If you’re looking for wood flooring that looks great and is durable enough to take on a busy household, laminate might be the right choice. But you’ll want to make sure the product you choose is high-quality and will not swell up when it meets moisture. This guide has everything you need to decide if laminate is the best floor for you.

The first thing to understand about the structure of laminate is that there are multiple layers. The core layer is made of high density fiberboard, which is a recycled composite material that saves our precious forest resources. The next layer is a design, which can be anything from a wood grain to stone or marble in a wide range of colors and designs. A protective surface layer is then put on top, which protects the floor from indentations and water damage.

Many people who choose laminate don’t realize that the floors can be damaged by direct contact with moisture. The fact is that even if you clean up spills immediately, if the floor remains saturated for an extended period of time, it can swell, which gives the floor a cheap look. You can prevent this from happening by installing laminate in rooms that won’t come into prolonged direct contact with moisture.

Most of the top laminate brands use click-together systems that snap together like puzzle pieces to form floating floors that sit above a subfloor rather than being attached to it. This makes it easy for an average DIYer to install. It’s also much cheaper than installing solid wood floors.

A good quality laminate will have some natural variation in pattern, which helps it look more realistic. Some of the lower-end laminate products, on the other hand, can look overly glossy and have frequently-repeated patterns that are very obvious and tell your eyes that the flooring is not genuine wood.

Some of the top laminate floors are waterproof, which is ideal if you plan to install them in areas that will likely see more than their fair share of water splashes or spills. This includes laundry and utility rooms, as well as bathrooms and kitchens.

One of the most important things to consider when choosing a laminate is the level of formaldehyde in the product you’re buying. This is especially important if you have young children or pets. A few years ago, LL Flooring (now called Lumber Liquidators) was caught selling low-quality laminate that had levels of formaldehyde far above the legal limit. If you’re concerned about this, check out our guide to the best formaldehyde-free laminate floors.

If you have a limited budget, you can find affordable, waterproof laminate floors from brands like Mohawk and Pergo. Both companies offer multiple lines of laminate with different water resistance levels. Mohawk’s Spill Proof Collection is a good example, with 8mm thick planks that are waterproof and covered by a lifetime residential manufacturer warranty.

While it’s important to know your options when shopping for new floors, ultimately, you should choose the floor that feels right for you and fits within your price range. That might mean settling for a less expensive floor or finding an alternative like concrete or vinyl that still offers the style you want.