Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is made by pressing several layers together under intense heat and pressure, which is what gives it its strength. It's best known for two things — how tough it is and how affordable it is — and that combination is a big part of why it's been a go-to for so long.

Modern laminate has come a long way on looks, too. These days it comes in a huge range of designs, from a natural timber look right through to stone and tile finishes, so you're not locked into one style. It's a click-lock floor, which makes it ideal for DIY, and it's very low maintenance once it's down — a great fit for plenty of different households.

Laminate is the most durable option in its category — it stands up to scratches and everyday wear better than the likes of hybrid flooring or engineered timber. If you want a hard-wearing floor that takes a beating and keeps looking good, that's where laminate shines.

It's also one of the most cost-effective wood-style floors you can go for, though it's worth knowing that some premium brands do climb in price. And depending on the brand, modern laminate can be water resistant for up to 72 hours, so a spill that gets cleaned up in time isn't the disaster it once was. Add in how little upkeep it needs day to day, and it's an easy floor to live with.

Laminate flooring is the perfect choice for anyone after a genuinely tough floor. If your household is busy — high foot traffic, kids running around, the usual day-to-day chaos — laminate is built to handle it without showing the wear.

It's backed up well on warranty, too. Plenty of laminate brands here in Australia come with great warranties of up to 25 years (ours included), so you've got real peace of mind that the floor is going to last the distance.

Laminate is the most durable floor in its class, but it does have a couple of trade-offs worth being upfront about — it's more sensitive to moisture than some options, and it isn't the quietest floor underfoot. For a lot of homes that's a fair trade for the toughness and the price, but it's worth knowing where the alternatives pull ahead.

If you want a softer, quieter feel underfoot, hybrid flooring may be the better choice. If moisture is your main concern — say a bathroom or laundry — vinyl flooring gives you the best cover. And if you really want the best-looking floor in the room and budget isn't holding you back, engineered timber is the winner.

For most busy homes chasing a tough, good-looking floor without overspending, though, laminate is hard to beat.

If you're installing laminate yourself, there are a few things worth getting right. Floor prep is king — make sure your floor is level and free of moisture before you start, because an unlevel floor ruins everything. Boards that don't sit flat won't click together cleanly, and you'll be fighting the floor the whole way.

Underlay is the next big one. Pick a good underlay with moisture protection to stop the boards swelling over time — one that combines moisture protection with an acoustic rating is the ideal pick, since it tackles damp and noise in one go.

The laminate itself is quite easy to install thanks to its click-lock system and floating floor design. Once the prep and underlay are sorted, the boards lock together row by row and the job moves along quickly. As always, keep those expansion gaps around the edges and finish off with your trims.

Laminate can be one of the most affordable flooring options out there, but it can also climb into more expensive territory — the range is wide and it really comes down to the product. At the lower end you're looking at around $20 per square metre, and at the top end about $80 per square metre.

The biggest thing driving that price difference is the board itself. Larger, wider planks with a nicer, more realistic print tend to cost more. If you're getting a professional to install it for you, the total usually lands somewhere around $80 to $110 per square metre including the product. Just remember to factor in levelling your floor if it needs it, plus the underlay, since laminate always needs one.

Laminate's printed top layer is its secret weapon when it comes to looks. Because the design is a high-resolution photographic layer, you're not limited to one species or finish — laminate comes in everything from warm, natural oak and timber looks through to grey-washed boards and even stone and tile effects, so you can get the exact style you're after at a laminate price.

Lighter timber looks keep a room feeling open and hide dust and the odd scratch well, while darker boards bring warmth and a more premium feel. Plank size changes things too — wider, longer boards read modern and seamless. Order a couple of free samples and stand them up in the room first; the same board can look quite different under your own light.