What is laminate flooring?

Laminate flooring looks like wood but isn't. There's no real timber in it at all. What you're walking on is a photograph of wood, printed onto a sheet of paper, sealed under a hard plastic wear layer, and pressed onto a fibreboard core.

That sounds cheap. Honestly, it used to be. But modern laminates have got surprisingly good at fooling the eye. Some have textured surfaces that follow the grain pattern in the image, so they even feel like wood under your feet.

Why people choose it

Price, mostly. Laminate costs a fraction of real wood or engineered flooring. It's also tough. The wear layer resists scratches and dents better than most hardwoods, which makes it popular with families, dog owners, and anyone who doesn't want to worry about dropping things.

It clicks together the same way engineered boards do. No glue, no nails, straight over your existing subfloor with an underlay. A decent fitter can do a room in a day.

The downsides

You can't sand it. Once the surface wears through, the board is finished. Water is also a problem. Standard laminate swells if moisture gets into the fibreboard core, so bathrooms are usually out. Some newer ranges claim to be waterproof, but read the small print.

Is it worth it?

If budget is the priority and you want something that looks decent and handles daily wear, laminate does the job. Just don't expect it to last as long as real wood.