Laminate has long been synonymous with extreme scratch and dent resistance, durability, ease of installation and affordable price points. However, the one area where the category has historically fallen short in its earlier iterations is its resistance to damage caused by spills, household accidents and other sources of moisture incursion.
In recent years, however, the category has made advancements in the area of damage from standing water. These improvements are due in large measure to investments in the manufacture of the coreboards utilized in many laminate floors today as well as the special, often proprietary sprays and treatments applied to the edges and ends of the boards during the production phase.
In essence, these advancements are putting laminate flooring on a more equitable footing with rigid core flooring products. Take Mohawk’s RevWood Plus and RevWood Premier lines, for instance. Both feature the company’s proprietary WetProtect technology that allows the product to be safely installed in areas of the home prone to spills and everyday household accidents.
“WetProtect offers the right kind of waterproof with water-tight joints, Mohawk’s proprietary waterproof finish and the industry’s only lifetime surface and subfloor warranty,” said David Moore, senior vice president, product management, Mohawk.
Mohawk is not alone. HF Design’s latest foray into the laminate flooring section is Aquaproof XL, a step-up collection to its original Aquaproof line. The product features a fully renewable fiber core that not only boasts excellent noise absorption, but it also features a special sealed edge treatment that protects against moisture incursion.
Tarkett also recently made a splash in the waterproof laminate category with the rollout of ShoreFlor. The product features Searenity waterproof technology designed to help the product stand up to household spills and accidents. “We had a lot of re- quests and customers wanting something beyond just SPC,” said Jason Surratt, president. “With all the technology improvements that have occurred over the last 10-15 years in laminate, it’s definitely a category we see opportunity in.”
Then there’s US Mills, which launched EcoDense, a hybrid laminate/SPC product billed as a true waterproof flooring option. “One of the incredible features about it is the content of the product is 94% wood; however, due to the very high compaction of the product, we’re able to get very different characteristics than you would normally get with a wood-based product,” said Karel Vercruyssen, president of the Dalton-based company.
US Mills is able to achieve these characteristics, according to Vercruyssen, by starting with a fiber preparation process that yields smaller particles than traditional wood-based engineered floors. Another differentiator, he said, is the secret sauce used to bond the materials. “We don’t use any formaldehyde in the manufacturing process of EcoDense,” he explained. “Instead, we have different binders that have a much better encapsulation of the wood fiber.”