Laminate done right.
Budget-friendly without looking budget. Modern laminate gives you wood-look at half the cost of hardwood. We're honest about where laminate wins and where it doesn't.
Honest take on laminate
Where laminate wins: budget. Premium laminate looks great, installs fast, and costs significantly less than hardwood or LVP. Best for rental properties, secondary homes, basements, or any project where budget is the primary driver.
Where laminate loses:
- Water resistance: most laminate is water-resistant, not fully waterproof. Modern AquaGuard, Pergo Extreme, and Mohawk RevWood Plus are water-resistant — fine for kitchens — but priced close to LVP. Standard laminate handles spills if you wipe them up; sustained water (a dishwasher leak overnight) is a problem.
- Refinishing: not refinishable. Once worn through, replace.
- Resale value: doesn’t add the resale value of hardwood.
If budget is the primary driver and the room stays dry, laminate is right. If you can stretch to LVP or engineered hardwood, both are typically better long-term.
AC rating — durability spec to ask for
AC rating tells you how durable the wear layer is. Most laminate sold at retail is AC3 or AC4.
- AC3: residential — fine for most homes, most rooms
- AC4: light commercial — good for pets, kids, heavy traffic
- AC5: heavy commercial — rarely needed in residential
For most homes AC3 is fine. If you have pets, kids, and a busy entryway, ask about AC4 — the price difference is small.
Acclimation matters here too
Laminate planks need to acclimate in your home for the period the manufacturer requires (typically 48 hours) before install. We test slab moisture and acclimate the material every time. Skipping this on laminate causes the same gapping and edge-curling problems it causes on hardwood.
What’s included in your install
- Baseboard pull and reinstall (not shoe-mold over the new floor) — keeps the line clean
- Door undercutting where the new floor’s height requires it
- Transitions to existing flooring — T-mold, reducer, threshold, stair-nose as needed
- HEPA-vacuum dust containment during demo
- Furniture moved by our crew — you don’t lift a finger
- Demo and disposal of the old flooring
The basics
- Typical project length
- Depends on square footage
- Lifespan with care
- 10–20 years
- Refinishable?
- No
- Best for
- Bedrooms, living rooms, hallways (dry rooms)
- Pet-friendly?
- Reasonable, but not waterproof
- Pricing
- Free in-home estimate
What to expect from us
Are you licensed and insured?
We carry liability insurance; documentation available on request.
How long have you been doing this?
Over a decade across DFW.
How do you handle problems after the install?
We stand behind our work. Specifics come with your written estimate.
What's the timeline for a typical laminate install?
Laminate installs quickly because of click-lock floating-floor systems. We give you a realistic timeline with your written estimate.
Do you handle furniture and dust containment?
Yes.
What if you find subfloor issues mid-project?
We stop, walk you through what we found, and explain options before any extra work.
Do you handle removal of old flooring?
Yes. Demo and disposal are part of the install.
Is the price fixed once you give me an estimate?
Yes. The written estimate is the price you pay.
Laminate across DFW.
We install in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Carrollton, and North & East Dallas — plus 15+ more cities across the Metroplex. See full service area
See laminate samples in your home.
We bring samples that fit your project — and we'll tell you straight if LVP or engineered hardwood would serve you better. Free, no obligation. Written estimate. Your written estimate is the price — any change is agreed in writing.
Get my free estimate →