For millions of homes in the last three decades, laminate has been considered "economy flooring". It's functional, easily installed, and hard to destroy, making it a staple in the flooring industry. Laminate flooring has been particularly popular for apartment complexes and housing developments of major scale. However, with new advancements in floor engineering, it falls in comparison to newer types of economical flooring.
Quick History on Laminate Flooring
In the 80s, European manufacturers began using wastewood materials under high-pressure processes, creating floor covering that became both durable and good looking. Free of seams and easy to clean, laminate flooring often required minimal or no mopping. Over time problems emerged... sensitivity to moisture, a tendency to swell and bump, chipping at edges, loss of finish from high traffic-all these began to surface (no pun intended!). While it will always have uses and continues to offer low-cost options for many projects, we think of it as something similar to shag carpeting and conversation pits… a relic of the 80s that is fun to see in someone else’s home!
Prepping for New Flooring
When installing any Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP), Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), or Hardwood flooring, we always want to start clean down to the base, removing the laminate floor completely. While LVP and LVT flooring is generally simple and easy to lay directly over old flooring that is in decent shape, laminate is the exception. The remarkably thin and flexible nature of LVP and LVT can mean that any imperfections in laminate flooring will be mimicked and exaggerated when covered. With laminate it is best to remove and prep the area before installing LVP or LVT.