AC ratings and thickness: what to actually buy
| Class | Abrasion rating | Thickness | Rate (₹/sq ft, fixed) | Correct use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC3 | Moderate domestic | 7 – 8 mm | ₹80 – 120 | Bedrooms, guest rooms, studies |
| AC4 | Heavy domestic / light commercial | 8 – 10 mm | ₹110 – 160 | Living and dining rooms |
| AC5 | Commercial | 10 – 12 mm | ₹150 – 200 | Offices, meeting rooms, showrooms |
| Water-resistant AC4 | Heavy domestic, sealed joints | 8 – 10 mm | ₹140 – 200 | Living rooms in humid flats; still not wet areas |
| Underlay, 2 mm foam with vapour barrier | — | — | ₹12 – 30 | Mandatory, not optional |
| Matching skirting | — | — | ₹55 – 120 / rft | Covers the expansion gap |
A 400 sq ft living and dining area in AC4 at 10 mm, with underlay and skirting, typically lands at ₹55,000–75,000 installed.
What laminate does well
- The decor print at the top of the market is genuinely convincing, with embossed-in-register texture that follows the grain. At three feet it reads as timber.
- It is hard. The melamine wear surface resists scratching better than real wood and far better than engineered timber’s oiled finishes.
- Installation is fast, dry and reversible — a floating floor can be lifted and re-laid in a different flat, which suits tenants and short leases.
- It is the cheapest way to get a warm, non-tile floor in a bedroom, and in an air-conditioned bedroom on an upper floor it will last a decade without complaint.
- Sound underfoot with a good underlay is warmer and quieter than tile, which matters in a bedroom.
Design and build under one accountable roof
The Mumbai problem, stated plainly
The core is HDF — compressed wood fibre. When water reaches it, the fibres swell, the plank thickens at the edge and the joint lifts into a permanent ridge. This cannot be sanded, dried or repaired; the plank is replaced, and a replacement plank rarely matches a floor that has been down three years.
- Where we will not lay it: kitchens, bathrooms, utility areas, balconies, any ground-floor flat with rising damp history, and any flat where the client mops floors with a wet mop daily.
- Where it is fine: first-floor and above bedrooms, studies, air-conditioned living rooms in inland suburbs, offices, and anywhere with a dry cleaning regime.
- Monsoon humidity alone will not destroy it — ambient moisture causes only slight dimensional movement, which the expansion gap absorbs. It is liquid water that kills it.
- In sea-facing flats we advise SPC instead, because windows stay open, rain blows in and floors get wet whether anyone intended it or not.
Laying it correctly
- Acclimatise the planks in the room for 48 hours before laying. Boxes flat, unopened, in the room they will be installed in.
- Underlay with an integral vapour barrier, taped at the joints, on any slab-level installation.
- Expansion gap of 8–10 mm at every wall and fixed object, covered by skirting fixed to the wall — never to the floor.
- Stagger end joints by at least 300 mm; a floor with aligned joints looks manufactured and is structurally weaker.
- Silicone the perimeter in a kitchen-adjacent room so a spill at the doorway does not run under the floor.
Care, life and BOQ wording
- Sweep or vacuum; damp mop with a well-wrung cloth only. Never a wet mop, never a steam mop.
- Expected life in a Mumbai bedroom: 8–12 years at AC4. In a living room with a balcony door, considerably less unless the household is careful.
- BOQ: “Flooring in 10 mm laminate, AC4 abrasion class, embossed-in-register surface, click system, laid floating over 2 mm foam underlay with integral vapour barrier.”
- BOQ: “8 mm expansion gap at all perimeters; skirting fixed to wall only; silicone seal at door thresholds adjoining kitchens and bathrooms.”
- BOQ: “Laminate flooring excluded from kitchen, bathrooms, utility and balcony areas.”
Specification summary
| Property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Core | High density fibreboard — not waterproof |
| Wear class | AC3 bedrooms, AC4 living, AC5 commercial |
| Thickness | 10 mm preferred; 8 mm minimum |
| Underlay | 2 mm foam with vapour barrier, taped |
| Expansion gap | 8 – 10 mm at all perimeters |
| Rate | ₹80 – 200 per sq ft supplied and fixed |
| Life in Mumbai | 8 – 12 years in dry rooms |
| Never use in | Kitchens, bathrooms, balconies, utility, damp ground floors |
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
Is water-resistant laminate safe in a Mumbai kitchen?+
No. Water-resistant products seal the surface and the joint better, which buys you time against a spill. The core is still HDF. A kitchen floor in Mumbai meets water daily and a leak under a sink goes unnoticed for hours. Use vitrified tile or SPC there.
What does AC4 mean?+
It is an abrasion class from a standardised wear test — AC3 for moderate domestic traffic, AC4 for heavy domestic and light commercial, AC5 for commercial. It describes the surface only, and says nothing about water resistance or core quality.
Can laminate flooring be repaired?+
An individual plank can be replaced if you can reach it from a wall, or by cutting it out and gluing in a new one. Colour matching after a few years of light exposure is imperfect. Keep 5% surplus from the original batch and store it flat.
Is laminate cheaper than vitrified tile overall?+
Material and labour together, laminate at ₹80–200 per sq ft is close to a good vitrified tile at ₹80–230 installed. The real saving is time and mess in an occupied flat. The real cost is a shorter life in this climate.
Should I choose 8 mm or 12 mm?+
If the budget allows, the thicker board, every time. Twelve millimetre planks are stiffer, bridge small subfloor imperfections, have stronger locking profiles and sound convincingly solid underfoot. The difference of ₹30–50 per square foot is the best money in the specification.