The newest material floor covering is generally referred to as "laminate floor". Used both in residential and commercial applications, this is a good looking and high performance floor. The latest laminate products look better than ever as technological advancements now allow for deceptive realism with not only the wood grain but also stone and tile patterns as well. What is the material make-up of the product? Laminate flooring has a printed decorative layer that is covered with an extraordinarily durable overlay or wear layer made with aluminum oxide.

The actual flooring pattern - be it a wood, stone or ceramic look - is printed on the decorative layer. These layers are placed on top of sheets of phenolic resin-treated kraft paper. ("Phenolic" refers to a plastic commonly known as Bakelite, and "kraft" is a German word meaning "strong".) These layers and sheets are then adhered to a high-density fiberboard core that is baked with a backer designed to keep the board from warping.