TrafficMaster Laminate Flooring: Reviews, Prices, Pros & Cons VS Other Brands 2024
TrafficMaster is a popular laminate floor brand sold exclusively at Home Depot.
It is manufactured by Shaw as an affordable laminate flooring. In fact, it's among the cheapest laminate brands you can buy.
TrafficMaster laminate flooring cost is $0.68 to $1.99 per square foot.
Compare costs, quality and features of TrafficMaster with other leading brands using our guides for Shaw, Mohawk, Pergo, Armstrong and other top brands.
Dividing TrafficMaster laminate into Textured styles and Smooth styles is the easiest way to categorize what this brand offers.
This table shows the styles, features and costs for both types.
Textured
Line
Look
Warranty
Cost/sq. ft.
Thickness
Standard
Various
15/None
$0.68 - $0.84
7mm
Standard
Various
15/None
$0.72 - $0.88
8mm
Standard
Traditional
25/None
$1.29 - $1.49
12mm
Handscraped
Rustic
15/None
$0.79 - $0.99
7mm
Handscraped
Rustic
15/None
$1.89 - $1.99
8mm
Embossed
Traditional
15/None
$0.98 - $1.10
7mm
Embossed
Traditional
15/None
$1.69 - $1.89
8mm
Smooth
Line
Look
Warranty
Cost/sq. ft.
Thickness
Classic
Contemporary
25/None
$1.70 - $1.99
12mm
The price in the table is for the flooring planks. You might also need installation supplies, transition strips, stair noses, etc. These "extras" typically increase cost by about $.50 (50 cents) per square foot or less.
Installation labor cost for laminate is $1.75-$2.50, regardless of brand. If underlayment is required, cost might be slightly higher.
TrafficMaster Laminate Flooring Reviews
Here's a look at the styles in both Textured and Smooth TrafficMaster laminate.
Textured Laminate Styles
There are 3 categories of TrafficMaster Textured Laminate.
Textured Laminate Styles
TrafficMaster Standard Hardwood Laminate
This is the largest category. it uses images of traditional hardwood flooring. Texturing is lighter than embossed and handscraped laminate, but still noticeable to the touch.
This TrafficMaster laminate is produced in 7mm, 8mm and 12mm flooring. Underlayment is not attached, but it is required. The 12mm styles are backed by TrafficMaster's best laminate warranty – 25 years in residential applications.
Wood species are those you would expect including Oak, Hickory and Maple in various tones.
Best used: This is the brand's most versatile laminate. Depending on the color, it's a good choice for homes ranging from traditional or country to contemporary.
TrafficMaster Handscraped Laminate
The look of handscraped (also hand-scraped and hand scraped) is uniquely rustic and Old World. It replicates the look of planks that have been worked by hand to the right thickness.
TrafficMaster Handscraped is available in 7mm and 8mm flooring. Neither has underlayment attached.
The 7mm handscraped TrafficMaster is available in quite a few colors including very light to rich and dark. Several Oak looks, Pecan and Hickory are included.
The 8mm handscraped laminate is produced in a limited range of very attractive colors. There are a couple Maple varieties, one medium and one dark.
Best used: Traditional settings and homes with Old World, antique and rustic design or decor.
TrafficMaster Embossed Laminate
The embossed products have raised graining for a more authentic look and feel. It has the appearance of traditional hardwood flooring.
TrafficMaster Embossed laminate is available in a limited number of colors in 7mm and 8mm widths.
No underlayment is attached, but it isn't needed for most installation locations.
Best used: Embossed laminate is a good choice wherever genuine hardwood would look great.
Smooth Laminate Styles
Smooth hardwood laminate has a more contemporary appearance than embossed and textured styles.
Classic Hardwood Laminate
The smooth styles from TrafficMaster are classic hardwood species like Oak, Hickory and Sycamore. The colors are warm, with light, medium and dark options. Gloss is either Low or Medium.
These are 12mm laminate planks; most are 8" wide by about 4' long. No underlayment is attached, but it is required.
TrafficMaster backs these smooth hardwood laminate styles with its best warranty, a 25-year residential warranty.
Best used: These woods look outstanding in any home, though they are best suited to those with modern, contemporary and eclectic design and decorating.
Special Features of TrafficMaster Laminate Flooring
While these features might not be entirely unique to TrafficMaster, they will help you differentiate brands as you compare them.
Coordinating Trim and Moldings
You won't have to use generic trim pieces and try to match a stain color to the hue of your laminate. TrafficMaster makes transition pieces and several types of perimeter molding to match its laminate. This gives the room a clean, coordinated appearance and makes your job – or the job of the installer – much easier.
That's about the only special feature to mention. Keep in mind when considering TrafficMaster laminate that it is designed to be very affordable – and that comes at the expense of premium quality, long-term durability and enhanced features like waterproof design. See the TrafficMaster laminate pros and cons for more details.
TrafficMaster Pros, Cons and Ratings
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of TrafficMaster laminate flooring.
Pros:
Affordability is the main benefit of this budget brand laminate. You have a decent range of color and style options, though few have attached pad.
Cons:
TrafficMaster is cheap laminate, and that's great if that is what you want. Just don't expect it to look good for 10+ years unless it gets very light use.
While the selection is OK, it doesn't compare in the range of style and color to Shaw, Armstrong, Pergo and Mohawk.
It's available only from The Home Depot, so it is similar to Harmonics (Costco), Select Surfaces (Sam's Club) and Dream Home (Lumber Liquidators).
Most of the styles do not list FloorScore or GreenGuard low-VOC certification.
Here are our ratings:
Range of color/style options: 3
Overall Quality: 3
Ease of installation: 4
Green/Low-VOC: 3
Overall Rating: 3.25 out of 5
Looking for Qualified Installer for TrafficMaster Flooring？
Some readers complained that they cound't find the local installers or overpaid the installation. Then we developed an online free estimate tool to help you get at least 3 local bids in 24 hours.
This tool is powered by our partner Networx which has been specializing in collecting, vetting and rating laminate flooring contractors for more than 20 years.
Comparing the 3 bids can help you get the reasonable installation cost and avoid getting ripped.
Feel free to leave a comment to share your reviews of TrafficMaster flooring below.
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