm thickness, also in 9-inch planks. Then there’s AquaFi, an exclusive, Made-in-America line consisting of 10mm and 12mm collections with acoustical pad attached. All feature the company’s AC4-rated EverPlus finish for proven scratch resistance.
Last but certainly far from least is the Sequoia XL line, manufactured in Spain. Eternity’s crème de la crème, the Sequoia XL, is a TruAC6, 70-inch laminate boasting 3D RealFeel technology and 1-24 digital print pattern repeats.
HF Design
HF Design’s latest foray into laminate flooring is Aquaproof XL, a step-up collection to its original Aquaproof line, which is based on a 7.7-inch-wide format in 60-inch lengths modeled after the company’s popular hardwood styles. Aquaproof XL, by comparison, makes a bolder statement with 9.3-inch-wide x 72-inch- long boards. Other noteworthy features include an organic, fully renewable fiber core that boasts excellent noise absorption, with a wear layer that’s 3x more scratch resistant than vinyl, according to Alex Shaoulpour, president. Aquaproof XL features a sealed, water-repellent edge treatment that protects against everyday accidents. Both collections are constructed with high-definition printing technology on a low-swell, PVC-free core and EIR texture to achieve visuals indistinguishable compared to hardwood.
Currently available in 12 trendy, warm-toned colors, the line launched on the West Coast in January with rollouts scheduled for the Midwest and East Coast in the next few months. “We feel we have hit the on-trend visuals and color styles that today’s customers are asking for in our wood lines but in a laminate category,” Shaoulpour said.
Inhaus
Inhaus, a perennial player in the laminate flooring sector and one of the category’s biggest proponents, continues to invest heavily in the product segment. Following on the heels of the launch of its premium Lamdura collection at Surfaces last year, the company now offers the line across several different tiers to give retailers more options to offer the consumer. New this year is a technology that allows seamless installation of herringbone planks—an increasingly popular visual in today’s market. The technology is featured on the company’s new, eye-catching Manor collection.
Also new are updates to Inhaus’ signature Landmark collection part of the Lamdura laminate product family. New visuals include seven new on-trend, high-definition designs and two new EIR textures. Moreover, Landmark is equipped with Megaloc Aquaprotect technology for a quick and easy water-resistant installation.
Johnson Hardwood
Known primarily for its genuine, high-end hardwood offerings, Johnson continues to bolster its lineup of high-performance laminate floors modeled after its top-selling wood looks. Bella Vista features stunning colors ranging from light tans to dark taupes that aim to capture the essence of natural European oak. Registered embossing adds a life-like texture to each plank, mimicking the charm of hardwood floors.
The line also scores major points when it comes to waterproof performance and scratch/dent resistance. Bella Vista boasts the company’s signature WaterShield High Performance Black Core and comes with an AC5 rating, making it highly resistant to water, scratches and stains. Bella Vista features an overall 13.5mm thickness (12mm core plus 1.5mm foam IXPE pad) and the Välinge 5G Dry click system for easy, fast, worry-free installation or repositioning.
Mannington
The Restoration collection—Mannington’s top-selling laminate line—got a shot in the arm this year with the addition of Bespoke, an extremely natural-looking offering that mimics the visual characteristics and texture of genuine hardwood. Featuring the company’s signature SpillShield Plus waterproof technology, the product offers the best of both worlds when it comes to visuals and performance.
“The physical texture and aesthetic of this product convey a more raw kind of feel,” said John Hammel, senior product director, wood and laminate. “We’ve also changed the type of bevel we use on this product—it’s much more subtle. It’s really hard to tell from a bevel standpoint what’s wood vs. laminate.”
The high level of realism is also due to Mannington’s signature True Detail digital styling, which provides up to 20 unique planks for fewer pattern repeats. “That’s two to three times more than other products when it comes to EIR,” Hammel stated.
The response to Bespoke was so impressive that the product won a Best of Surfaces Honoree Award at Surfaces 2024.
Mohawk
Mohawk is refreshing its popular RevWood line to represent recent product enhancements and evolving market demands. RevWood’s new promise, “The beauty of wood without compromise,” combines the two most important purchase drivers—beauty and performance—and draws greater attention to the advancements achieved through the launches of Signature Technology and WetProtect. Additionally, as the first wood flooring to attain NALFA’s Platinum Level of LF-02 Sustainability Certification, RevWood provides a carbon-negative, planet-friendly option for consumers who want sustainable features.
“RevWood is entirely made in the USA—something that has risen in importance both to our customers and consumers,” said Seth Arnold, vice president of residential marketing, Mohawk. “A lot of it had to do with product availability, but also there’s just an awareness that made-in-USA is an important thing.”
Stanton
The Nuvo decorative laminate collection from Stanton, which is focusing on growing its hard surface offerings, aims to redefine elegance and sophistication in interior spaces. NuvoLux and NuvoMax are designed to project timeless elegance inspired by the grandeur of natural woods and materials. The designs are carefully curated, designed with innovative textures, authentic colors and superior finishes. The collection boasts 24 colors covering everything from coastal lights to rich, traditional earth tones.
Tarkett
New to the Tarkett hard surface lineup this year is ShoreFlor, a laminate offering featuring Searenity Waterproof Technology. The product features a painted bevel edge, EIR technology and comes in a 10mm + 2mm pad for a total thickness of 12mm. The collection features clean, warm visuals as well as some rustic looks such as hickory.
“We had a lot of requests and customers wanting something beyond just SPC,” said Jason Surratt, president. “With all the technology improvements that have occurred over the last 10-15 years in laminate, it’s definitely a category that we see opportunity in.”
Surratt said he sees laminate clawing back some share from SPC. “I definitely think it’s taking a little bit from the overall rigid category. I don’t know quite where that may trend or if that’s going to continue, but I definitely don’t see it diminishing. It’s at least going to hold its own and continue to grow.”
Ultimate Flooring
Ultimate Flooring, a laminate flooring producer headquartered in Los Angeles, launched the Aqua Armor Tech waterproof laminate line. The product is billed as a next-generation waterproof laminate featuring added epoxy resin and the latest super-high-density HDF coreboard and quadruple-moisture-waxed edge protection. According to the company, this ensures the product is waterproof for up to 300 hours.
“We started with one collection and it was a 12mm with no pad attached,” said Ron Dardashti, co-managing partner. “We now have six collections in about 75 different colors and a range of different specs. And we have plans to add a couple more lines.”
Urbanfloor
Another eye-catching laminate product that’s loaded with features and benefits that can command a premium, is TheBLVD collection from Urbanfloor. This incredibly realistic line of 7.6-inch-wide, water-resistant laminate floors are made in Europe and feature antimicrobial surface technology, deep in-register embossing, an AquaTech HDF core and an AC5 wear rating—the highest available in laminate. It is designed to absorb impact (thereby reducing noise) and resist scratches and staining, thanks to digital printing technologies featuring light-fast UV-resistant ink. All these features make the product suitable for virtually any area of the home, from kitchens and bathrooms to basements.
US Mills
US Mills launches EcoDense, a hybrid laminate/SPC product billed as a true waterproof flooring option. “One of the incredible features about it is the content of the product is 94% wood; however, due to the very high compaction of the product, we’re able to get very different characteristics than you would normally get with a wood-based product,” said Karel Vercruyssen, president of the Dalton-based company.
US Mills is able to achieve these characteristics, according to Vercruyssen, by starting with a fiber preparation process that yields smaller particles than traditional wood-based engineered floors. Another differentiator, he said, is the secret sauce used to bond the materials. “We don’t use any formaldehyde in the manufacturing process of EcoDense,” Vercruyssen said. “Instead, we have different binders that have a much better encapsulation of the wood fiber.”
