Free In-Home Floor Fit Consultation
Waterproof laminate when practicality matters more.
Laminate is the lower-risk choice when water resistance, durability, pets, kids, or all-home practicality matter most. We bring the right collections to your home so you can see whether it is the right fit before you commit.
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Waterproof laminate is the practical choice when the room needs to handle water, pets, kids, traffic, or a larger whole-home scope. We carry three tiers from two manufacturers: Inhaus and GemCore. The point is not to bury you in a catalog. It is to bring the right options into your actual rooms so you can see which product fits before you commit.
Good. Better. Best.
Three tiers. One consultation. We bring the options that fit your rooms so you can compare them side by side in the actual space instead of guessing from product names.
Good
Inhaus Visions
German-engineered laminate
Solid entry point. German-made with attached pad for quieter, warmer feel underfoot. 13 colorways from light naturals to warm browns. AC3 wear rating handles normal residential traffic. 20-year residential warranty.
- 7mm + 2mm attached pad
- 7.64" x 50.63" plank
- AC3 residential wear class
- 13 colorways
- Made in Germany
~$6.50/sqft installed
Better
GemCore Lakeshore
12mm waterproof laminate
The sweet spot. 12mm thickness with True Wood Touch EIR texture that looks and feels like real wood. 3-part waterproof system (power-sealed joints, tight-lock profile, fiber composite core under 6% swell). AC4 commercial durability. Lifetime warranty including pet coverage.
- 12mm thick (nearly 2x typical LVP)
- 7.5" x 48" plank
- AC4 commercial wear class
- 10 colorways
- 3-part waterproof system
- Lifetime residential + pet warranty
~$7.50/sqft installed
Best
GemCore Seaside
12mm wide-plank waterproof
Same 12mm GemCore performance as Lakeshore in a larger format. 9.25" wide by 72" long planks make rooms feel more expansive and show off the grain detail dramatically. Popular for open-plan main floors and primary suites.
- 12mm thick
- 9.25" x 72" wide plank
- AC4 commercial wear class
- 10 colorways
- 3-part waterproof system
- Lifetime residential + pet warranty
~$8/sqft installed
Want herringbone? We carry that too.
Inhaus Manor is a German-made herringbone laminate. 8mm thick, 5.16" x 25.31" planks, AC5 commercial wear class (the highest available). 8 colorways. Lifetime residential warranty plus 7-year light commercial.
Herringbone is a pattern choice, not a quality upgrade. It costs more because the installation is more labor-intensive: every plank is cut and laid at an angle. The result is a distinctive, high-end look that works especially well in entryways, dining rooms, and feature spaces.
~$10/sqft installed
Higher installed price reflects the pattern installation labor, not the material.
Why GemCore stands apart.
We have seen enough laminate fail in real homes to know which details matter. GemCore is the product we stand behind when homeowners want waterproof performance without giving up the look and feel of real wood. Here is what makes that recommendation practical.
AC4 Commercial Durability
The AC4 rating means GemCore is certified for commercial use and surpasses any SPC, LVT, or WPC flooring in abrasion resistance. In a home, that translates to a floor that shrugs off heavy foot traffic, furniture legs, and pets without wearing through the surface.
True Wood Touch EIR
EIR stands for embossed in register. The surface texture is pressed to align exactly with the printed grain beneath it, so every visual knot, pore, and plank variation has corresponding tactile texture. It looks and feels like real wood because it is engineered to replicate wood at the surface level.
3-Part Waterproof System
Power sealing on every click joint locks out moisture at the seams. The tight-lock profile keeps planks seated under pressure. The fiber composite core absorbs less than 6% swell under water exposure, versus the industry average of 10-15%. Steam mop safe.
12mm Thickness
Typical LVP runs 6-8mm. GemCore at 12mm is nearly twice as thick. That matters underfoot. Thicker flooring sounds more solid, compresses less under weight, and bridges minor subfloor irregularities better. The ultra-matte finish means no plasticky sheen. You get the warmth and weight of hardwood at a fraction of the cost.
Why laminate over LVP.
This is a deliberate product choice. Here is what we tell homeowners when they ask.
| GemCore Laminate | Typical LVP | |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 12mm | 6-8mm typical |
| Durability rating | AC4 commercial | Varies (often AC3 or lower) |
| Water resistance | 3-part waterproof system, swell under 6% | Waterproof core, but joints can be a weak point |
| Surface feel | True Wood Touch EIR, no plasticky sheen | Printed vinyl under wear layer |
| Underfoot feel | Solid, substantial | Can sound hollow |
| Transitions | None required up to 65 feet | Varies by product |
| Warranty | Lifetime residential, 10-year commercial, pet warranty | Varies by brand |
| Price installed | $7.50-$8.00/sq ft | $4-$7/sq ft typical |
LVP is a vinyl product. The wood look is a printed image under a plastic wear layer. GemCore laminate has a synchronized texture that matches the grain visually and tactilely. If looking and feeling like real wood matters to you, laminate wins. If budget is the only factor, we will give you an honest comparison at the consultation.
GemCore Lakeshore and Seaside. Twenty colorways.
We carry both GemCore collections. Coastal and lakeside-inspired names. Light naturals through warm medium browns. We bring the full sample set to your door.
Lakeshore Collection
10 colorways
12mm thick, 7.5 inches wide, 48 inches long. Coastal and lakeside-inspired tones with lighter, airier colorways that work well in smaller rooms and tighter spaces. An approachable width for traditional room sizes.
- 12mm x 7.5" x 48" plank format
- 10 SKUs per collection
- Lifetime residential warranty
Seaside Collection
10 colorways
12mm thick, 9.25 inches wide, 72 inches long. The larger format makes rooms feel more expansive and shows off the grain detail more dramatically. Popular for open-plan main floors and primary suites.
- 12mm x 9.25" x 72" plank format
- 10 SKUs per collection
- Lifetime residential warranty
The rooms waterproof laminate is built for.
Hardwood has one hard limit: water. A slow seep of moisture through a basement slab or a dishwasher leak can warp and buckle a hardwood floor. GemCore has no such limit. The 3-part waterproof system handles below-grade moisture, kitchen spills, pet accidents, and even steam mop cleaning without damage.
That makes it the right call for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and any basement in the Salt Lake Valley, where spring moisture and below-grade slabs are a real consideration. It also works in homes with pets or kids. The AC4 commercial durability rating means it holds up to the kind of traffic most floors never see.
And because GemCore requires no transition moldings for runs up to 65 feet, you can put the same floor from the kitchen through the living room and into the hallway without a break strip anywhere. One floor, every room, no visual interruption.
Running the same laminate throughout the whole home is a popular choice right now. One material, one install crew, one cohesive look from basement to bedroom. We will bring samples for every room if that is the direction you are going.
Recent laminate installs in the Salt Lake Valley.
The right color. The right texture. Seen in your space, in your lighting, before you commit.
What GemCore laminate actually costs, installed.
Laminate pricing at Plank & Go starts at $6.50/sqft installed with Inhaus Visions and goes up to $8/sqft for GemCore Seaside. Herringbone runs approximately $10/sqft. GemCore Lakeshore sits at $7.50–$8.00 per square foot installed. All prices include materials and labor.
For whole-home projects or large square footage, the combination of performance, warranty coverage, and price point makes these products a hard value to beat. We will give you a firm, itemized quote at the consultation before we leave your home. No surprises.
Not sure laminate is the right call?
If you are still weighing laminate against hardwood, route back through the consultation and make the decision in the home, not from a spec sheet.
- See the Free Consultation · Compare laminate and hardwood in your rooms before you commit
- Hardwood Flooring · Real wood, refinishable, premium investment
- All Flooring Options · Side-by-side comparison of everything we carry
- How It Works · See the full consultation and installation process
Frequently Asked Questions About Waterproof Laminate
Is GemCore laminate really waterproof?
Yes. GemCore uses a 3-part waterproof system: power sealing on the click joints, a tight-lock profile, and a fiber composite core with a swell ratio under 6% (the industry average is 10-15%). It is steam mop safe and handles standing water, pet accidents, kitchen spills, and below-grade moisture without warping or buckling.
What makes GemCore different from standard laminate?
Standard laminate swells when water gets into the joints. GemCore solves that with power sealing on every joint and a fiber composite core engineered for low moisture absorption. It also has a True Wood Touch EIR surface, meaning the texture is embossed in register with the visual grain, so it looks and feels like real wood. The 12mm thickness adds to that underfoot feel.
Why waterproof laminate instead of LVP?
LVP is a vinyl product with a printed wood image under a plastic wear layer. It can look plasticky and feels hollow underfoot. GemCore laminate has a True Wood Touch EIR surface where the texture is synchronized with the grain pattern, so it actually looks and feels like real wood. At 12mm it is significantly thicker than typical LVP (6-8mm), which adds to the underfoot feel. The AC4 commercial durability rating surpasses any SPC, LVT, or WPC flooring. You also get a lifetime residential warranty, a 10-year commercial warranty, and a pet warranty. For homeowners who want the performance of a waterproof floor without giving up the look and feel of real wood, GemCore is the better product.
Can I install GemCore laminate in a basement?
Yes. Basements are one of GemCore's best applications. The 3-part waterproof system handles below-grade moisture that seeps through concrete slabs, which is a real consideration in Salt Lake Valley homes. Hardwood cannot go below grade without significant risk.
What collections are available?
We carry two GemCore collections. Lakeshore has 10 colorways in a 12mm x 7.5 inch x 48 inch format, with coastal and lakeside-inspired tones. Seaside has 10 colorways in a larger 12mm x 9.25 inch x 72 inch format. Between the two collections there are 20 total colorways ranging from light natural tones to richer warm browns. We bring samples from both collections to your consultation.
Does waterproof laminate need transition moldings between rooms?
No transitions are required for runs up to 65 feet. That means you can run the same floor through an open-plan kitchen, living room, and hallway without a break strip between rooms. It is one of the more practical advantages of GemCore for whole-home installations.
Need to see if laminate is the right fit?
Use the Free In-Home Floor Fit Consultation to compare waterproof laminate collections in your actual rooms, understand the trade-offs, and move forward with a clear line-by-line quote if laminate is the winner.