Is this normal for laminate floors?

Question

Hello everyone. I recently had a contractor install new laminate floors in a house I am renovating. When I opened the front door and saw the newly installed floors I was delighted because they looked spectacular. However, as I walked around on it something felt a little strange. It felt somewhat cushiony as opposed  to the firmness I was expecting. I phoned the contractor and told him about my concerns. He went out the next day and phoned me back saying the cushiony feeling was normal due to the larger padding attached to the high quality 12 mm laminate he used.  Is this normal because I've only encountered laminate that was hard and felt like you were walking on concrete?  Thanks.

Ryan R. · Answer

If the floor is deflecting under foot, that is not intended. Laminate floors call for a flat surface whereas level is not as important. In some instances I've experieneced new flooring having a bow in it straight out of the box. This may cause some boards/areas to float.

If the deflection is caused by irregularities in the subfloor, they will probably never flatten out. But if the boards are a little warped, they should relax and flatten on their own after some time.

Question: Did the installer let the material acclimate to the room for a couple of days before installation?

Rafael Floresta · Answer

Walking on a thick laminate should not feel cushy, but wood has a natural "bounce" that is bigger than concrete.

If you can hear anything being squeezed, then it is probably bad.

Before I paid the contractor, I would probably ask him to pull out a corner and show how he installed.

Tom V. · Answer

It is not unusual.  The thickness of the underlayment matters and whether you installed over concrete or a wood floor.