Need Help Choosing a Floor – Scratch Problems

Q: I have two four year olds and a large dog. I installed bamboo in the bedrooms, but its scratched already. Is laminate scratch proof or what type do you recommend?
Any help is great, thanks.
Ryan
A: When it comes to abrasion resistance laminate is your best bet for a wood floor. Assuming that you want a wood floor, the finishes placed on the higher grade laminate floors are built to take quite a bit of abuse without showing it. Typically this means look into AC4 or AC5 rated laminates, which are the two commercial level ratings. Good examples of laminate rated this well would be Pergo Select, True Flooring Commercial Collection, Quick Step Perspective and Westhollow South Pacific.
Beyond laminate more resilient floor options would be stone or tile, vinyl and linoleum. Typically with these floors you lose the warm and look of wood flooring in exchange for a very resilient floor. Overall, if most of your scratching is from kids and a dog running around, laminate should be a good choice, but make sure you look into a higher rated laminate and a decent underlayment.