You want to put down wood flooring in your home, but have no idea where to start or what to choose. Sound right? This is a common frustration among homeowners because there are so many choices. To break it down simply when it comes to wood flooring, you really have two options – hardwood and laminate. Here’s how they stack up:
Real hardwood flooring, while it will cost you more than laminate, will provide you with a few important benefits. You can’t beat the appearance of a true hardwood floor, they really are beautiful. Many of the hardwood options out there are also quite scratch resistant. Another benefit of hardwood floor is ease of repair. It is relatively easy to repair any damaged boards and you can also sand them down for refinishing. If you take good care of your hardwood floors, they can last for 30 years or more.
Laminate flooring is definitely the more cost efficient way to go and it also provides some benefits. The appearance of laminate has improved greatly but still will never stand up to a true hardwood. However, laminate flooring is extremely durable, scratch and stain resistant, making it an excellent choice if you have small children and or pets. Laminate flooring also requires very little maintenance and is easy to clean. With laminate however, it is more difficult to replace any boards that get damaged and this type of flooring cannot be refinished.
So, when deciding on true hardwood or laminate, consider your circumstances and weigh all of the pros and cons. Either way, you are sure to end up with some beautiful new flooring!
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