Table of Content
- Microsoft takes the gloves off as it battles Sony for its Activision acquisition
- Xbox boss: Sony wants to ‘grow by making Xbox smaller’
- TrafficMaster Laminate Flooring: Pros/Cons, Installation and Cost
- About Home Flooring Pros
- Microsoft is building an Xbox mobile gaming store to take on Apple and Google
- What to Consider When Choosing the Best Laminate Flooring
It’s also worth considering how much better off the industry might be if Microsoft is forced to make serious concessions to get the deal passed. On the other hand, Sony’s fixation on Call of Duty is starting to look more and more like a greedy, desperate death grip on a decaying business model, a status quo Sony feels entitled to clinging to. The backing material doesn’t breathe, and a chemical reaction takes place that can discolor laminate. If the floor is quite soiled, use a pH-neutral cleaning solution recommended for laminate. Remove dirt about once per week for each person or pet in your home, especially in main traffic areas.

To that end, we may be compensated with a small commission through affiliations with our endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. Home Flooring Pros is a consumer website that specializes in providing professional advice on different types of home flooring. As they move, even slightly, the dirt beneath acts like sandpaper on the flooring. However, we do not recommend keeping a mat or boot tray for shoes by the door. TrafficMaster requires a minimum 5/16” expansion space at the perimeter.
Microsoft takes the gloves off as it battles Sony for its Activision acquisition
TrafficMaster offers quality products at a fraction of the price of other higher-end laminate floorings. Despite its budget price, this product will still hold up against moderate foot traffic, thanks to a scratch-resistant top wear layer. The goal of the texture and finish of laminate flooring is to look as much like real hardwood flooring as possible. Engineered hardwood flooring does the best job of mimicking natural hardwood flooring because it uses actual hardwood as its topmost layer.

Thus, it possesses the actual wood grain and texture that makes hardwood so attractive. The best laminate flooring brands make products that are easy to clean and more durable than natural wood, making it ideal for high-traffic areas and rooms that may be exposed to moisture or direct sunlight. Read on to learn what type of flooring is right for your home and why the following are among the best laminate flooring products available. Laminate flooring is significantly cheaper than hardwood flooring and easier to install. Most wood floors cost between $12 and $20 per square foot installed, compared to $2 to $8 a square foot to install laminate flooring, according to FIXR.
Xbox boss: Sony wants to ‘grow by making Xbox smaller’
Timbercraft uses Pergo’s UltraDef Technology to achieve the illusion of natural hardwood flooring. This means each plank has different grains, knots, and other inconsistencies you’d expect to find in real wood. And, at 12 millimeters thick, it also feels like real hardwood when you’re walking on it. Pergo’s Timbercraft line comes in a wide variety of finishes with sizes running around 50 inches long and 7.5 inches wide. With 27 different finishes and plank widths of 5, 7.5, or 9.44 inches, Mohawk RevWood Plus offers plenty of styles to choose from. Finishes range from the bleached look of Buff to the dark brown of Buckthorn Pine.

Walking on dirt and grit hastens the demise of aluminum oxide wear layer. Sweeping is OK, the best vacuum cleaner for laminate is one that is designed for use on hard floors. You’ve got limited options for plank sizes and the thickness of the wear layer. But even if Call of Duty stays on PlayStation, Sony could still lose out on serious revenue if Microsoft offers the title on Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft previously claimed that Sony is paying for “blocking rights” to keep some games off Xbox Game Pass and now says that’s the case with Call of Duty.
TrafficMaster Laminate Flooring: Pros/Cons, Installation and Cost
While it’s possible to lay laminate flooring in any direction in a room, the accepted way of doing it is to run the boards parallel to the room’s longest wall. With its thinner 7-millimeter planks and lack of a waterproof layer, Mohawk RevWood may seem like a step down from its vaunted RedWood Plus line, but it’s still an impressive product. This product is also scratch, stain, and fade-resistant, ensuring it’s ready to take on all that your family can throw at it. With its AC3 rating, this flooring is a good choice for living rooms and other moderate traffic areas of the house. It’s the top layer of this laminate that makes this product from Shaw so appealing, or in this case, repellant.

Microsoft was quick to support Xbox Cloud Gaming on Valve’s Steam Deck, followed by a partnership with Logitech and Razer for their cloud gaming-focused handhelds. That means a push into mobile gaming could happen on multiple fronts — not just on phones and tablets. Whether it’s a home office or a professional office that sees a lot of traffic, Tarkett’s Menards’ Exclusives offers the dent and scratch resistance you need to handle foot traffic and heavy office chairs. It includes a melamine layer that makes it scuff resistant and stain resistant, giving it an AC4 rating. These flooring products are at the top of their class for different rooms in the home, featuring some of the best laminate flooring brands in the business. Remember, you will need to install underlayment over the subfloor before laying down the laminate flooring unless the flooring itself includes an underlayment layer.
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As long as you follow proper underlayment insulation requirements, you can use laminate flooring in kitchens and even bathrooms thanks to its water-resistant qualities. You can even install laminate flooring on the walls if it strikes your fancy. Sony’s position on some of these policies, and its feet-dragging response to subscription and cloud gaming and cross-platform play, suggests to me it would rather regulators stop Microsoft’s advances than have to defend its own platform through competition.
Individualized hand-scraped textures and planks give this laminate the look of real wood. Its substantial 12-millimeter thickness gives this product the feel of natural hardwood. Although Tarkett’s Menards’ Exclusives FloorScore-certified line offers fewer styles than other manufacturers with 14 different finishes, it includes classic walnut and oak finishes suitable for an office. Installation is easy with Tarkett laminate flooring thanks to its Angle Lock and UNIFIT lock system.
To ensure this list includes the best options, we also ensured that the majority of our selection were waterproof and stain, dent, scuff, scratch-resistant. With so many laminate flooring options available today, it can be hard choosing one that can match your style, needs, and budget. One of the best options overall is the Pergo TimberCraft flooring with its AC4 rating, sturdy 12 millimeter thickness, 18 finishes, and waterproof construction. For a budget-friendly option, the TrafficMaster laminate flooring has an AC3 rating, light-duty 7-8 millimeter thickness, 37 different finishes, and an added scratch-resistant top wear layer.

Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard deal is key to the company’s mobile gaming efforts. Microsoft is quietly building a mobile Xbox store that will rely on Activision and King games. While it may not offer the waterproofing treatment that its higher-end line offers, it’s also less expensive. This makes it a great flooring option for areas in your home that don’t see heavy traffic or require waterproofing, such as bedrooms.
Following this guide is the best approach to installation success and not voiding the warranty. This allows the laminate to acquire the same temperature and relative humidity as your home. Acclimation prevents the laminate from shrinking and pulling apart or expanding and buckling once installed. To avoid butt-end seams lining up across your floor, the first row should start with a full plank, and the second row should start with a half or quarter plank to stagger end seams. Alternate starting with full pieces and the scrap from the end of the last piece.
