Laminate flooring represents the most significant flooring entry into the U.S. market in the past 25 years. The product we know today was originally developed as another possible use of high-pressure melamine laminate. This occurred in Sweden in the early ’80s. A product was created with a base of several layers of paper impregnated with special resins, which were pressed together under high pressure into a highly wear-resistant composite material. The decorative paper determined the design. The finished laminate was then glued onto a carrier and cut into sections with extremely exact dimensions.

Decorative laminate was a product that was widely used on kitchen countertops, tables or wall paneling, but not for floors. This clearly created an opportunity, but a flooring application brought new technical challenges. The initial concern to be solved was the wear factor: Floors suffer much more normal abuse than furniture or countertops. A laminate floor clearly had to be more durable.

So, a reinforced laminate approximately 10 times stronger than countertops was created and the first flooring was sold. As research grew, the relative strength increased dramatically to at least 20 times that of countertops.

Important parallel developments were also taking place during these early days. Packaging was one. Wood flooring at the time was normally sold in long strips of approximately 8 feet and installed only by a skilled professional. Laminate flooring was different right from the beginning. It was packaged eight planks to a carton that was approximately half this length (about 4 feet). The easy-to-handle carton was fairly lightweight and could be transported with ease. Its carton contents equaled approximately 20 square feet. Because of these revolutionary factors and ease of installation, a large do-it yourself market was created in Sweden that still exists today.

The European spread of laminate flooring
Three important attributes—durability, design and installation ease—now assured the popularity of laminate flooring in Europe. Following the early success in Scandinavia, other northern European countries, primarily Germany and the Benelux countries, began to market laminate flooring. Distribution then spread quickly throughout the rest of Europe and continues today. Standards in Europe are continually being created and have the force of law.

Laminate flooring crossed the Atlantic to North America in the early ’90s and was brought quickly to the market. The results surpassed even those experienced in Europe. The North American consumer discovered she could have a product of beauty with incredible wear and unmatched stain resistance. Kitchens quickly became the primary room for laminate floors.

The retailer enjoyed unexpected ease of stocking and servicing. Dye lots, found in ceramic or textile, are non-existent in laminate flooring. This retailer benefit also assured the consumer of exact match in tone and color, even if additional matching flooring was purchased and installed a year later.

Soon, U.S. and Canadian manufacturing operations began to produce the product. North America took to this new category in unparalleled numbers.