Learn About Laminate Flooring in Manitowoc

Modern laminate floors are packed with amazing new innovations.

Laminate Flooring at Carpets Plus of Manitowoc

Laminate is the floor that looks like wood or stone but is built in layers, with a printed picture of the real thing sealed under a hard, clear top. It has been around for decades, and the laminate made today looks very little like the shiny, hollow-sounding floors people remember from the 1990s. This page covers how laminate is built, where it fits in a house, and how it compares with luxury vinyl, the floor most people weigh it against. The guides at the bottom go deeper on each point.

Stop into our showroom on Calumet Avenue in Manitowoc and ask to see laminate samples. We install the laminate flooring we sell.

What Laminate Is Made Of

A laminate plank is built in layers. At the bottom is a backing that keeps the plank stable. Above it sits the core, a dense board made from compressed wood fibers, which gives laminate its firm feel underfoot. On top of the core is the design layer, a detailed print of wood grain or stone. Over everything is the wear layer, a clear coating that takes the chair legs, pet nails and everyday scuffs so the picture underneath does not.

Because the core is wood-based, laminate feels and sounds more like real wood than vinyl does. It is also why water is the thing to ask about: a wood-fiber core can swell if it sits wet. Some laminate is sold as water-resistant; ask what that label covers before choosing it for a bath or laundry room.

Look and Texture

The print on modern laminate is sharp enough that it can be hard to tell from hardwood at standing height. Many planks are textured to follow the grain in the print, so the floor feels like wood under bare feet as well as looking like it. Planks come in a range of widths and lengths, in light, medium and dark tones, and some have a beveled edge so each board reads as its own piece.

The way to judge laminate is to pick up a sample and look at it in daylight. Hold it next to your trim and your cabinets, and ask about taking a sample home if you want to see it in the room itself. If you are weighing laminate against real wood, our hardwood page covers what you would be comparing it to.

Laminate or Luxury Vinyl

These two floors are shopped against each other constantly, and the difference comes down to the core. Laminate has a wood-fiber core, so it is harder and more rigid underfoot and stays closer to the feel of real wood. Luxury vinyl has a plastic core, so it handles water better and is quieter to walk on. If the room stays dry and you want the floor that looks and feels closest to wood, laminate is worth a look. If the room gets wet, luxury vinyl usually makes more sense. Our guide on luxury vinyl plank vs. laminate walks through the choice room by room.

Where Laminate Works

Laminate is at home in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, hallways and home offices: the dry rooms that take the most foot traffic. It is a common pick for families with kids and dogs because the wear layer is made for daily life. Many homeowners use it to run one continuous floor through a main level.

Bathrooms, laundry rooms and damp basements are where to slow down. Ask about water-resistant laminate, or look at luxury vinyl for those rooms. Our waterproof flooring guide explains what the labels do and do not mean.

How Laminate Is Installed

Most laminate is a floating floor. The planks click together along their edges and rest on a thin underlayment pad, with no glue or nails holding them to the subfloor. The planks go in row by row, with a small gap left at the walls that the trim covers. A laminate floor needs a flat, dry surface underneath it, so ask about your subfloor at the estimate, and ask whether the new floor can go over the one you have now.

Our flooring installation guide explains how a laminate job compares with carpet, vinyl, hardwood and tile, and our installation day guide covers what to do before the installers we send arrive.

Caring for a Laminate Floor

Laminate is one of the simpler floors to live with. Sweep or vacuum to pick up grit, and damp-mop with a cleaner made for laminate, using as little water as you can. Wipe up spills when they happen rather than letting them sit. Felt pads under furniture legs and a mat at the door do most of the work of keeping the finish looking new. A Wisconsin winter is hard on every floor; our winter floor care guide covers salt, slush and dry indoor air.

Laminate Flooring Guides

See Laminate in Person

Pictures only go so far with laminate. Stop in and ask to hold a laminate plank next to a luxury vinyl plank so you can feel the difference, and ask to see what we have on hand from Shaw, Mohawk and Mannington. You can also try a floor in your own room with our room visualizer. When you have a favorite, we come out to measure and give you an estimate with no obligation. Give us a call at (920) 686-0060, or stop into the showroom on Calumet Avenue.