First, a little education so that everyone is on the same page:

• The company that first invented laminate floors and brought them to the U.S. is Pergo. Just like people confuse Kleenex with tissue, many people think Pergo is a separate type of flooring, but it is actually a brand name of laminate.

• Any quality laminate floor is given an abrasion class (AC) rating as set forth by the European Producers of Laminate Flooring. This rating tells us how well the floor will stand up to stress by testing its resistance to scratching, impact, burning, and so on. The rating is given based on a 1-5 scale, with the higher numbers indicating stronger laminate. AC1 is best for residential areas of moderate traffic, while at the other end of the scale, AC5 is recommended for commercial areas with heavy traffic.


Okay, we are all up to date. Here is where the confusion begins. If you go shopping for a "top of the line" Pergo floor, you will discover that Pergo offers a product line with an AC6 rating. No one else in the industry, to my knowledge, has an AC6-rated laminate floor, or even acknowledges an AC6 rating.

I asked a colleague of mine what he thought about this. His opinion, in short, was that because laminate was invented by Pergo, they are seen as the "King of Laminate," and they feel they can use an AC6 rating on their products. What it really does is improve their sales. If you try to compare this laminate to another brand, you won't find a comparable rating! If another company produced a laminate floor that they considered better than a typical AC5 floor, are they going to call it AC6? Probably not. It's not on the scale and it's not recognized throughout the industry.

I guess the lesson is, as always, buyer beware. Sure, you'll be getting quality with Pergo's AC6 flooring, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's better than another manufacturer's AC5. In which case, you might want to take a close look at the respective price tags.