I JUST DID THE "CAN OF PEAS" TEST!!! I got an extra piece of laminate flooring and an extra piece of CermaTile......I used a 15oz can of peas....dropped it from 4' about 4 times on each....then I went to
5'.....NO DAMAGE....NOT A CHIP....OR SCRATCH!!!Sounds similar to the test I inadvertently gave my Pergo floor a few days after I installed it...I dropped a heavy bottomed 12 quart pot about 6 feet from the pot rack, it hit so hard it bounced back a foot or two. Once I was able to look I found no dents or chip in the flooring..and felt a lot better about it's durability. The floor is one year old now, and I still don't see any noticeable wear or chips, though it is a little hard to keep it looking clean, it shows every dust speck or lint that finds its way to the floor.
The Pergo and similar laminates with the aluminum oxide finish coat is extremely durable stuff. We have it in our living room and it shows no wear after two years. I thought the original poster was asking about the snap-together tiles that have thin stone (3/16") bonded to a backer board. I doubt any of those would pass your can-o-peas test.
One couple installed the black granite-faced laminate in their kitchen. After they finished and spent a few minutes admiring their beautiful new floor, they rolled the refrigerator back in (the kind with built-in rollers) and it cracked every tile they passed over. Lowes refunded their money.
Mike is right... it is VERY hard to keep it looking clean.....and EVERY bit of dust or dirt shows!!
More so than real hardwood, or than tile?
If so, any thoughts as to why?
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