Laminate Buying Guide

Hardwearing, easy to maintain and easy to fit: It's easy to see why laminate flooring has become a popular flooring solution for many areas of the home.

At Martin Phillips Carpets we stock a wide range of wood laminates from only Europe’s best laminate flooring manufacturers. Unlike most flooring stores we buy direct from the factory, cutting out the middle man so you save money.

• Rooms Which room is it for? The great thing with laminate flooring is that it’s suitable for most areas of the home except for wet areas such as bathrooms. It's particularly popular for high traffic areas and demanding environments such as the hallway and living room.


• Types Are you looking for a wooden look floor? Or tile look? Or even marble? When thinking of laminates, most of us are thinking of wooden flooring but laminates can also have tile or even marble effect.

  However, the most popular look in laminates is the Oak Wood. Other wood looks available are: walnut, teak, merbau and the very popular Herringbone pattern.
  
  

• Underlay A new laminate flooring needs a new underlay. If it’s a wood/timber sub floor then any of our laminate underlays are suitable. But for a concrete floor you will need to select one of our underlays with a moisture barrier to protect your laminate / wood floor against moisture damage.


• Sizes It's helpful if you can measure and draw a sketch of your room or hallway. You can enter your sizes into the Size calculator which is available on each laminate page to see how many metres or boxes you require.
  Keep in mind that each laminate box covers different m2. So you may find a laminate that 2 boxes will be enough for your 5m2 room, while for another laminate, you may need to buy 3 boxes to cover the same room.
  It’s also a good idea to buy an extra box just in case its needed in the future. You can bring your sizes in store where our experts can assist you. We also provide a free local measuring service if you want added peace of mind.


• Budget What's your budget? You should invest in the best laminate flooring you can afford, don’t forget to factor in all the costs which include the laminate flooring, underlay, beading, door bars and fitting.
  Always look at the cost per m2 and try on our calculator on different laminates. You will notice that different laminates, need different amount of boxes and may cover just right or a bit more of your required measures. At Martin Phillips Carpets we offer the biggest range of Laminates at the best prices you can find either online or in store. We will not be beaten on price!


• Fitting Who is fitting the laminate? Is it a DIY project or will it need to be fitted by one of our professional laminate fitters? All of our laminates utilise the most advanced click systems which means that they are suitable for a DIY project.


• AC Rating What's an AC rating? An AC rating is an international industry standard which represents a laminate floorings durability and resistance to abrasion, impact and stains. It’s a great and easy way to identify the quality of the laminate flooring you are buying. Laminate AC ratings range from AC1 to AC6.The higher the rating the better the flooring. We at Martin Phillips Carpets suggest looking at laminates with AC4 rating as they will last longer even when used in high traffic areas of your house.


• Thickness What Laminate thickness should I choose? Our laminate floors are available in varying thicknesses from 7-14mm. The thickness of your laminate will affect the durability, comfort, lifespan and performance. The higher thickness the more durable the laminate. The most common laminate thickness is 8mm and this is what we usually suggest our customers buying.

Now that you learnt a few more things about Laminates, head over to our Laminate section and use filters to find a Herringbone laminate or a laminate priced within your budget.