Ordering a flooring sample online or picking one up from a showroom feels like a small step — but it is the single most important thing you can do before committing to new floors. A typical GTA flooring project costs $3,000 to $10,000 or more installed. Choosing the wrong product means living with it for years or paying to fix the mistake. Testing flooring samples at home gives you real-world information that a showroom photo or a phone screen cannot provide.
At Top Floorings Depot (3781 Victoria Park Ave, Toronto), we encourage every buyer to take samples home first. This guide walks through exactly what to look for once the sample is in your hands.
Why Ordering Flooring Samples First Actually Saves You Money
Most flooring returns are triggered not by defects but by regret — the colour looked different under the truck, the texture felt wrong underfoot, or the sample was too small to show the real pattern repeat. By the time a GTA homeowner realizes the issue, the boxes are opened and the return window has closed. Ordering samples first means you avoid the wrong purchase and the cost and hassle of returning it.
A $5–$15 sample is cheap insurance against a $4,000 mistake. Most retailers, including Top Floorings Depot, offer samples that can be ordered and delivered across the GTA or picked up at the showroom on Victoria Park.
What to Look For When Your Flooring Samples Arrive
Once your samples land on your actual floor, the real evaluation begins. Showroom lighting is designed to make products look good. Your home is a different environment — and that is exactly what you need to test.
Does the Colour Work in Your Room's Lighting?
Hold each sample flat against the wall or floor where you are planning to install it. North-facing rooms get cool, directional light; south-facing rooms flood with warm light for most of the day. A warm oak tone that looks perfect under the bright fluorescent lights in a showroom can look flat and grey under the LED pot lights common in many Scarborough and North York living rooms.
Move the sample to different spots in the room throughout the day. Observe it in the morning, at midday, and in the evening. If you are choosing between two colours, put them side by side and compare them at different times before deciding. This is especially important for wide-plank engineered hardwood — the larger surface area means any colour shift is amplified and more noticeable than on a narrower plank.
How Does the Flooring Feel Underfoot?
Thickness and core construction change how a floor feels underfoot — and that sensation is impossible to judge from a photo. Take off your shoes and walk on the sample with socks. A 6mm SPC vinyl floor feels noticeably different from a 12mm laminate — the thinner SPC transmits more vibration from the subfloor, especially over concrete, which is the norm in Toronto condos and basements.
For engineered hardwood, note how it sounds when you step on it. A solid, stable thunk generally indicates good dimensional stability and a well-made core. A hollow or springy feeling can mean the plank is flexing excessively over the subfloor, which sometimes shows up more under heavy furniture or in larger rooms.
If you have pets, try dropping a bowl or a toy on the sample — not to damage it, but to hear and feel the impact. Both SPC vinyl and laminate absorb moderate impacts well, but the sound differs. Solid hardwood will show a dent if the impact is hard enough; engineered hardwood with a thicker wear layer will resist more than a thin 2mm top layer.
Will It Hold Up in Your Specific Room?
Different rooms have different demands. A busy Scarborough hallway with two dogs and three kids is a different environment from a rarely-used Mississauga master bedroom. Here is how to match the sample test to the actual room conditions.
High-Traffic Areas: Hallways, Kitchens, and Entryways
For these spaces, evaluate scratch resistance and durability in your sample. On laminate, check the AC rating — AC3 is standard for residential use, AC5 handles heavier residential and light commercial traffic, and AC6 is the most durable residential grade available. If the sample does not have a clearly labelled AC rating, ask before buying.
On SPC vinyl, the wear layer is measured in mils (thousandths of an inch). A 12mil wear layer is fine for moderate traffic; a 20mil layer is worth considering for busy households or rental properties. At Top Floorings Depot, our Riche SPC vinyl collection ranges from 12mil to 20mil, and our staff can walk you through which lines suit your traffic levels.
Moisture-Prone Areas: Basements, Bathrooms, and Laundry Rooms
For any below-grade or wet-area installation, the sample test is critical. Place a damp towel or a wet pet bowl on the sample for a few hours and check for any swelling, cupping, or surface delamination. Any sign of moisture reaction rules out that product for the space, regardless of what the marketing says.
SPC vinyl is inherently waterproof — the rigid core does not absorb water. Laminate and hardwood are not waterproof and can swell, buckle, or delaminate if exposed to standing water. If you are considering engineered hardwood for a basement bathroom, look for products with a moisture-resistant core and always use a proper underlayment with a built-in vapour barrier.
Bedrooms and Living Rooms: Comfort and Aesthetics Matter Most
For lower-traffic rooms, the sample test focuses more on how the floor looks and feels rather than durability. Engineered hardwood tends to be the most comfortable underfoot in these spaces — it has some thermal mass, so it does not feel cold like SPC vinyl can in an unheated room, and it is quieter than laminate in larger spaces. A thicker engineered hardwood (3mm or 4mm wear layer) will feel more solid and have better refinishing potential down the road.
Our Top Picks at Top Floorings Depot
Whether you are leaning toward laminate, SPC vinyl, or engineered hardwood, here are three specific products at different price points that are worth taking home as full samples before you decide.
Kronotex 12mm White Oak Laminate — $1.90/sqft
This German-made laminate has a wide, long plank format (72.64 inches) that reduces the number of seams in a room and creates a much cleaner visual than standard 48-inch planks. The 12mm thickness gives it a solid, quiet feel underfoot — closer to hardwood than most budget laminates manage. The AC5 rating means it handles heavy residential traffic without issue. At $1.90/sqft, it sits at the premium end of the laminate range, but the build quality and visual impact justify the step up from thinner AC4 products. Available in several oak tones.
Riche Nordic Breeze Oak 9mm SPC Vinyl — from $1.85/sqft
The Riche Nordic Breeze Oak is part of the 9mm series — thicker than the budget 6mm SPC options — which means a more solid feel and better sound absorption over concrete subfloors. The 9mm profile includes a 2mm EVA pad pre-attached, so you do not need to buy underlayment separately. The light, Scandinavian-inspired oak tone works well in condos and basements where a lighter floor can open up the room visually. This product has not been featured in recent pricing guides, giving you a fresh option not commonly found on competitor blogs. Available in 7.09-inch wide planks, 48 inches long.
European Oak Engineered Hardwood from $3.69/sqft
For buyers who have settled on engineered hardwood, our 7.5-inch wide European Oak line starts at $3.69/sqft and includes 26 colours across 2mm, 3mm, and 4mm wear layers. The 4mm wear layer products can be refinished at least once, extending the floor's lifespan significantly compared to thinner wear layers. Wire-brushed textures hide everyday scratches better than smooth finishes — a practical advantage for family homes in the GTA. Our showroom on Victoria Park has full samples of every colour and width, and our staff can walk you through the wear layer decision based on your room and budget.
The Showroom Visit: What to Do Before You Go
Taking samples home is the most important part of the testing process — but visiting the showroom first gives you context that no online search can provide. Before you come in, do two things.
First, know your subfloor. Is it plywood or concrete? Is it flat or somewhat uneven? Is there any moisture history in the basement? These answers immediately narrow down which product categories make sense for your project. Second, measure the room and calculate the total square footage you need, plus a 10 percent waste buffer. This changes which products are actually practical — some lines come in specific box sizes that affect how much you need to order.
At Top Floorings Depot, we keep full-sized samples of every product on the floor — not just small chips. You can see the actual plank length, the real colour variation, and the texture in person. Our team at 3781 Victoria Park Avenue can also help you interpret what you found testing your home samples and confirm which products are right for your project.
Questions to Ask Before You Buy Flooring
Before signing off on any flooring purchase, get clear answers on four things. What is the return policy, and does it require factory-sealed boxes? Most retailers allow returns within 30 days for unopened product — but the definition of "unopened" varies. At Top Floorings Depot, opened and installed flooring cannot be returned, so confirm this before you break any seals. What is the lead time if the product needs to be ordered? Some lines are in stock; others take a week or two. What underlayment or accessories are required, and are they included in the price? And finally: what does professional installation cost, and does the quote include subfloor preparation?
Visit Top Floorings Depot
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call 416-499-0117 | Text 416-770-8819
Showroom Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM | Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Sunday Closed
We serve homeowners and contractors across Toronto, Scarborough, Markham, North York, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Mississauga, and Brampton. Our showroom stocks the GTA's largest in-stock flooring selection — you can take samples home the same day you visit. For contractor pricing and bulk orders, ask about our trade account program when you come in.
Have you purchased flooring from Top Floorings Depot? Leave us a review on Google or tag us on Instagram @topflooringsdepotgta — we love seeing your completed projects.