Aquaguard Flooring Firsthand Review – Two-Year Update

This is a two-year update review of the AquaGuard Renaissance Oak laminate flooring from Floor & Decor.

Overall the flooring has held up very well to water, not so well to scratches.

We also share the cost breakdown, installation errors and pros and cons.

This is a non-sponsored first-hand review (and the product was not gifted). The article does include affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission.

What is AquaGuard?

Composition: Before we get to the review, AquaGuard from Floor & Decor is a laminate flooring, that means it has a fiberboard core with a formaldehyde binder and a melamine top layer which contains a printed image.

Certified: It is certified GreenGuard Gold for low emissions. This means it off-gases no more than 0.0073 ppm formaldehyde, which is very low.

If you are looking for formaldehyde-free laminate flooring, I list those brands in my article on laminate.

Waterproof: AquaGuard coats the sides and back with melamine to protect the fiberboard from water. It can be wet mopped or even steam mopped.

The review: Interview with a reader

Corinne: Did you notice any off-gassing or smell from the boards?

Beth: I am moderately chemically sensitive with a sensitive sense of smell.

I had a hard time with drywall mud and texture for example.

I don’t remember noticing any off-gassing when the boards were installed, even though on the first day the installers cut the boards inside my house and got dust everywhere (that was terrible and I made sure they didn’t do that again!)

I have a couple extra unopened boxes of the flooring that have been sitting in my garage – I just opened one edge and sniffed and there was only a mild woody/sawdusty smell when I put my nose right up to it.

Corinne: What made you choose this exact floor?

Low-VOC – I liked that they had the Greenguard Gold certification.

Cost – I would have preferred engineered hardwood with a thick top layer that could be refinished a couple of times as needed over many decades, but this was so much cheaper and the savings made it possible to keep within the desired scope of our remodel.

Water resistance – It was going in the kitchen as well as living areas so I wanted something that could withstand drips and spills.

Scratch Resistant – I also chose it because it was advertised as scratch-resistant and rated for commercial use.

I was pretty disappointed about some scratches that happened shortly after installation but still during our remodel process.

One scratch did look good after a simple touchup with a scratch repair kit, so I am not as bothered by it anymore.

Wood look – Engineered hardwood was more expensive, and wood look tile is too hard underfoot (I wanted something a little softer for my feet and for my baby to crawl on), and I am uncomfortable with vinyl so I did not consider any LVP options.

Color – I also chose this product for the color – I wanted a medium-brown wood-look floor for a classic/timeless aesthetic that would complement many decorating styles.

I wanted something that would feel basic, neutral, and nice so that future owners of the home would also be happy to keep it.

Corinne: What was the cause of the scratch and the chip? Did it seem to scratch or chip easily?

The chips happened during the remodel – I don’t know exactly what happened, but I think they were related to moving equipment, appliances, and/or furniture around.

The scratch in the entryway happened when a piece of furniture was dragged/scooted with some sand or other debris caught beneath it.

(Corinne: The reader sent me a few pics of scratches, the worst one is the picture below)

Corinne: Any areas where there is regular movement like a trashcan that gets pulled across something like that? Is it durable to that?

It has held up pretty well where we keep our kitchen trash recycling bins – they get bumped and dragged a lot in a small area.

I can only see some very small scratches when I get down close to the floor (I do have very good eyesight).

I have to be careful about cleaning up sand from our shoes in our entry because some had gotten caught under the feet of the storage bench there and scratched the floor when the bench would get pushed or scooted around.

I also have a bench on one side of our dining table that has hard nylon gliders/feet – it gets scooted and pushed around multiple times per day and I haven’t noticed any scratches around there (but I have not gotten on hands and knees to inspect closely).

Corinne: How has the flooring done with spills of anything liquid?

I have had zero issues with spills, there has been no swelling or water damage to the flooring.

I do try to clean up wet messes quickly (we have lots of spills with young kids in our home), but sometimes ice cubes will fall out of my freezer and melt or I won’t notice a spill for a while and there has been no discoloration or swelling.

For example, I’ve found dried milk below my toddler’s chair from a spill hours before and it cleaned up just fine.

Corinne: What is the two-year update?

AquaGuard was installed in July 2022, so we’re really close to two full years.

I would say overall I am pleased – I still like the way it looks and we haven’t had any trouble with water/liquid spills.

The biggest disappointment is the scratching, but this is minimized when I am diligent about sweeping.

Corinne: How did the installation process go?

We installed this flooring as part of a larger remodeling project, so I had already hired the contractor before I picked out the flooring.

After the installation I did need to have them fix some issues like getting some boards all the way clicked together and one spot that had popped up. 

The subfloor is concrete.

One thing to note is that, at least at the time, there were no bullnose pieces of this board available, so on the four steps this flooring covered, the edges are not flush but are finished with trim pieces (“overlapped stair nose”) that had to be glued down with “liquid nails”.

Corinne: What is the cost breakdown?

Here’s the cost breakdown from my contractor (there were three extra boxes when they were done).

• $3,803 for Renaissance Oak laminate flooring, underlayment, overlapped stair nose, and quarter round.
• $3,250 Installation labor for 750 sqft plus stairs & risers. It took two or three days to complete the flooring installation.

Corinne: Is there any pulling apart/separation of boards?

There was some separation of boards in the kitchen, but that was an installation issue and the contractor fixed it within a few months of the installation.

I have not observed any separation since then.

In one spot in my kitchen, a board popped up right next to where it meets my cabinets (when we remodeled, the cabinets were installed on either the concrete subfloor, and this laminate flooring was installed around them.)

The spot where the board popped up was fixed by gluing it down and using clear caulk to seal the edge.

There are a couple of spots where the boards aren’t flush or a corner is popping up – they were there early on and I don’t think they’ve gotten worse. 

These should have been fixed by the installer but they weren’t.

There is some creaking on a couple of steps and in the area a few feet behind it (the subfloor below the creaking was opened up and redone to fix a plumbing drain before the flooring was installed, so maybe it’s a little low).

The contractors should have leveled the area better before starting.

Corinne: Has the color faded over time?

I have not observed any color fading.

Corinne: What do you clean it with?

I sweep with a traditional broom or vacuum on the hard floor setting for dry debris.

For mopping, I use a microfiber mop pad with a solution of mostly water and vinegar with a little bit of rubbing alcohol and a few drops of orange essential oil.

If the floor is extra dirty, I’ll use water and a squirt of dish soap, and a little vinegar (I have very hard water, so I almost always use some vinegar when cleaning most things).

Corinne: Any experience with their customer service?

I have not contacted customer service about this product.

Corinne: Thank you Beth! That concludes our review of AquaGuard laminate flooring! If you want to compare this to other laminate flooring brands, including formaldehyde-free options, please see my article on non-toxic laminate flooring.

Related articles:

• Non-Toxic Laminate Flooring Brands
• Non-Toxic Engineered Flooring Brands
• Non-Toxic Vinyl Plank Flooring Brands

Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.