Wood flooring is one of the most sought-after flooring types because of its beautiful appearance and timelessness. Original hardwood flooring not only adds high aesthetics but also high value to your homes. Therefore, most homeowners that can afford hardwood floors for their home usually go for it. however, houses that have a lower budget but still want the natural wood-look often use faux wood laminate flooring to attract visitors or homebuyers.
There are pros and cons of both the flooring types that influence the preferences and decisions of homebuyers. This article will help you choose the one which is best suited to your budget, lifestyle, and home.
PRICE
When you’re hunting the perfect floor for your home, taking flooring costs into consideration is very important especially if you have a limited budget.
- Hardwood: The buying and installation costs of hardwood flooring is considerably high as compared to laminate flooring. These floors are made from harvested trees and their prices vary with the exoticness of the trees.
- Laminate: These floors are made by pressing composite wood together at high temperatures. After these floors are formed, the image of hardwood is placed over it to form the laminate. These floors are not only cheaper to buy but also have much lower installation cost as compared to that of hardwood.
DURABILITY
This flooring characteristic is demanded by almost all homeowners. A durable floor doesn’t require frequent maintenance and will probably last for several years. Assess the wear and tear and traffic load in your house and then choose the best suited option.
- Hardwood: These floors are susceptible to gouges and scratches and can get damaged due to excessive moisture. They resist wear and tear well but might not be the best option form high-traffic areas. However, if taken care of, these floors are known to last for decades without any decline in their charm and beauty. Hardwood floors are extremely gorgeous and classy, and depending on the wood type, they can add significant value to your home.
- Laminate: As this flooring is made using pressed wood, it is much more durable than hardwood, and highly resistant to wear and tear, moisture and scratches. Laminate floors are also very easy to clean and maintain. However, these floors may win when it comes to durability, but they’re not as visually appealing as hardwood floors.
REPAIR
From minor scratches to extreme wear and tear, you flooring will endure a lot. When it comes to repair, hardwood and laminate floors have some advantages and disadvantages.
- Hardwood: These floors can be easily repaired by sanding and refinishing. Hardwood floors hardly ever have to be replaced and usually last for several decades. This gives hardwood floors an edge over laminate flooring.
- Laminate: These floors are quite difficult to repair. If you buy laminate flooring that comes in separate pieces snapped together, then replacing individual boards might be an option. However, depending on the age of flooring and the sunlight in that area, the new boards may not match perfectly with the old ones.
Laminate vs wood flooring is basically price vs class. Laminate floors look beautiful but not as beautiful as hardwood floors. in a master bedroom or dining room, where style is your first preference, you might want to spend a bit more on a stunning hardwood floor. However, in functional settings such a parts of the house where your children are playing or your pets are running, laminate flooring is a better option. It’s beautiful, easy to clean, and highly resistant to wear and tear. In these areas hardwood floors seem impractical and costly.
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