wood or laminate flooring

One of the most sought after amenities in a home is wood flooring. From its natural appearance and warmth underfoot, wood is beautiful and timeless. Older traditional homes with their original hardwood floors are one of the pros of buying older homes. Assess the traffic load and wear and tear on flooring in your home. How durable your wood flooring is will help with maintenance and keep it looking great for years to come.
Take into consideration the cost of laminate and hardwood flooring to determine what is best for you.
Laminate wood flooring is made from composite wood pressed together at high temperatures. Since laminate wood flooring is made from pressed wood it is more durable and resists scratches, moisture and wear and tear better than hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring is also easier to clean on a routine basis. Even though laminate is more durable it is not as visually appealing and lower qualities of laminate may have artificial looking wood grain textures. Laminate flooring doesn’t repair easily. If you buy flooring that comes in individual pieces and snapped together, you may be able to replace. Although, depending on sunlight and age, the new piece may not match properly.
Hardwood flooring is made from harvested trees and depending on how exotic the trees are will depict the pricing. Hardwood is considerably higher to buy and to install. Hardwood is susceptible to scratching, can get damaged from excessive moisture and will show wear, especially in heavy trafficked areas in your home. Hardwood is the ‘real deal’. It is gorgeous to look at and depending on the variety can add considerable value to your home. Hardwood can be repaired by sanding and refinishing out imperfections. This advantage gives hardwood a plus over laminate, in that it will last for years into the future.