Ac rating of Laminate Flooring

When looking for a new laminate floor it can be a little overwhelming.  Often you will hear about the AC rating, but should you take any notice? At Wood Floor Warehouse we think it is extremely important to understand more about this. The AC Rating exists to rate laminate flooring. First of all, we need to understand what the AC actually means.

What is the AC Rating on Laminate Flooring?

AC stands for 'Abrasion Coefficient'. It's a wooden floor rating system designed to see what level of wear and tear floors can endure, using tests that replicate real-life scenarios. They will test for a minimum stand of resistance to :

  • Moving furniture
  • Traffic
  • Heat
  • Impact
  • Moisture

The rating system is created by an independent company, used by and trusted by most of the reputable manufacturers of laminate flooring manufacturers. As a result, when a floor fails any part of the test, it cannot be awarded an AC rating. Importantly, the final rating is based on the lowest score that it receives throughout the tests. If the floor receives a 5 across the board apart from a 3 in one test, it will only be given an AC rating of 3.

The system rates a floor between AC 1 and 6, with 6 being the hardest wearing. AC5-6 are often used for demanding residential installations or commercial laminate flooring fit outs.

 

 

Commonly, many laminate floor types will score lower in these tests. For example, **high gloss laminate flooring** often scores lower in tests because it can be marked easier than regular floors. Real wood flooring does not normally have an AC rating as it will score too low on scratch resistance. **Cheap laminate flooring** will often score lower due to lower quality materials often being used.

We made this video to show our customers how well our Egger flooring stands up to some serious punishment. Check it out for some fun.

What Are The Correct Applications?

AC Rating of 1-3

  • AC1 Laminate Flooring - Very low amount of traffic e.g. Bedrooms
  • AC2 Laminate Flooring - Low traffic areas such as Bedrooms, Dining rooms etc.
  • AC3 Laminate Flooring - Low to moderate levels of traffic in a residential area including hallways, living rooms etc.

AC Rating of 4-6

  • AC4 Laminate Flooring - Moderately busy residential areas such as living room, hallways and small commercial spaces such as offices, salons etc. This is a commercial range and therefore covers any residential use with ease of mind.
  • AC5 Laminate Flooring - This is close to the highest durability level and covers commercial areas that have a high level of footfall e.g. Restaurants, retail spaces, busy offices etc.
  • AC6 Laminate Flooring - This is rare to the extent that not many laminate floors meet this requirement, but it covers floors for extreme commercial use. e .g. Public buildings and busy retail spaces such as busy stores or offices.

Summary

At Wood Floor Warehouse we recognise the importance of AC ratings and ensure that our all of the laminate floors we sell are independently rated. At Wood Floor Warehouse our floors begin at AC3. We believe in quality flooring and are committed to ensuring that we only sell products of the highest standards, despite our low prices.

 

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