We have answered our most frequently asked questions about laminate flooring to provide you with a comprehensive guide to laminate.

What is laminate flooring?
How is laminate flooring made?
What is the difference between laminate and engineered hardwood?
What are the advantages to using laminate?
What is an AC rating?
Where can I install laminate flooring?
Do I need to use underlay?
Can laminate be refinished?
How do I clean laminate flooring?

What is laminate flooring?

Laminate flooring is a multi-layer man-made flooring surface. It is a durable, cost effective plank flooring option. Most laminates mimic the look of hardwood but there are some options on the market that look like tile.

How is laminate flooring made?

Laminate floors are made of several layers fused together using high pressure. The four layers that make up laminate floors are:

1. The Backing

This layer is designed to support the structural integrity of the floor and create a barrier against moisture.

2. The Core

Each manufacturer uses different materials for the core. HDF (High Density Fibreboard) and MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) are two commonly used core materials. Using a fibreboard core creates a structurally strong flooring surface.

3. The Photographic Layer

The core is topped with a high resolution photograph of real hardwood planks. This layer gives the laminate its “wood look.”

4. The Wear Layer

The top layer of laminate flooring is the wear layer. It is an extremely hard protective coating that protects the photographic layer from the wear and tear of everyday life and gives the flooring texture.

What is the difference between laminate and engineered hardwood?

Some misconceptions exist about laminate and engineered hardwood. They are not the same! Engineered hardwood floors have a real wood layer on the surface. This real wood layer is identical to the wood solid hardwood is made of. Laminate floors on the other hand, are not made using a real hardwood. They are made of fibreboard instead and the photographic layer gives the planks their “wood look.”

What are the advantages to using laminate?

Laminate is an inexpensive, durable option that gives the look of hardwood without the hefty price tag. It is more scratch, stain and fade resistant than hardwood.

What is an AC rating?
AC (Abrasion class) ratings are a standardized measurement that measures resistance to moisture, impact, abrasions, stains and burns. The AC rating is an indicator of where the product can be installed.

For your home, a laminate with an AC3 rating is highly recommended as the best choice that balances durability and value.

Rating	Description
AC1	Moderate residential – best for areas with light traffic such as bedrooms and closets.
AC2	General residential – best for areas with medium traffic such as bedrooms and closets.
AC3	Heavy residential/Moderate commercial – best for all rooms in a house and for light traffic commercial areas such as small offices.
AC4	General commercial – best for higher traffic commercial areas such as boutiques, restaurants, and busier offices.
AC5	Heavy commercial – best for high traffic commercial spaces like department stores and public buildings.

Where can I install laminate flooring?

Laminate flooring is well-known for its versatility and can be installed almost anywhere. It is suitable for installation over above grade or below grade wood or concrete subfloors. Laminate flooring should not be installed in moist areas such as bathrooms, saunas or enclosed porches. Exposing laminate floors to moisture for extended periods of times may cause the floor to warp or swell.

Do I need to use underlay?

Yes, underlay is necessary for all laminate floor installations. It helps soundproof the floor and hides very minor deviations in the subfloor. Underlay with a vapour barrier is recommended for all below grade installation to keep the moisture away from your floors.

Can laminate be refinished?

No. Laminate floors cannot be refinished like hardwood floors can.

How do I clean laminate flooring?

Check with your manufacturer to see what cleaning methods and products are recommended to keep your floors clean. If you have purchased laminate from MIRA, feel free to give us a call to find out what company manufactured your laminate. If you don’t know the manufacturer of your laminate, we recommend following these basic guidelines:

• Use a damp cloth to clean up spills as soon as they happen.
• Sweep, dust or vacuum regularly. If using a vacuum, use a hard surface attachment not a beater bar.
• Clean the floor using cleaning products designed for laminate floors to prevent harsh chemicals from damaging the finish. We recommend  Bona or Shaw R2X.
• Use entry mats to collect dirt and grit that could be tracked onto your floor and scratch it.
• Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, detergent or any other liquid cleaner.
• Do not use steam mops or any polishing/buffing machines.

Do you have a question that we didn’t answer? Feel free to give us a call at 604-856-4799.

Common areas of a strata complex are part of the first impression for residents and visitors. When it comes time to replace flooring in the common area, many residents will be invested in the decision because they are passionate about creating a great first impression for their building. Getting all these passionate residents to agree on a new carpet for the common area can often be challenging.

Why do strata complexes experience challenges picking new flooring?

1. Design is subjective. While Mrs. Smith in Unit 306 may love leopard print patterned carpet, others in the building may not. Each person added to the decision making process brings a new set of interior design ideas to accommodate.
2. There are an overwhelming number of commercial carpet choices. There are thousands of styles and patterns, each with many different colour choices. It is challenging for one person to pick from all these samples, let alone a whole group of people.

Don’t endure multiple strata meetings and get into arguments over shades of blue and carpet fibres. Here are a few simple tips we recommend to make the process of picking commercial carpet easier:

1. Only have a small group responsible for picking the carpet. Designate one or two people as the carpet selection committee. They will work with the salesperson to find a carpet that fits your building’s needs and works with the colour scheme.
2. Narrow down the options before you show them to the whole strata. Pick a few favourite carpet samples and leave the rest in the showroom. Limiting the options makes it easy for the strata to vote. After a quick “majority rules” vote, the carpet will be picked.
3. Ensure all decision makers have the same knowledge about carpet. Not all carpets are created equally. Colour and patterns are only two of many important factors to consider. Invite your salesperson to spend 5-10 minutes at your meeting educating all decision makers on factors to consider when picking commercial carpet. Once everyone has the same knowledge about carpet, they will be more confident when making their decision.
4. Get the full picture with the big samples. Commercial carpet sample books often have tiny swatches – think 1 inch by 1 inch. Your salesperson can order larger samples to help you better visualize what the carpet will look like in your common area. Manufacturers such as Patcraft have tools on their website to show what your carpet will look like in a larger space and using different carpet tile installation methods.
   
5. Consider using a designer. If interior design isn’t your forté or the strata is planning a renovation with many components (carpet, tiles, paint etc), a designer will help with the decision making process. The designer will provide great advice on interior design trends and put together visual representations of the components of the design. A visual representation is helpful for working around any language barriers you may have.

While there’s no guarantee of pleasing everyone when making a decision with a large group of people, following these steps will help you come to a fair decision, quickly and easily.

If renovation plans are part of your new years resolutions, it’s a wise decision to consider how the renovation will affect the resale value of your home. Instead of guessing if hardwood floors will increase resale value, the Appraisal Institute of Canada has the answers for you. The institute surveys its members to find out what renovations had the highest impact.

The institute has three basic guidelines that apply for anyone embarking on a renovation:

• Amount of money spent isn’t everything. The changes you make must be in line with current trends to appeal to the majority of buyers.
• Beware of passing fads. If you aren’t planning to sell your home right away, passing fads will make your home look dated when it is time to sell.
• Avoid projects that will dramatically set your house apart from others in the neighbourhood. Renovations on homes that are already above the average value of the homes in the neighbourhood will return less on the investment.

1. Hardwood floor installation – Wherever you install it, you can expect to have 50% to 75% of your investment recovered in the resale price.

2. Kitchen flooring – Upgrades to the kitchen usually result in 75% to 100% of the investment recovered. We recommend tile or engineered wood as the best return on investment for this room.

3. Bathroom flooring – Bathroom upgrades have 75% to 100% of their investment recovered. Tile is the best choice for the bathroom. However, if that’s not in your budget and you have a 1970’s vinyl that needs to go, even replacing it with a modern looking luxury vinyl tile will bring the space into the current decade.

4. Unfinished basement flooring – Finishing off an unfinished basement brings a 50-75% recovery of investment. We recommend a warm and cozy carpet to transform an unfinished basement into a liveable space.

Want to know how other renovation projects will increase the resale value of your home? A full list can be found here.

For our winter season wine tasting, we choose to focus on local wines recommended by our team and readers. We picked wines that were $25 or under, perfect for Christmas gifts or to bring to a party.

The contenders:

Mt Lehman Winery – Platinum Reserve Merlot 2011

One of our owners, James Alisch tried this wine from this local Abbotsford winery and knew from the first taste it was a contender for the MIRA Floors team wine tasting. Supporting local business and trying a wine the winery boasts as “probably unlike any other [Merlot] you have tried before” is a win-win. This Merlot spent 14 months aging in a combination of new and used French Oak. It has bright fruit flavours, a burst of acidity with bing cherry flavours with a hint of licorice.

Hester Creek Estate Winery – Character White 2011

We were replacing the commercial carpet in a client’s office and he named the Hester Creek Estate Winery in Oliver as one of his BC favourites. We choose to sample the winery’s Character White, a blend of estate Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pint Blanc and Trebbiano grapes. This wine offers an appealing fruity fragrance with bright flavours of citrus and apple and just a hint of spice on the palate. With this wine, the acidity helps balance the sweetness. It would be great paired with seafood, Asian fare, or grilled poultry (Holiday Hint: Bring it out to enjoy with Turkey!).

The winner?

With half of the office staff preferring red and the other more partial to white, the results are always very close. Leading by just a half a point on our rating scale, the Hester Creek Character White was our victor for this round of wine tasting.

Have a great wine you think we should try for our next office tasting? Let us know in the comments.

When choosing tile, layout is just as important as colour, size, and type. Different tile patterns and layouts can change the look and feel of your room.

1. Straight

Sometimes referred to as grid, this is a the classic tile layout. It works well with any size tile and keeps your space looking simple. Looking to spice up this simple layout? Try using a rectangular tile to create a modern, on trend look.

Images from Daltile

2. Diamond

When tiles are installed in a diamond pattern, they are set at a 45 degree angle. Laying tiles in this pattern creates the illusion of a larger space.

Image from Daltile

View PDF plan for the Diamond layout

3. Brick/Offset/Running Bond

Known by many names, this layout can be used with any size rectangular or square tile. The tiles can be offset by different amount. Try 50/50 offset with square tiles for a traditional brick look. A 30/70 offset with a rectangular tile creates a softer, more contemporary look.

Olympia Tile – Colour and Dimension Series

View PDF plan for brick layout with rectangle tiles

Image from Houzz – Rachel Reider Interiors

View PDF plan for brick layout with square tiles

An offset tile layout with a tile that looks like wood creates a faux-wood floor with the durability of tile.

Image from Daltile

4. Checkerboard

Use different colour square tiles to create a checkerboard pattern. This pattern can be laid straight or diagonal. Using black and white creates a classic vintage feel.

Image from Daltile

5. Windmill

Choose two tiles, a rectangle and a square that is half the size of the rectangle (ie 6×12 and 6×6). Place the rectangles tiles around the square to create a windmill effect. To create this look with smaller tiles, premade mosaics like the one below are a great option to speed up the installation process.

Image from Daltile

View PDF plan for the Windmill layout 

6. Hopscotch

Similar to the windmill, this layout uses a large square tile and a square tile 2 times smaller (ie 12×12 and 6×6). Using two similar coloured tiles like in the photo below, creates a look similar to Modular Versailles but takes less time to install.

Image from Houzz – Sroka Design

View PDF plan for the Hopscotch layout

7. Herringbone

Any size rectangle tile can be used for this pattern. Herringbone floors add interest to your room and work well in both traditional or contemporary design. Use a herringbone mosaic for a backsplash or try it on your floors.

Image from This Old House

View PDF plan for the Herringbone layout

8. Modular Versailles

Whether you’re looking for something traditional or timeless, this unique layout is sure to draw attention to your tile floors. Since it requires several different shaped tiles, it’s best to use a series that was designed for the modular versailles pattern.

Image from Daltile

View PDF plan for the Modular Versailles layout

Looking for even more tile layout inspiration? Check out our Pinterest board for tile patterns