Choosing the Right Flooring for Your Home: Laminate or Hardwood? Articles | Home Improvement

The good news about hardwood flooring is that it not only looks stylish but elegant too; the bad news is that it may not be the fight choice for homes which have a lot of footfalls with heavy traffic moving in and out. It can also be prohibitively expensive depending on the type of grains and plank size that are chosen. Today, there is an excellent alternative which one can find in high quality laminate flooring. In fact, it is not uncommon to find many homes switching from oft-used hardwood to laminate flooring. Both have their equal share of advantages and disadvantages though. Here are some pros and cons of both:

Hardwood: Though hardwood has always been a popular choice for many rich homes for their classy appearance and tradition, many people are finding it a bit inconvenient especially those with pets and small children in the house. It is undeniable that hardwood looks better with age, is durable and definitely adds a lot of value to a home, much more than laminate flooring. Despite these plus points, the material has a few drawbacks which include: tendency to get scratched with pet nails as well as in high traffic areas, available in limited stocks in below grade variety and is not useful as bathroom floors or basements where the level of humidity is high. It is also very difficult to move from hardwood to other types of flooring including tiles and carpets. This is despite the fact that hardwood is very easy to maintain and can be glamorized with a fresh coat of varnish and there is no necessity for any change of flooring.

Laminate Flooring: On the other hand laminate flooring is much more affordable and offers an excellent alternative to hardwood. You could also get a near similar look of wood, tile or stone with laminate flooring. This type of flooring is long lasting and easy to install and maintain – even a novice could be successful. You could easily move on to other types of flooring materials and the flooring is not adversely affected by pets, children or even heavy traffic. Made from recycled materials, laminate flooring lasts for nearly 15 to 30 years.

So, what are the disadvantages of laminate flooring? Firstly, you can not add any fresh coat of polish or varnish to improve its appearance, which you might want to do after many years of use or repair the usual wear and tear. Then if a couple of boards are sanded or stained, you can not replace a section of the flooring as it will never match with the original pieces. Obviously it can not add the same kind of value as traditional hardwood and can make an eerie kind of hollow sound when you walk on laminate flooring which has not been installed properly.

Irrespective of whether you wish to make your home more glamorous with hardwood flooring or choose the more affordable yet long lasting laminate flooring, the fact of the matter is that today’s home maker has numerous choices when he wants to do the flooring of the house. The choice you make would largely depend on your living style, personal preference and budget and not so much on the quality or availability of the chosen option.