Laminate Flooring

Laminate Flooring Suppliers

The websites below always have cheap laminate flooring at the best prices on the internet. Each logo below is a link to the Laminate Flooring page of the merchant.

To comply with the latest ruling by the F.T.C., I am notifying you up front that I get a commission from the merchants shown on this website, if you buy anything from them through my links. To find out more, please click here.

Laminate flooring was first introduced in the United States in 1994 by Pergo. They made a deal with Home Depot, and a concerted advertising effort then made it extremely successful. Other manufacturers began producing their own versions of laminate flooring, so that nowadays the choice is quite confusing. This article will help you to make a decision.

It's always nice to have a floor that looks both beautiful and expensive. And laminate flooring is also both durable and easy to maintain, in most cases only requiring a light mopping. It is also mostly impervious to moisture, and doesn't stain if the spill is cleaned up promptly.

Mohawk Festivalle Natural Red Oak

SC cheapest line - from $1.28
If you click the link above, you
can design your own room
- just as I did in this picture.

What is laminate flooring?

As its name implies, the flooring is composed of different layers, or laminae. The top, or wear layer, is usually composed of aluminum oxide, which provides a protective layer against abrasion and stains. Next comes a thin design layer which displays the look of the flooring. It may be a thin stip of real wood, or more likely a photographic image of wood, stone, or whatever the floor is supposed to mimic. The inner core is high density fiber or wood-chip board impregnated with a plastic resin for strength and moisture resistance. And finally, there is a backing layer made of resin-saturated paper for a moisture barrier to prevent warping.

How is laminate flooring installed?

Almost all laminate flooring today is installed by the free floating method - so called because the flooring is not actually connected to the sub-floor. First of all, a layer of plastic sheeting is put down over the sub-floor, which provides a moisture barrier and makes it easier for the floor to expand and contract with fluctuations in temperature. Then a layer of foam, which is not only sound-absorbing, but helps to even out an irregularities in the sub-floor. And last of all, the laminate boards are fitted together by tongue-and-groove, and may be glued as well ( but not only to each other, not the sub-flooring ).

Thinking of installing laminate yourself? Then you need the video Installing Laminate Flooring. John Taylor, retail flooring owner with 35 years of experience, demonstrates everything you need to know. The video comes with instructions on laying laminate stairs, a complete written report, and email support for one year!
( See a preview on our Video Page. )

What choices do I have for my laminate flooring?

The fact is, laminate floors provide such a variety of different styles, shapes, and colors that you will certainly have difficulty in making a decision. The flooring can simulate just about every wood species you want, from maple to exotic hard woods. And it can also be made to look like stone or ceramic tile. The boards come with square or beveled edges, and have a variety of surface treatments and finishes. And you can choose a color to complement your room furnishings.

Dream Home Utopia Swedish Maple Laminate

Dream Home Utopia Swedish Maple
LL cheapest line - as low as $0.69

In addition to the different looks, laminate flooring comes in different qualities. You should choose flooring that is rated for heavy residential to moderate commercial use. Anything more durable is probably a waste of money for home installation. Also try to get at least a 15-year warranty against wear, stains, and fading. Better yet, some warranties also cover accidental moisture damage, just in case your refrigerator springs a leak. 10-year warranties are usually only given for "low-end" materials, which will usually also be less resistant to scratching -- one thing that is not covered.

Where should I buy my laminate flooring?

from $1.93 / sq ft

Since laminate floors are such a new product, you should probably stick to one of the larger manufacurers. You can be sure that they will stand behind their product if you have any problems. Use the internet to look up a company. You can find customer feedback, which is very useful in giving you insight into what other homeowners have experienced.

One thing that won't help much is price-comparison. You want to get cheap laminate flooring, of course, but you need to be careful. Buying seconds or discontinued products may turn out to be no bargain at all if you need to replace a bad section of flooring and discover you can't find comparable material.

Now that you know a bit more about what laminate flooring is, how it's installed, and what choices you have, you should find it easier to decide. So take that big step, buy it, install it, and your new floor will become the centerpiece of your home decorating project.

Ezra says: The Dream Home link above is the cheapest flooring available on the internet today. ( But use caution -- there's only a 10-yr warranty! ) To check the cheapest prices on the type of flooring you're shopping for, you can use the links at the top of this page.

To make it easier for you, here are links that these merchants provide to webpages that always show all the cheap laminate flooring they have available.

All the FastFloors laminate flooring that's under $2 / sq ft.
The search engine at Flooring Select is not good enough to sort the results by price, so you will need to break down the 151 results by brand to make it more manageable. The cheapest brands are Armstrong and Bruce.
Lumber Liquidators has 3 pages of laminate flooring for under $3 / sq ft.
Clearance items at simpleFLOORS. Be sure to buy enough material for minor repairs later on!
Laminate Sale Items at South Cypress Floors. The page is there, but there won't be anything listed unless they're having a sale.