Many people today are using laminate flooring. At this point, it is more popular than hardwood flooring. But some of these people probably do not have enough information to figure out what type of laminate flooring they need to buy. One important thing that they should know about laminate flooring is that comes with an AC rating. The AC rating will tell you how a particular laminate flooring performs under certain conditions in comparison to other types of laminate. For a laminate flooring to get an AC rating, it must goes through a series of quality control tests. These tests will determine how the laminate responds to staining, abrasion, cigarette burns, and furniture marks. The results of these tests will determine the AC rating of the laminate flooring. If a laminate flooring undergoes these tests and just fails on only one test for any of the AC ratings that are available, then that laminate will not be given an AC rating. If you are looking for laminate flooring at a store and you notice one that does not have an AC rating, you should avoid it because it is usually of the lowest quality. Laminate flooring was first introduced by a Swedish company in 1984. The AC rating was developed by the Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF). The United States have not come up with their own industry standards for laminate flooring because the laminate flooring industry is still a young industry in the United States. Laminate flooring did not find its way into the United States market until 1994. Although there are companies in the United States that manufacture laminate flooring, the United States still gets its inspiration from the new designs and product innovations that originate from Europe. There are five different AC ratings. The ratings are numbered from 1 to 5. You can expect to pay more for your flooring as its AC rating increases. The lowest AC rating is AC 1. Laminated flooring with this AC rating should be used in areas where there will not be many people walking through. This type of flooring would be appropriate for a bedroom or guest room. This is also the most affordable laminate flooring. Laminate flooring with an AC rating of 2 should be used in residential areas with more foot traffic than you would get in a bedroom or guest room. You should probably use AC 2 laminate flooring in the children's, dining, or living rooms. Laminate with a rating of AC 3 should be used in residential areas such as the hallways or home office and in commercial areas with light foot traffic such as a small office or hotel room. You should use laminate flooring with an AC 4 rating for commercial areas that have more traffic than is seen with areas that use flooring with a rating of AC 3. Commercial areas that fit this criterion include a busy office, cafe, or boutique. The most durable laminate flooring has a rating of AC 5. It is also the most expensive. Only the premium brands of laminate flooring will have an AC rating of 5. You can find this flooring in commercial areas with very heavy foot traffic such as public buildings or department stores.