We look at core density, wear rating, plank width, and how the click-lock joint closes by hand.
We run a straightedge across the room, sand high spots in plywood, and pour self-leveller into the dips.
Over a slab we roll a moisture barrier first. Over wood we match the underlayment to the plank.
We mark the expansion gap at walls, pipes, and cabinets, then choose base or quarter round to cover it.
Stand where one floor meets another and look down. That joint is where a laminate job gets judged. We cut the reducer and the stair nosing to the exact finished height so nothing catches a toe. The field stops short of the wall, the base covers the gap, and the trim sits tight to the plank. Same care at doorways, the hearth, and the closet track. Call +1 240 751 5542 and we will measure yours.
We measure every room, check the subfloor for movement, and ask how you use the space.
Compare core, wear rating, plank width, and edge bevel on real samples in your light.
We grind ridges, fill low spots with self-leveller, then roll the moisture barrier and underlayment.
We lock the field, cut transitions, set the base, and show you how to clean it.
A click-lock joint needs flat support. Over a wavy subfloor the seams peak, click when you walk, and pull apart.
Laminate swells and shrinks with the seasons. We leave the expansion gap at walls, pipes, and toe kicks, then hide it under trim.
Water-resistant means a wiped-up spill, not a burst supply line. We tell you where the line is before you buy.
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Every laminate plank wears a photograph of wood. What you feel underfoot is the core. A dense core takes a dropped pan without denting and holds the click-lock joint tight. So ask about core density, wear rating, plank width, and edge profile. Beveled edges read like separate boards. Square edges read like one continuous sheet. We bring samples into the room and look at them in your light, not a showroom's.
If water is the real reason you are shopping, weigh laminate against waterproof flooring and luxury vinyl plank first. Laminate handles a spill you catch. It does not handle a supply line that lets go at 2 a.m.
Laminate floats. Nothing nails or glues it down, so it only feels solid if the subfloor is flat. We run a straightedge across the room and mark every spot that rocks. High ridges in plywood get sanded. Dips in a slab get self-leveller and time to cure. Over concrete we roll a moisture barrier, then the underlayment the plank maker specifies. Doubling up pad feels soft underfoot and pops joints apart within a year.
The boxes then acclimate in the room where the floor is going. They come in flat, stay closed, and sit until the material matches the house.
Doorways, hearths, the bottom step, and the edge of a carpeted bedroom each need a call. We cut reducers and stair nosing to the finished height so nothing catches a toe. Some doors need a shave off the bottom. The field stops short of every wall, pipe, and cabinet so the floor can expand, and base or quarter round covers that gap.
Want a number before we come out? The flooring cost calculator gives you a rough range. The real number comes after we see the subfloor, and that visit costs you nothing.
No. Laminate is a printed wear surface over a dense fiberboard core. Engineered hardwood has real wood on top and can be sanded. Laminate shrugs off scratches and dog nails better and costs less.
Often yes. Sheet vinyl and well-bonded tile can stay if they are flat, dry, and solid. Carpet, cushion, and tack strip come out. We straightedge the whole area first and level anything outside the plank tolerance.
No. The top surface may shed a spill you wipe up the same day. A dishwasher line that lets go overnight soaks the core, the underlayment, and the subfloor. Treat water fast and treat the claim as a surface claim.
No. A floating floor needs room to move, so we stop the field at the toe kick instead of trapping planks under the boxes. Islands and heavy built-ins get the same treatment. Every gap gets covered by base, quarter round, or a reducer.