AC wear rating
- AC3: light residential — bedrooms
- AC4: general residential — living, dining, hallways
- AC5: heavy residential / light commercial
- Higher AC = harder wear layer — better for dogs and kids
Thickness and underfoot feel
7–8 mm: budget, needs flat subfloor. 10–12 mm: quieter, more forgiving of minor dips. Thickness does not equal durability — wear layer AC rating matters more.
Water resistance
- Standard laminate: wipe spills quickly
- Water-resistant core: waxed edges, short exposure OK
- Waterproof laminate / LVP: for kitchens and mudrooms — read warranty limits
Retail label checklist
- AC rating matches room traffic (AC4+ for hallways)
- Waterproof claim — read warranty exclusions
- Box coverage sq ft — enter in calculator, not guess
- Attached pad? — skip double underlay unless approved
- Batch/lot number — buy all boxes same run