What the AC rating actually changes
The AC number is an abrasion class, not a quality score. AC3 is rated for normal domestic use and is fine in a bedroom; AC4 is what we recommend for a hallway or living room with children; AC5 is commercial-grade and worth it if you have dogs whose claws will meet the floor every day.
Board thickness (7mm, 8mm, 12mm) changes how solid the floor feels and how well it bridges small subfloor dips — it does not change scratch resistance. A 12mm AC3 board will scuff sooner than an 8mm AC4.
How we fit it
- Subfloor checked with a moisture meter and levelled where dips exceed 3mm over 2m
- Boards acclimatised in the room for at least 48 hours before fitting
- Combined foam-and-DPM underlay on concrete, acoustic underlay in upstairs flats
- 8–10mm expansion gap at every wall, radiator pipe and threshold
- Scotia beading or lifted skirtings to cover the gap — your choice at survey
- Colour-matched door bars at every threshold change
When we advise against it
Laminate has a paper decor layer under a melamine wear surface. Once water gets into a joint, the core swells and the damage does not reverse — you replace boards, not repair them. That rules it out of bathrooms, utilities and most kitchens.
We also steer people away from laminate on stairs. It can be done with specialist nosings, but the finish and the noise rarely satisfy anyone who has felt a carpeted or solid-timber stair.