Laminate Flooring Brands to Avoid 2024

Laminate flooring is popular since it is one of the cheapest options for flooring. There exist a wide range of brands for this purpose, but all of the brands don’t come with all you are looking for.

Laminate flooring often comes with easy installation, but there are also many other things to consider before buying the best Laminating brands for you.

To help you, we have made a list of Laminate flooring brands to avoid following our wide research sources. Have a look before going for your first purchase.

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How to identify the Worst Laminate Flooring Brands?

The worst laminate flooring brands usually use recycled materials like plastic bottles. They are also those that use toxic glue and sometimes have a high percentage of VOCs and formaldehyde in them. Some are even manufactured with non-sustainable materials such as palm oil.

However, before buying, you need to know that there are multiple types of laminates available in the market today. Some are engineered, and some are solid. Solid laminate flooring is made up of wood and glass.

Engineered laminate floors are made up of layers of wood and plastic. The plastic layer is the core, which is responsible for providing rigidity to the flooring. This type of laminate flooring is generally used in high traffic areas, as it is not as hard-wearing as solid laminate floors.

You can also buy laminate floors that are water-resistant or waterproof. They are mainly used in bathrooms, kitchens, and wet areas.

5 Laminate Flooring Brands to Avoid

Based on our research, the laminate flooring brands to avoid are Traffic Master, Armstrong, Shaw, Lowe’s, and The Home Depot.

1. Traffic Master

This brand might be the cheapest and budget-friendly option, but not a good one after the installation. The major flaw of this brand is its warranty duration.

Most of the laminating brands offer 30 years of warranty, but Traffic Master has only 15 years warranty, and only two lines have 25 years of warranty.

Talking about the material used, this brand again disappoints its users by using poor-quality material. It doesn’t give the genuine beauty of the wood.

Another reason to keep this brand on this list is that it offers limited styles in comparison to other brands. Unfortunately, it also lacks the Floor Score (indoor air quality certification) models.

Reasons to Avoid

• Poor quality of the material
• Limited styles
• Relatively short warranty duration

2. Armstrong (Low-End Laminate)

You might have seen this name for the best laminate flooring brand, but it lacks the quality in the low-end laminates. However, Armstrong comes with a wide range of selections, and the price tag is also affordable.

But it does not become really honest in case of warranty. Armstrong offers 20 years of warranty, which seems good but some tricky regulations back it.

For example, they prorate their warranty at the rate of 5 percent per year, and after 10 years of use, the company provides only 50 percent of the material with zero labor costs.

Mostly, the warranty issue seems the only reason to avoid this brand.

Reasons to Avoid

• Tricky warranty regulations

3. Shaw

The third name that comes on this list is Shaw, offering 100+ styles and colors in the market. This brand includes the best option when it comes to water and stain-resistant competition.

But it also has got some negative reviews to consider. Being $3 per square foot, it costs you too much as compared to other brands.

It also offers little resistance to dents and doesn’t match its costs. So this might not be the best option for the high traffic of feet.

Another issue concerned with this brand is its commercial warranty, which is only five years and the residential warranty policy is also unclear.

So this issue can raise a question about material’s durability. Some users have also reported that shaw laminate flooring gets scratches easily.

Reasons to Avoid

• Expensive
• Poor resistant quality to dents and scratches
• Unclear warranty policy

4. Lowe’s Home Improvement

Lowe’s has been providing incredible home appliances and improvements for almost 100 years, but it hasn’t gained much reputation in flooring.

Many users have complained about the customer service they get for installation and after use as well. It also starts to give Screeching noise after the early months of use.

Going ahead, this brand is also not an ideal product if you live with a big family. The build-in quality doesn’t give satisfaction and delivers poor resistance to denting.

We have also seen the reviews about the insufficient grip it provides, and you are likely to lose the balance often. Wet cleaning is also not that convenient.

So based on all the mentioned facts, it would be better to look at any other option available in the market.

Reasons to Avoid

• Poor customer service
• Bad material quality

5. The Home Depot

Like the other two brands mentioned above, this brand is also included among the worst brands for the high traffic areas.

It gets scratched easily and doesn’t provide the quality resistance to denting due to its lightweight material used for manufacturing.

Adding more, it is also a poor-resistant to the stains and may provide you inconvenience in cleaning.

Another major issue with this brand is the creaking sound it starts to make shortly after the installation. The low quality of laminate boards has also been a major concern for the buyers.

Main reasons to avoid

• Low-quality material
• Creaking sound
• Poor water and stain resistant

Most Reliable Laminate Flooring Brands 

So that was all about flooring brands to avoid. Next, we will share a list of the most reliable laminate flooring brands to help you with your purchase.

Don’t forget to check these.

1. RevWood Mohawk 

Mohawk is one of the largest flooring companies in the world, and it offers a wide range of over 150 styles and colors to choose the best option. In addition, RevWood by Mohawk provides 100 percent water-resistant flooring.

It also provides the most durable laminate boards for material quality. Unlike other worst brands, RevWood is also a quality stain-resistant, smooth, and comfortable to walk.

Discussing the warranty policy, this brand is again impressive. It offers a lifetime warranty for being water-resistant, against scratches, and many other features.

Another great thing about the policy is that the company provides an All Pet Protection guarantee that confirms the zero scratches contacted by pets, i.e., from their nails.

RevWood also took over the vinyl material and delivered the best alternative.

Main reasons to pick

• Perfectly water and stains resistant
• Lifetime warranty
• Quality material

2. AquaGuard

AquaGuard has so many features to be on this list, but it has gained a perfect reputation for being water-resistant. It uses two layers of coating to confirm its ability against humidity and water.

There are also more than 100 styles to choose the best one that suits you. AquaGuard is also one of the most durable names for the flooring as it uses laminating boards of rating AC5 (more durable than average AC4 rating).

So there is no need to worry about the denting, and it works great for high traffic areas like commercial use.

Along with all other positive features, Aqua Guard also provides a lifetime warranty for residential users and 15 years warranty for commercial use. It is also backed by a pet-friendly warranty.

Main reasons to pick

• Durable with AC5 ratings
• Lifetime warranty
• Water-resistant with two layers

3. Dream Home laminate

Another reliable name for Laminate flooring is Dream Home Laminate, the brand of Lumber Liquidators. It doesn’t offer you a lot of styles or designs, but it confirms the great quality of all of its products.

The major gain of this brand is its price tag, that has ranges from 1.5$ to 2.5$ per square foot.

The next advantage of this brand is that it is environmentally friendly and doesn’t emit any kind of toxic VOC (volatile organic compound).

Talking about the durability, it doesn’t match other top brands like Aqua Guard and RevWood but includes the perfect options for the residential areas.

However, if you are tight with your budget, this might be the best one for you with all of your requirements.

Main reasons to pick

• Budget-friendly
• Environment friendly

4. Tarkett Laminate

Tarkett is another affordable and reliable brand for laminate flooring. With a number of traditional and modern designs, it is available for a very low price.

Tarkett has the rating of AC3, which seems good for the residential areas and works quite well for a larger period if used for the little traffic.

Another great thing about this brand is its special warranty of 25 years for residential use.

It doesn’t give a warranty for commercial floors but might be the best option for the residential areas.

Main reasons to pick

• 25 years residential warranty
• Cheap and affordable

5. Pergo

In the 1970s, Pergo started to use laminate flooring as an alternative to hardwood flooring, and now it has become a common product for houseware brands. After that, Mohawk acquired Pergo in 2013 and retained its top quality.

Like many other best brands in the market, Pergo also offers more than 100 designs to select from.

The price range varies from 2.5$ to 3.25$ for this brand. It uses the material of the AC4 ratings to give quality durability.

Pergo is also great for the warranty period as it offers a lifetime warranty for the residential areas and a ten-year warranty for the commercial floors.

Main reasons to pick

• Perfect quality of material
• Long term warranty

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Conclusion: Laminate Flooring Brands to Avoid

Selecting the best laminate flooring brand might be tricky, but this is not the product you want to replace after several months.

We have tried our best to help you with both the best and worst options but don’t forget to check the material ratings and full warranty terms.

There is also the difference in the use regarding the areas like residential and commercial floors. So consider your requirements first before searching for the best brand in the market.

Steven Settles

Steven Settles is an ISCET-certified master in appliance repair. He has aced the National Appliance Service Technician Certification Exam, showcasing his exceptional diagnostic and repair skills. With an in-depth understanding of the latest repair technologies and a keen eye on evolving industry standards, Steven is a go-to expert for any appliance issue.