Hardwood vs. Laminate Flooring. Which one is best for you?
Every single home deserves to be moulded in the eye of the owner. Each home should also look beautiful and be kept in the best possible condition. There are so many different aspects that one should look to personalize or improve, so you’ll have a lot of work on your hands as a homeowner looking to take on projects!
The flooring comes into question a lot because it’s such a significant part of one’s home. It’s by no means something that you must mull over too much, but it’s always noticeable when the floor isn’t looking too good. It’s taken for granted in that you never really notice when it’s looking in fine fettle, but you certainly see the flaws.
In this post, we’re going to discuss the difference between two kinds of flooring that are available to you and many other homeowners looking to upgrade or change up. Hardwood and laminate flooring are both very popular, but you can only have one at a time. So, without further ado, let’s discuss the pros and cons of each. Hopefully, you’ll get a better idea of each and be able to make more of an informed decision if they pop up in your plan in the future:
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring is a popular choice and one that you’ll find in many homes near you. It’s a popular choice due to the fact that it will last a very long time. You can expect a hardwood flooring to last for decades, which means there will be hardly any stressing over maintenance for the years you spend in that home. Many people spend around twenty years max in a home, so it’s a case of laying this flooring down and being done with the work for good! It lasts for all these years but also goes through life without ageing too much – so that’s a bonus.
Hardwood also comes in so many varieties, so you can expect to choose from a wide range of styles. This means you’ll be able to pick and choose based on what you like the look of and what suits the home’s current look. You also could take into account that it’s safe for kids and improves the overall value of your home!
A few negatives that some may run into include the fact that they might cost a little more than other options. They could be prone to termites, also. Scratch marks and creaking may hit the flooring after a long while, too.
Laminate Flooring
If you’re on a budget, then laminate flooring can be a very good option for you. Not only is durable, but you will also have to put very little work into keeping it in good condition. Very much like the hardwood floor, you can lay it down and then worry little about the stresses and strains of maintenance. You can read our tips here to learn about the best ways to clean laminate floors.
It’s not only good for the likes of residential homes – it can be useful for commercial floors, too, so you know it’s strong and powerful. If you have projects in a spare room or a garage outside, then laminate flooring could be the right flooring to use. Specifically, laminate flooring is resistant to the likes of scratches, stains, fading, burns, and moisture. If you’re looking for a kind of flooring that feels pretty invincible, then you could do a lot worse than this kind.
It’s pet-friendly and hypoallergenic, so you won’t have to worry about it causing many health issues to any animals you have or children you need to take care of! Children often have problems with some of the surfaces that are present in houses – you can rest assured with the likes of laminate flooring.
This isn’t a con for everyone, but many see the fact that it’s not real, authentic hardwood as a negative. You know what you’re getting with laminate flooring, but the fact that it’s not a genuine, real material like a pretty hardwood can put some people off.
It may also be prone to water damage – we spoke about how moisture can be resisted, but too much can do a lot of damage, as you might expect. Warping can happen if not installed properly or if it hasn’t acclimated properly to its new environment. An incompetent installation can also lead to unnecessary noises being made, which obviously won’t be ideal as you’ll always be looking for calm, tranquil and peaceful flooring for your home.
