Laminate flooring is made from reconstituted wood, usually in the form of boards but sometimes in sheet form. It consists of wood fibers and/or particles rejoined artificially by glues such as melamine resin. It is most often coated with a layer made to look like wood, with detailed wood grain. Some products can emit volatile organic compounds, including formaldehyde from composite wood; emissions vary with the product and conditions.

Reconstituted wood is the defining material: wood fibers or particles are bonded into the board or sheet. A wood-grain image can reproduce the appearance of another species without changing the material beneath it.

This differs from wood planks made from wood boards and from parquet made from wood pieces arranged geometrically. A decorative print alone does not establish either of those construction forms.