Hardwood vs. Laminate Wood Flooring

One important factor in determining the market value of a home is its flooring. Wood flooring is a more popular choice because of its natural and warm appearance, and wood will always look timeless. In newer homes today, it is harder to find original hardwood floors because of the high pricing. Yet to achieve that natural wood look, one option homeowners can take to increase the value of their home is to install laminate wood flooring. There are, of course, pros and cons to both hardwood and laminate wood flooring. Let’s tackle these and find out which one is best suited for your lifestyle and budget. 

1.     Pricing

This is an important thing to consider because the cost of the flooring should be able to match your budget. So before making a purchase, plan the difference in costs between laminate and hardwood flooring.

Laminate

The Good: Laminate wood flooring is easily 50% cheaper than hardwood because the former is only made from composite wood pressed together at high temperatures. The photo of the hardwood then covers up the composite wood and forms the laminate. Here’s an article to tell you more about how laminate flooring is made.

Hardwood

The Bad: Needless to say, hardwood flooring is not environmentally friendly. And the more exotic the trees are, the higher the price gets in terms of materials and installation.

 

2.     Durability 

The more traffic that part of the house is, the more wear and tear the floor has to endure. Thus, choose durable flooring to keep your maintenance costs down and to retain the beauty of your floor.

Laminate

The Good: As mentioned, laminate wood flooring is made from pressed wood and makes it more durable and resistant to scratches and moisture. Besides being durable, laminate is also easier to clean, which is an important consideration if there are kids and pets around. 

The Bad: Laminate may be more durable, but it does not discount the fact that it has artificial-looking grain textures and not as visually appealing as the real thing.

Hardwood

The Good: Hardwood has a classic look and its beauty will emanate right on first sight. Nothing comes close to the original.

The Bad: Hardwood gets scratched easily and gets easily damaged due to moisture. It easily shows marks of wear-and-tear so it is not recommended in high-traffic areas in your home.

 

3.     Repair

Laminate

The Good: Laminate flooring may be durable but it doesn’t mean that it is indestructible. Simple nicks or scratches can be easily repaired as long as you can find the correct color match (or you can do touch-ups on your own).

Hardwood

The Good: Repairing hardwood is also easy, just by sanding and refinishing the imperfections. You can be assured that the hardwood will last for years and years.

If you are still clueless on what type of flooring to install, there is also carpet, vinyl, tile, or cork flooring you can consider. Check out this Floor Buying Guide by Carolina Flooring Services to help you find the right flooring material and style for your home.