Higher AC Rating: There are five grades of laminate based on the construction of the material, especially the thickness of the wear layer. The rating system is known as the Abrasion Class Rating or AC Rating. The rating of each product you view should be listed or the packaging or in the website description:
- AC1 – Moderate residential: Light traffic areas in the home, for example, bedrooms.
- AC2 – General residential: Light and medium traffic areas, for example, living room, home office, dining room.
- AC3 – Heavy residential / light commercial: All traffic areas in the home and light-traffic commercial areas.
- AC4 – General commercial: All residential areas and moderate commercial traffic.
- AC5 – Heavy commercial: All residential areas and high-traffic commercial floors.
Laminate with an AC rating of 3 or higher will give you added protection against dropped items, kids toys, sliding chair legs, the nails of large dogs and other causes of dents and scratches often found in the kitchen.
