8mm Laminate Rio

AC4 sits in the upper half of the six abrasion classes the laminate standard defines, which is the rating for a hallway, a living room or a home office rather than a spare bedroom. It is fitted as a floating floor: underlay first, then the boards clicked together, with a gap at the walls, on a flat, dry subfloor; listed as compatible with underfloor heating. The box holds 10 boards, 2.32 square metres, and the manufacturer's warranty is 25 years.

Laminate is not the floor for a bathroom or a laundry room, since the standard that defines its AC4 rating excludes rooms that are wet often; for those rooms the BML rigid vinyl planks are the alternative. The 8mm Laminate Arkansas and 8mm Laminate Vivo are the neighbouring greys in the same format.