Laminate · West Chester, PA
Boyle’s Floor & Window Designs sells and installs Mohawk RevWood laminate flooring at 705 East Gay Street in West Chester, PA. Laminate is the lower-cost way to get a convincing wood look in bedrooms, offices, and living areas, and our own crews typically install a room or two in a day.
Updated October 2026
Laminate since 1951
Laminate gets the wood look on a budget, and it deserves a fair hearing rather than a sales pitch. It is harder than luxury vinyl, which means fewer dents from dropped pans and dragged chairs. It is less expensive than hardwood, and newer lines handle moisture far better than the laminate of the early 2000s. It cannot be refinished like wood, and for a room that sees standing water we still point people to vinyl or tile. Knowing those facts is most of the decision.
Side by side
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| Laminate | Luxury vinyl | Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface hardness | Hardest; resists dents | Softer; can dent | Dents, but can be refinished |
| Water | Water-resistant; some lines sold as waterproof | Waterproof | Not for wet rooms |
| Can be refinished | No | No | Yes |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Low to mid | Highest |
| Best rooms | Bedrooms, offices, halls, living rooms | Kitchens, basements, baths | Living and dining rooms, bedrooms |
This is the comparison most homeowners actually face, and the honest answer depends on the room. Laminate is harder and more dent-resistant, often less expensive per square foot, and feels more like wood underfoot. Luxury vinyl is waterproof, quieter, warmer, and more forgiving of an imperfect subfloor. For a kitchen, bathroom, basement, or laundry room, choose vinyl. For a bedroom, office, hallway, or living room where water is not a daily risk, laminate is a strong value.
Hardwood is real wood that can be sanded and refinished for decades and adds resale value. Laminate is a photograph of wood under a hard coating that will look good for its lifespan and then be replaced. If the room is one you plan to keep and refinish, choose hardwood. If the room needs a wood look now at a lower cost, laminate delivers it convincingly.
Construction
Laminate is four layers pressed together. A clear wear layer on top protects against scratches and fading. A photographic design layer beneath it carries the wood or stone image. A dense fiberboard core gives the plank its stiffness and its sound. A backing layer at the bottom balances the plank and resists moisture from below. The quality of the core and the rating of the wear layer determine how the floor performs over time.
Durability
Laminate durability is graded on the AC scale from the European laminate standard, EN 13329. The two ratings you will see most are AC3 and AC4.
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| Rating | Rated for | In plain terms |
|---|---|---|
| AC3 | Heavy residential and moderate commercial use | Any room in a home |
| AC4 | General commercial use | A busy home, or an office or shop |
Living with laminate
RevWood is Mohawk’s laminate line and the one in our showroom. Mohawk markets its RevWood Plus and RevWood Premier lines as waterproof, with sealed joints and a water-repellent finish. That closes much of the old gap with vinyl, though we still recommend luxury vinyl or tile where water stands, such as a basement that takes on moisture.
Laminate comes in narrow strips, standard planks, and wide planks, with smooth, embossed, and hand-scraped textures. The most realistic products register the texture to the printed grain, so the surface you feel matches the wood you see. Stone-look and tile-look laminate exist for spaces that suit them.
Sweep or vacuum with a hard-floor setting. Damp-mop sparingly with a laminate-specific cleaner, never a soaking mop or steam mop, since water at the seams is laminate’s one weakness. Wipe spills promptly. Use felt pads under furniture and mats at entries. Do not wax or polish; the wear layer is the finish.
Installation
We check the subfloor for flatness.
The planks acclimate in your home for a couple of days.
Laminate floats over an underlayment that provides moisture protection and softens sound. Planks click together without glue or nails. The crew installs the floor with the correct expansion gap at the walls and finishes with transitions and trim.
A room or two is typically done in a day, and you can walk on it immediately.
Questions
Most laminate is water-resistant, meaning it tolerates spills that are wiped up promptly. Some newer lines, including Mohawk's RevWood Plus and RevWood Premier, are marketed as waterproof. For rooms where water stands, we still recommend luxury vinyl or tile.
Quality laminate with a high wear rating is among the most scratch-resistant floors available and is harder than most luxury vinyl. Grit and pet nails will eventually mark any floor; a good wear layer just takes far longer.
AC3 is rated for any room in a home. AC4 is rated for general commercial use and gives a busy household extra margin.
Fifteen to twenty-five years in a typical home, depending on the wear rating and traffic.
No. The surface is a coating, not wood. When it wears through, the plank is replaced.
Older laminate often did. Current products with attached pads, registered textures, and matte finishes feel and sound far closer to wood. Walk on it in our showroom and judge for yourself.
Brands
Free in-home visit
The laminate-versus-vinyl question is easiest to settle with both samples on your floor. Ask us to bring them, or stop by East Gay Street and walk on the displays. Call (610) 429-9773 or schedule a free in-home visit. Financing is available.
Keep exploring
Flooring guide · Luxury vinyl · Hardwood · Laminate gallery · How shop at home works · Financing
