It’s well known that wood brings a warm quality to the home, be it in natural wood furnishings or through the use of unpainted doors and skirtings. It’s no wonder, then, that wood flooring is much in demand. If you’re looking to install a wood flooring, but are unsure which is best, take a look at our comparison between hardwood and laminate below.
Price may be a substantial driver towards your final choice, and substantial it can certainly be. Hardwood flooring can come with a hefty price tag, even when bought used, but it will last you a lifetime if properly cared for. Laminate, a photographic facsimile of a wooden floor on a composite wood base, is significantly cheaper but won’t stand up to the test of time as well
Which brings us to durability: both types of floor are actually quite good at standing up to the everyday wear and tear a modern household will inflict on a floor, even in high traffic areas. Laminate is easier to clean, when the dog comes in covered in mud followed closely by your toddler, and can withstand excess moisture better than hardwood. However, hardwood, even dinged and scratched, can still look gorgeous – just remember to clean up any puddles of water quickly!
One major difference, beyond price, is the ease of installation. Laminate, with its click and lock feature available on some makes, is easy for the home DIY-er to install if some care and forethought is provided. Hardwood, on the other hand, should be laid by a professional in order to get a beautiful finish. Speaking of, a hardwood floor can be easily repaired by sanding and refinishing. In fact, a hardwood floor can be refinished several times over, but a laminate floor can only have entire pieces replaced, which can prove difficult.
Re-selling, should you ever get bored of your gorgeous wooden floor, is far easier with a hardwood floor, and its resale value if well maintained is far higher than that of a laminate floor. Hardwood is an investment, but comes with a list of requirements. For ease and lower cost, laminate is the way to go.
If you’re looking to get a wooden floor installed, either laminate or hardwood, and want some advice or a free quote for some help installing, why not give us a call? We cover the Watlington and Oxford areas and have over 15 years of experience. Got more questions? Head over to the British Wood Floor Association
