Frequently Asked Questions

5. Will a laminate hold up well to children and pets?

Yes. All of the brands we carry have great stain and wear warranties.

6. Do laminate floors scratch or dent easily?

No. The many layers of melamine on the surface and the thick, dense core prevent the floor from scratching and denting easily.

7. Are laminates waterproof? Can I install a laminate in my bathroom?

Most of the laminates that we carry are “waterproof” (we prefer calling them water resistant). Most styles are warranted for full use bathrooms. However, some entry-level styles do not have moisture warranties and are not recommended for full use bathrooms. Please see the last page of this handout for more information on waterproof floors.

8. How do you maintain a laminate floor? What type of vacuum cleaner should I use?

Maintenance on a laminate floor is simple--just sweep, dust mop, or damp mop with the manufacturer’s recommended cleaner. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar or hard head on laminate floors. The vacuum head should be brush or felt; a wand attachment is preferable. Do not use a “steam cleaner” on your laminate floor.

9. What rooms are people putting laminate floors in?

Laminate floors are most often being used in the family room and kitchen/eating areas. More people are doing entire homes due to the stylish looks and easy maintenance.

10. How much does a typical kitchen cost?

A typical kitchen (300 square feet) can run anywhere from $2,500 to $3,200.

11. What is floor prep?

Floor prep is anything that needs to be done to your existing subfloor to prepare for your installation.

12. How level does my floor need to be?

It is very important in a laminate installation for the subfloor to be level. All manufacturers have requirements as to subfloor leveling (typically level to within 3/16” over a 10’ span) that we must adhere to in order for your floor to be warranted.

13. What is the difference between Pergo and other brands?

Pergo is one of the best known of the many brands of laminate floors. Pergo has become a generic name for laminate flooring, like “Kleenex” tissues and “Xerox” copies. Pergo does not make all laminates. Enhance Floors carries many quality laminates made by companies such as Mohawk, Karastan, Mannington, and QuickStep.

14. Which should I do first, paint or the new floor?

We recommend doing your floors first. This is particularly important when there is demo (for example, removing hard surface floors and/or subflooring) being done. A reputable painter will not have any problems protecting and not damaging your brand new floors. By doing the painting last, you don’t have to worry about any damage from the demo or installation, touch-up painting, painting your primed baseboards and/or shoemold, etc.

You can see pictures of our installations on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Waterproof Flooring

It’s the hottest thing out there. Everybody wants it. Waterproof LVP. Waterproof laminate. Even waterproof wood. You will see in flooring showrooms all over America a piece of “waterproof” plank submerged in water for days, weeks, months. But what are you really getting?

The uninstalled floor itself is waterproof. The locking systems on the floors are also “waterproof” but not for excessive amounts of water (more on this later). Think of a “waterproof” floor as being topically waterproof, for splashes and spills, pet accidents, wet mopping, typical everyday occurrences like this. Drop an ice cube, your floor will be OK. Actually, we prefer to call these floors “water resistant” and not waterproof. Here’s why:

What if there’s a lot of water? Waterproof is defined as being impervious to water, not allowing water to go through. And impervious is an even stronger word: not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable, not capable of being damaged or harmed. A floor? Especially a wood floor? A laminate floor that is 80% wood? Really? Roofs can leak. Swimming pools can leak. Showers can leak. All of these are made to constantly get wet.

A lot of water can and will get in, around, through, and under the flooring. The quicker you get the liquid up, the better. But if your house floods, the water will reach the perimeter and make its way under the floor. Subfloors, wood trim, walls, all will likely be damaged by excessive amounts of water either on or below the “waterproof” flooring.

Water damage and mold cost the insurance industry $2.5 billion dollars per year, and the average cost of a home water damage insurance claim is over $7,000. The most common water damage issues are caused by plumbing and appliance issues, and less common are weather-related events such as rain, snow, or pipes burst due to freezing temperatures. Your “waterproof” floor is not going to help in situations like this. So please don’t buy a floor thinking it is going to survive a water damage.

You may be thinking can’t I just pull up the “waterproof” floor, dry everything out, and reinstall it. If it is a small area and you are super careful, probably. You must be very careful not to damage the tongues when removing the floor (otherwise you will have a hard time getting it back together) and you should number the planks, because it needs to be reinstalled like a puzzle. However, if there is a remediation company involved, their job is to get the floor up quickly and start drying everything out, because mold is an expensive word to an insurance company. A remediation technician will not know that your floor could possibly be reused, and his focus is NOT going to be on saving your floor. When you have a flood, you are going to get a new floor. And probably a new subfloor, sheetrock repair, new trim, painting, sometimes a new ceiling and new furniture … that’s why we have homeowner’s insurance.

To summarize, a floor is not impervious to water. Instead, think of your “waterproof” floor as having a surface that is resistant to small amounts of liquid that you clean up in a quick amount of time. You will avoid the disappointment of finding that something you thought would be covered by the flooring warranty is not.