Laminate flooring is the great pretender among flooring materials. When your creative side tells you to install wood but your practical side knows it just won’t hold up in the traffic-heavy location for which you’re considering it, a wood floor look-alike might be just the thing. Faux wood and faux stone laminate floors provide you with the look you want, tempered with physical wear and care properties that your family can live with. Laminate is particularly suited to rooms where floors are likely to see heavy duty – kitchens, family rooms, hallways, and children’s bedrooms and playrooms – anywhere stain and scratch resistance and easy cleanup count. Prolonged exposure to moisture will damage some laminate products, but many can now be used in wet areas. Manufacturers of laminate offer warranties against scratching, staining, cracking, and peeling for up to 25 years.