Cheap Laminate Flooring
Cheap laminate flooring is the most affordable way to give a room a new wood or stone-effect floor, and good affordable laminate can look smart and last for years. The trick is knowing where a lower price makes no difference and where it does, so you get a floor that is good value rather than simply cheap.
This page gathers the most affordable boards across our laminate flooring range, in popular oak laminate shades, grey, white and stone effects. Thinner 8mm laminate keeps the cost down and suits bedrooms and quieter rooms; for hallways and family living rooms, a slightly thicker board with a higher AC rating is often the better buy over the life of the floor.
Many of our affordable floors click together without glue, so you can save on fitting by laying them yourself. Add the right underlay unless the boards have one attached, and see our laminate flooring guide for what the numbers on the pack mean. Looking for low prices across every material? See cheap flooring and our laminate flooring sale.
Not sure which floor is right? Order free samples and see them in your own light, or call our team on 020 3287 6206 for honest, no-pressure advice.
Duron Golden Oak Herringbone Laminate Flooring 12 x 101mm
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Duron Golden Oak Herringbone Laminate Flooring 12 x 101mm
How to get good value from affordable laminate
Where a lower price makes little difference
Thickness in quiet rooms: an 8mm board laid on a good underlay is perfectly comfortable in a bedroom, spare room or study. Colour and design: popular oak, grey and white looks are made in large quantities, so the most affordable boards are often in the most wanted colours. Plank size: standard plank sizes cost less than extra-wide or extra-long boards and look just as good in most rooms.
Where it is worth spending a little more
AC rating: the AC rating measures how hard-wearing the surface is. AC3 suits every room in a normal home; for hallways and busy kitchens, AC4 keeps its looks for longer. Water resistance: standard laminate swells if water gets into the joints; for kitchens and hallways a water-resistant board saves replacing the floor later. Underlay: a good underlay makes an affordable board feel and sound much better, so never skimp on it.
How to spot good affordable laminate
- Embossed texture: a surface that follows the printed grain looks far more natural than a flat print.
- Several plank designs: more different designs in a pack means fewer obvious repeats across the floor.
- A firm click joint: boards that lock together snugly stay flat and gap-free.
- A clear AC rating and thickness: both should be on the product page.
Order free samples of two or three affordable boards and compare them on the floor of the room; the difference in texture and colour is easier to see in person than online.
Saving on fitting
Click laminate is one of the easiest floors to lay yourself with a saw, a tape measure and a tapping block. Let the packs acclimatise for about 48 hours, lay it on a flat, clean subfloor and underlay, leave an expansion gap at the walls and finish with laminate beading or skirting. Our installation guides explain each step, and our measuring guide helps you order the right amount: add about 5% for cutting waste and round up to full packs, so you do not pay for a second delivery.
Making a budget floor last
Door mats at outside doors, felt pads under furniture and regular vacuuming do more for a floor’s life than its price. Clean with a well-wrung mop and a laminate floor cleaner, and never use a steam mop.
Common mistakes with budget floors
- Using the cheapest underlay: it makes the floor sound hollow and feel thin; a better underlay is the best upgrade for little cost.
- Standard laminate in a kitchen or hallway: water in the joints makes the core swell; choose a water-resistant board there.
- Ordering too little: running short means a second order that may come from a different batch.
Affordable laminate room by room
Bedrooms and spare rooms: an 8mm AC3 board on a good underlay. Living rooms: 8mm to 10mm AC3 or AC4, with an acoustic underlay upstairs. Hallways: AC4 and water-resistant if you can, because grit and wet shoes are the hardest test. Rented homes: a hard-wearing AC4 board in a neutral oak or grey suits most tenants.
FAQs on Cheap Laminate Flooring
Good affordable laminate can look smart and last for years in the right room. Check the AC rating, choose water-resistant boards for kitchens and hallways, and use a good underlay.
8mm is fine for bedrooms and quieter rooms on a good underlay. For living rooms and hallways, 10mm or 12mm feels more solid and quieter.
AC3 suits every room in a normal home. Choose AC4 for hallways, family kitchens and homes with pets, so the surface keeps its looks for longer.
Yes. Click laminate needs no glue and only basic tools. Prepare a flat subfloor, lay a suitable underlay and leave an expansion gap at the walls.
Yes, unless the boards have one attached. A good underlay makes an affordable floor feel and sound much better, so it is worth spending a little more on it.
Choose a board with an embossed texture and several plank designs, lay it in long straight runs, finish with neat skirting or beading, and use matching threshold strips at doorways.
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