Which Is Better Hardwood Floors Or Laminate

The flooring of a home is one of its defining features.

Which is better hardwood floors or laminate.

Both are strong durable floors that are less expensive than natural wood but laminate flooring typically costs less. It offers a natural look. Even so the cost of hardwood varies drastically with some woods oak maple american cherry being fairly affordable and others exotic wood species wenge teak being expensive. With proper care hardwood flooring is a better long term investment than laminate flooring but hardwood s upfront costs may deter homeowners.

Laminate runs 1 to 7 per square foot depending on the quality. Because hardwood floors can last for generations they raise your home s value more than laminate floors. Neither laminate nor solid hardwood flooring is ideal flooring materials for truly wet locations but laminate is somewhat better for humid locations such as installation against concrete slabs. Laminate floors have a relatively short life span as compared to hardwood flooring.

So things can scratch it but in general laminate flooring resists traffic wear and scratching better than hardwood. Cheaper versions have 1 4 inch cores and the photo reproductions may not be as realistic as more expensive versions. Hardwood is not to be too obvious hard wood but it is still susceptible to scratching and abrasion. Laminate flooring also has come advantage when it comes to heat resistance.

The winner of engineered hardwood vs. Laminate flooring really depends. While older more traditional homes often have the original hardwood floors still in place many newer homes are using laminate. Engineered hardwood debate right there.

For many folks that ends the laminate vs. Most hardwood floors have excellent resistance to coca cola red wine and many household chemicals. Wood flooring remains one of the most popular options as it is a naturally inviting beautiful and timeless material. Both materials mimic a natural wood floor beautifully but if you re all about natural beauty you might prefer the solid wood top of an engineered hardwood floor.