Brand

Brand Laminate Waterproof Flooring

Top Brands of Waterproof Laminate

Make sure to carefully read product literature when buying “waterproof” laminate flooring. Many are really best considered “water-resistant” and shouldn’t be used in truly wet locations.

• Quick-Step: This company offers several product lines with a proprietary coating called HydroSeal that is applied both to the surface of the planks and the side grooves. But the warranty for the product’s moisture resistance runs only 10 years, vs. the 25-year warranty on the basic construction of the flooring. And the moisture-proof warranty has many restrictions.
• Restoration Collection from Mannington: This flooring line features SpillShieldPlus Waterproof Technology, which is Mannington’s best attempt at a waterproof laminate flooring. Close examination of the warranty information, however, shows that this flooring, too, can be considered at best water-resistant, since there are detailed restrictions on moisture exposure.
• Parcolys: Based in Belgium, Parcolys offers truly waterproof laminate flooring made with a PVC core. It is 100 percent recyclable, stain-resistant, UV-ray-resistant, and has a 20-year residential warranty. However, availability in the U.S. is very limited.
• Dumaplast: Another European-based company, Dumaplast makes 100 percent PVC flooring that is similar to Parcolys, but with an additional feature: The underlayment is built into the planks. Here, too, availability in the U.S. is very limited.
• Aquastep: Originally a product line within Parcolys, Aquastep is now its own brand, offering a waterproof and extremely strong laminate flooring that can even be used in garages. Aquastep uses a honeycomb PVC core and offers a good selection of wood-look, stone-look, and ship-deck styles. It is currently available through only one U.S. distributor in Massachusetts.

Comfort and Convenience

Waterproof laminate flooring, to the degree that it is genuinely waterproof, offers advantages over standard laminate flooring, since spills and stains are less likely to ruin the floor. Other than this, this flooring has the same profile as any laminate flooring. It can be rather hard underfoot, as well as noisy. But its easy installation makes it attractive to DIYers.

Waterproof Laminate vs. Luxury Vinyl Flooring

One reason that manufacturers have not put more effort into developing broad lines of waterproof laminate is that luxury vinyl flooring, available in planks (LVP) or tiles (LVT) has largely taken over the market for a truly waterproof floor that has easy click-lock installation. Luxury vinyl flooring is made from synthetic materials through-and-through, and there is no wood-based fiberboard core that can swell or develop mold. While luxury vinyl is more expensive than standard laminate flooring, it is more affordable than most truly waterproof laminates.

To its credit, waterproof laminate has a harder surface layer than luxury vinyl, and it is more resistant to scratching. And traditionally, laminate flooring is more realistic at mimicking wood grains. However, luxury vinyl is getting better all the time, to the point that many people can no longer see the difference.