Real Wood Floors Vs Laminate

If you re seeking an alternative to hardwood but laminate doesn t sound like the material for you consider engineered wood or luxury vinyl.

Real wood floors vs laminate. Laminate is essentially a rigid synthetic floor that s also known as composite pergo or floating wood tile. It is milled with tongues and grooves on opposite edges so that the boards interlock when installed. Laminate flooring and engineered wood flooring are two obvious choices if you want a flooring that looks like solid hardwood but at a more affordable price. However it has made serious inroads as a legitimate competitor to hardwood.

Laminate is also much thinner than engineered wood averaging around 12mm whereas engineered wood tends to be thicker like hardwoods. Both floor coverings were developed as economical and versatile alternatives to that mainstay of flooring material solid hardwood flooring. In this case removing and replacing the damaged boards is the only way to repair the floor. Laminate flooring is the newcomer on the block.

Real wood floors can be sanded and refinished if necessary while laminates cannot be refinished if scratched or damaged. Hardwood flooring 3 4 inch thick boards of solid hardwood cut from a tree is undoubtedly a quality material. They are two very different floor coverings. It is always nailed down to the subfloor a process that requires some skill.

The choice between real wood or laminate can be easy as long as you know the facts about both. The main difference between hardwood flooring and laminate flooring is that hardwood flooring is made from real wood and laminate flooring has a picture of wood on the surface. It s made of several layers of compressed materials. Moisture and mold growth both laminates and solid hardwoods may be susceptible to moisture and high humidity.

What is real wood flooring. But when combined with either foam or felt underlayment laminate flooring will be quieter softer and more comfortable to walk on. Solid hardwood flooring is often regarded as the real deal with laminate flooring occupying the next rung down as an inexpensive way to simulate the look of real hardwood flooring. Both resemble true hardwood but each comes with its own benefits and disadvantages.

Solid wood flooring comes in long planks usually made of a hardwood species. Laminate flooring products can feel somewhat hollow underfoot when compared to the wood floors they are supposed to mimic. It is even common for real estate agents to highlight hardwood floors. Engineered wood flooring.