Hardwood Or Laminate Wood Flooring: Which One Should You Install At Home?

By Author: Bernard Wogan
Total Articles: 10
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Wood flooring choices still reign and induce homeowners to give it a thought in a world where rugs and carpets dominate. Not only does it reflect one’s personality but defines one’s property. And of them, solid wood continues to remain a popular choice in traditional residences, where timelessness and beauty enjoy an upper hand over practicality. But with the mushrooming of newer homes, people are now switching to its affordable alternative - laminate wood flooring. After all, who will not be bowled over by its resemblance to hardwood and its availability at a price lower than solid wood!

However, taking a decision purely based on price and beauty shall never pay off well. Other factors like installation, durability, ease of maintenance and resale value also matter. Hence, the article here focuses on both the materials and draws out a comparison between the two for you to get it straight. So, let’s have a look.

Laminate Versus Hardwood: A Comparison Based On Prices
Starting off with affordability, what do you think causes the cost of flooring to go up? While the price of hardwood flooring ...
... relies to a great extent on the wood type and installation costs, the same doesn’t hold true in laminates. The latter constitutes materials like composite wood and design layer, both of which makes it a cheaper substitute to hardwoods. Moreover, it’s easy to install, unlike hardwoods. In a nutshell, the cost per square feet is comparatively lower in laminates than in hardwoods.

Laminate Versus Hardwood: A Comparison Based On Repair
No matter how much you spend on a flooring’s maintenance, it will gradually show up wear and tear. So, at some point, you will have to seek professional help for a repair and refurbishment job. While hardwood flooring repairs easily with sanding and refinishing, laminates take time. The latter requires replacement of individual planks for a quick renovation. A major drawback here is that the individual boards might not match with the rest. Hence, hardwood here is the clear winner.

Laminate Versus Hardwood: A Comparison Based On Durability
From an appearance stance, hardwood enjoys all the limelight as it’s gorgeous and adds significant value to one’s home, whereas laminates fail to create an impact with its visual appeal. But as we said before, beauty is not everything and that durability matters. So, from that perspective, laminates take away all the attention. Wondering why? Well, it resists scratches and survives moisture. Flooring manufacturers have designed it to withstand wear and tear - an improvement over solid woods.

Considering all three factors, it’s no surprise that laminates have come off with flying colours. Not only does it suits one’s budget but also takes little time for installation and withstands foot traffic for years to come. However, the only setback is repairing, as it hardly supports sanding.
At last, it’s your call. Weigh both pros and cons to reach a decision. We bet both will induce warmth indoors and improve the overall aesthetic of your home. Those available at Whiteriver have an amazing collection to pamper you. You can check them out at your will.

Author Bio:
Coming up with practical answers through articles is what the author truly believes in. Hardwood, engineered wood and laminate wood flooring have always been his preferred genre.