The Benefits of Water-Resistant Laminate Flooring for UK Homes and Offices

Laminate flooring offers an attractive, durable and easy-to-clean solution for homes and offices, and today’s laminate materials are robust enough to withstand heavy wear and tear as well as moisture. Water-resistant flooring laminates are a reliable, stylish, and ultra-practical option that can transform households and businesses, creating a modern, welcoming interior that will stand the test of time. Online Carpets is your trusted source for high-quality laminate flooring for every room of your home, office, or rental property.

What is Water-Resistant Laminate Flooring?

Water-resistant laminate floors are specially designed with a water-repellent layer to guard the internal wood fibres from liquids and spills. Standard laminate, which doesn’t have this benefit, can be prone to swelling and damage when liquids are spilt onto it. Opting for water-resistant flooring can enhance both the aesthetics and resilience of your home or business.

Laminate flooring water-resistant options come in a diverse choice of colours, designs, and finishes and can generally withstand a fairly large amount of moisture, making it an ideal choice for bathrooms, WCs, and kitchens where spills and splashes are common.

Online Carpets stock a broad range of durable laminate flooring options that are stylish, low-maintenance, and long-lasting enough to be used in bathrooms and other moisture-prone areas, withstanding spills, humidity, and high traffic while maintaining an attractive appearance. The best water-resistant laminate flooring is one that has an Abrasion Class 4 rating (AC4) or above for maximum durability in well-used zones. 

Benefits of Water-Resistant Laminate Floors

A water-resistant laminate floor offers a high level of protection against spilt liquids and humid environments. As the surface is designed to repel water, it makes accidents easier to clean up before they soak into the flooring itself. Moisture is the enemy of wooden and laminate flooring, as it can cause swelling and warping, and can lead to trapped moisture underneath, which can cause mould, dampness, and bad odours. 

The water-resistant design of this robust flooring is easy to keep clean, as it’s safe to mop, making it perfect for families with pets and children. It’s also designed to be anti-slip, which can help to conform to health and safety regulations in offices, shops, and rental properties. 

Although most products will not commonly state that it’s certified as fully waterproof laminate flooring, this moisture-resistant floor type will guard against a normal amount of splashing from wet feet, food and drink leaks and children’s bathtimes, without warping.

Durability and Longevity

Laminate floors are durable and designed to last, providing a versatile and easy-to-install solution for pretty much any room’s shape or size. Water-resistant laminate floors are especially resistant to moisture and spills, helping your floor to last even longer safely. They offer enhanced wear and tear protection, and many products come with a minimum guarantee. It’s different from fully waterproof flooring like you’d find in a shower or spa, but a water-resistant laminate floor will be hard-wearing enough to splash and maintain its appearance even in damp environments such as shower rooms. 

If you’re looking for heavy footfall flooring, or commercial flooring for businesses, look for our ‘Contract Rated Laminate’ mark, which highlights ultra hard-wearing laminates suitable for contract uses and areas.

Aesthetic Versatility

Metz Oak Kronotex Herringbone 8mm Laminate Flooring

One of the many benefits of laminate is that it comes in a vast range of styles, colours, and finishes. Choose from chic white to classic grey, or light, natural, and dark wood effects to fit your décor. You can also think outside the box when it comes to design, with contemporary herringbone laminates which continue to dominate interior magazines and homeware trends. Water-resistant herringbone laminate flooring can transform your bathroom, kitchen area, or hallway with an inexpensive alternative that mimics natural wood in aesthetics but is easier to take care of and simpler to maintain. And if wood effect isn’t quite your thing, you can even choose sleek stone-effect flooring for a modern, inexpensive alternative to tiling with a warmer feel under bare feet. 

Cost-Effectiveness

Many wood effect laminates look and feel almost exactly like real wood underfoot, but they come at a fraction of the cost and require far less maintenance. Stain-resistant, strong, and versatile, they offer an affordable alternative to hardwood or tiles. Online Carpets stocks a variety of low-maintenance, scratch-resistant bathroom laminate flooring, hallway, and kitchen laminate flooring to fit all budgets. Plus, they're simple to install and clean and boast much lower repair costs than real wood or tiles if things do get damaged during heavy use.

Water-Resistant Laminate in Your Home 

If you have pets or children, like to entertain, or simply enjoy a long hot bath, having a water-resistant floor can bring huge benefits when it comes to looking after your home. From spilt coffee to muddy footprints and all the other little accidents that can happen, it gives you peace of mind that you can go about your day without having to worry about your floor being damaged or discoloured. Having said that, we still recommend mopping up larger spills to prevent any liquid from seeping between boards.

You may be wondering: ‘is laminate water resistant enough for the bathroom?’ The answer is yes, it can be, though it’s important to select a product which explicitly states that it’s safe for bathroom or shower room use, to make sure your floor stays looking its best. 

Kitchens and Bathrooms

Fully waterproof bathroom flooring can be extremely costly, and most homes don’t need this level of protection for standard use. For most households, it’s more important that stylish flooring for bathrooms be water-resistant, budget-friendly and easy to clean and maintain, which is when laminate is ideal. Laminate floors easily survive day-to-day footfall and resist stains and marks from cooking spills and splashes, making for an easy-clean solution that is as elegant as it is hard-wearing. 

Living Rooms and Bedrooms

Kronotex Basic 6mm Laminate Flooring

Choosing laminate for living rooms and bedrooms can make a space seem more open, modern, and inviting. It’s also highly practical in case drinks and products get spilt, your makeup makes a mark, or flower vases get knocked over. Unlike carpet, laminate is easy to keep clean by mopping, sweeping, or vacuuming, and it can be more hygienic than carpet and less prone to staining. It is also designed to avoid fading or discolouring in the sun like some carpet can, and won’t dent when furniture is placed on top of it. 

For landlords, laminate can be a much more cost-effective choice than carpet, as it provides longevity and won’t need replacing in-between tenants if it only shows signs of normal wear-and-tear.

If you have a smaller space that you’d like to make appear larger, opt for lighter colours and thinner planks that are laid lengthways to accentuate the room. For larger spaces, you can be adventurous with herringbone designs, darker colours, and wider planks to create a real ‘wow’ factor.

Water-Resistant Laminate in Commercial Spaces

It can be challenging to find heavy-duty flooring which maintains sleek aesthetics in commercial buildings and offices. Carpets can quickly become stained, damaged, and indented by furniture, and they can be costly to fix, deep clean, and maintain. However, laminate flooring provides the ideal solution by being robust, stylish, and quick and easy to mop. A non-slip, water-resistant laminate is the perfect choice for kitchenettes, break rooms, and staff or customer toilets.

Office Flooring  Offices tend to be high-traffic areas and need to be safe for building users. Laminate is quick and simple to install to help reduce downtime, and provides a high level of durability plus spill protection. It can be brilliant for businesses, as desk chairs and tables won’t damage the flooring as they can with carpet tiles, and it can be an attractive and eye-catching way to enhance the room aesthetics whilst providing comfort underfoot for colleagues who are on their feet all day.

Hospitality and Retail Environments

Real wood floors can look breathtaking in hospitality and retail environments, but why risk damaging the floor when you can have faux wood as an alternative? Laminate flooring is ultra-durable and suited to heavy foot and wheeled traffic. It saves time and money on maintenance, is scratch-resistant, so it stands up to high heels and the moving of furniture, and helps to avoid staining from any spilt food and drink. The choice of chic colours and effects available can enhance the customer experience with the added bonus of easy maintenance and a long-lasting finish to complement modern, traditional, or heritage buildings.

Choosing the Right Water-Resistant Laminate

Not all laminates are created equal, so it’s important to look at each product’s AC rating and recommended use to best fit your needs. Online Carpets stocks bathroom-friendly laminate suitable for moisture-prone areas, featuring clever HydroShield technology to make planks water resistant, as well as boasting a Scratch Protect layer that makes it ideal for use even in busy areas such as hallways and offices, with a quick-to-install Uniclic system. 

Factors to Consider

If you’re choosing flooring for your home or office, you’ll want to consider the thickness, number of layers, appearance, and size of the boards before purchasing. We stock 6mm through to ultra-durable 12mm thick laminates, depending on your budget and where you would like the flooring to be installed. It’s also vital to consider the moisture levels in the room, expected footfall, and whether it needs to be compatible with underfloor heating. Contact our friendly team if you’d like any advice. 

Installation and Maintenance Tips

Laminate flooring is famously easy to install and maintain and presents an affordable solution for almost any room in your home or business premises. Although we always recommend using a trusted professional to install your new flooring, it is possible to lay it yourself at home if you’re interested in self-measuring and DIY installation. This can save you time and money, but a professional installation will ensure that the flooring is fully fit for purpose and can last even longer.

Incredibly simple to care for, laminate is designed to be resistant to scratches, dents, and stains, making it great for offices or busy homes with children or pets. When it comes to cleaning, we recommend vacuuming weekly and using a mild, bleach-free cleaning product designed for use on laminate. Use only damp cloths and avoid abrasive cleaners or stiff bristle brooms to preserve the floor’s colour and appearance. Although our water-resistant ranges will help to repel spills and moisture, it’s always best to mop up surface water to prevent slips and long-term damage. If you do decide to lay rugs on top of your laminate, it’s best to use a rug pad or gripper to prevent sliding.
 
Contemporary water-resistant laminate flooring offers durability, style, and practicality for modern interiors. With sturdy construction and a wide variety of colours and styles to choose from, laminate offers the benefits of real wood flooring at a fraction of the cost to help create your ideal finish quickly and simply. With wood plank and herringbone designs amongst our collection of laminate flooring, a luxury feel has never been so cost-effective. We also stock a range of underlay and accessories, and proudly offer up to 6 samples to help you achieve the look you want for your home or office for less. Browse our range today, and be inspired while taking advantage of our price guarantee.