"Is laminate flooring waterproof?" is one of the most asked questions in flooring — and the honest answer has changed in recent years. Older laminate had a reputation for swelling at the first spill. Modern boards like ours are engineered very differently. Here's exactly what that means in practice.

What "72-hour waterproof" actually means

Our laminate carries a 72-hour waterproof surface. In plain terms, that means a spill sitting on top of the floor won't damage it for up to 72 hours, giving you plenty of time to wipe it up. The dense, sealed surface and tight click-together joints stop everyday water — splashes, mopping, wet shoes, a knocked-over glass — from getting into the board. For a wood-based floor, that's a serious step up in protection.

Waterproof surface, not a sealed wet area

Here's the honest distinction that matters. The 72-hour rating protects the floor from surface water you clean up in good time. It is not the same as a fully sealed, tanked wet-area surface like a tiled shower. Laminate is built on a high-density pressed-wood core, so while the surface shrugs off spills, you don't want water pooling and sitting indefinitely, or moisture attacking the board from underneath. Wipe up standing water rather than leaving it, and the floor looks after you for years.

Where you can use laminate

  • Living and dining — easy to keep clean and forgiving of family life.
  • Bedrooms and hallways — warm-looking, tough and quiet.
  • Kitchens — the 72-hour waterproof surface handles splashes and the odd spill, as long as you wipe them up.

Where not to use it

We don't recommend laminate for bathrooms, ensuites or genuine wet areas. A bathroom needs proper waterproofing under a fully sealed finish — which is what tiles are designed for — and a floating floor isn't a substitute for that. Constant humidity, standing water and the gaps around a floating floor are exactly the conditions to avoid. For those rooms, choose tiles, or for a spill-prone laundry consider hybrid flooring, which has an even more water-resistant stone-based core. Save your laminate for the rooms it's brilliant in.

How to protect your laminate from water

  • Wipe up spills and standing water rather than leaving them to sit.
  • Lay a quality underlay — it adds a moisture barrier from below.
  • Clean with a barely-damp microfibre mop, never a soaking-wet or steam mop. See our cleaning guide.
  • Keep the expansion gaps clear and use mats at wet entry points.

Looked after this way, a 72-hour waterproof laminate is one of the toughest, best-value timber-look floors you can put in a busy home.

Keep reading

See the colours in your own home before you buy — order free samples — or browse the full laminate flooring range.