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Types of Laminate Flooring: AC Ratings Guide
Laminate flooring types explained: AC3 to AC5 ratings, thickness, attached underlay, water-resistant boards, and installation from $3.20 per sq ft.
Quick answer
How laminate is built
Every laminate board is four layers pressed together, and knowing what each one does makes the spec sheet easier to read.
Almost all laminate sold today clicks together and floats, with no glue and no nails. The boards lock edge to edge over an underlay and are held down by their own weight, with an expansion gap at every wall covered by baseboard or quarter round. Glued and pre-glued laminate existed years ago but you will rarely see either now.
AC ratings explained
AC stands for abrasion class. It comes from a European standard test and it is the most useful number on the box, because it tells you how much traffic the surface is built for. It is not a measure of water resistance and it is not a warranty.
For most Toronto homes AC3 is enough and AC4 is the safe upgrade. Going to AC5 in a bedroom buys you very little. What it does buy is a harder, often duller surface, so check the finish in person.
Thickness and underlay
Core thickness is usually 7 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm or 12 mm. A thicker core does not resist scratches better, because that is the wear layer’s job. What it does is feel more solid underfoot, sound less hollow, bridge small imperfections in the subfloor more forgivingly, and carry a stronger click joint that is less likely to separate.
Many boards come with underlay already attached to the backing, which saves a step and a little cost. Attached underlay is convenient, but it is thin. If your subfloor is concrete, or the room is above a bedroom, a separate acoustic underlay usually performs better, and condo buildings often set a minimum sound rating you have to meet. Check your building’s rules before you buy a board with the pad already on it, because you cannot always stack a second underlay underneath it.
Whatever you choose, laminate needs a flat subfloor. A dip under a floating floor means the boards flex there, and flexing joints are what eventually open up or click when you walk on them.
Water-resistant laminate
This is where most of the confusion sits, so it is worth being plain. Laminate has a fibreboard core, and fibreboard swells if water gets into it. Laminate is not waterproof.
Standard laminate handles a spill you wipe up promptly and nothing more. Water sitting in a seam will eventually reach the core, and a swollen board cannot be dried back into shape. It has to be replaced.
Water-resistant laminate uses a denser core, a water repellent treatment and tighter, often wax coated joints, so it buys you more time before a spill becomes damage. Manufacturers usually quote a window in hours for surface water. That is genuinely useful in a kitchen or an entry with winter boots. It is still not a floor to put where water pools, where a drain sits, or where it may be flooded.
If you want a floor that shrugs off standing water, look at vinyl instead. Browse vinyl flooring if that is the room you are solving.
Where it works
Two more practical points. Laminate cannot be sanded and refinished, so a deep gouge means swapping a board rather than repairing it, which is a good reason to keep a few spares. And it is harder underfoot than vinyl or carpet, so an area rug in a living room makes a real difference to how the room feels.
Good fit
Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, stairs landings, home offices and finished basements. Anywhere you want a wood look on a budget with a hard, easy to clean surface.
Workable with care
Kitchens and entries, with a water-resistant board, silicone at the perimeter and mats at the door. Wipe spills rather than letting them sit.
Poor fit
Bathrooms, laundry rooms, mud rooms with a floor drain, and anywhere that gets washed with a wet mop. The core and the water will find each other.
Ask first
Rooms with in-floor heat, sunrooms with a large temperature swing, and condos with an acoustic requirement. All three are doable with the right board and underlay.
Keeping it clean
Sweep or vacuum with the beater bar off. Damp mop with a well wrung microfibre cloth and a cleaner made for laminate, never a soaking mop, steam or an oil soap. Felt pads under furniture legs, and a mat at every exterior door to catch grit and winter salt, do more for the life of the floor than any product you can buy.
What it costs
The flooring is priced separately from the installation, so your total is material plus labour. Taking up the old floor is included; subfloor levelling, stairs and trim work are quoted after we measure. The quote is free across Toronto and the GTA, and it is the point where we check the subfloor and tell you whether the board you like will work in that room.
Browse about 681 laminate floors in the catalogue, or see how we handle laminate flooring installation in Toronto. For a whole floor budget, read how much a flooring renovation costs.
Frequently asked questions
What AC rating do I need for a house?
AC3 covers all residential areas including kitchens and hallways. AC4 is the sensible upgrade for a busy entry, a hallway or a home with dogs. AC5 is built for shops and offices and is more than most homes need.
Is laminate flooring waterproof?
No. Laminate has a fibreboard core that swells if water reaches it. Water-resistant laminate resists surface water for a stated number of hours, which helps in a kitchen or entry, but no laminate should be used where water pools or sits.
Does thicker laminate wear better?
Not on the surface. Scratch and wear resistance comes from the wear layer and its AC rating. A thicker core feels more solid, sounds less hollow and gives a stronger click joint, which is why 12 mm feels better underfoot than 7 mm.
Do I still need underlay if the laminate has it attached?
Usually not, and in many cases you cannot add a second layer underneath. Over concrete, or in a condo with a sound rating to meet, a separate acoustic underlay with a plain board often performs better. Check your building’s requirement before you buy.
How much does laminate flooring installation cost in Toronto?
At 22FLOORING, laminate installation starts at $3.20 per square foot. The flooring itself is priced separately, taking up the old floor is included, and subfloor preparation and stairs are quoted after a free in-home measure.
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