The boards are saturated in plastic-type resins. What makes this a great flooring system is the extremely tough melamine resins in the wearlayer combined with the floating installation method. Some laminate manufacturers boast a hardness 10 times that of traditional wood floors. The resin-filled wearlayer is so dense that it becomes extremely difficult to stain, scratch, or even burn with a cigarette. It is possible to scratch any of the floors but you really need to try hard.
Many laminate floors have a wood grain appearance.
Newer more abstract designs are coming to the market, such as sandstone, marble, and accents. Although most of the laminate floors are made in long rectangular shaped planks there are some square tiles also made. A unique aspect about this process is that the printed film technology used can create an extremely realistic looking hardwood floor in any hardwood species. This allows for a unique visual look. Because laminate floors are so dense, they are easy to keep clean.