Many homeowners are faced with a choice between hardwood and laminate. The difference between these two types of floors can be confusing because the type of flooring you get can affect your room’s overall aesthetic and how it ties the other elements of the room.
At Passion Design, , we can help you find the right flooring to help you achieve your aesthetic vision.
Durability
Wood-look laminate flooring boasts UV protection and resists scratches and dents, so it is perfect for placement in high-traffic and sun-drenched areas. Laminates can hold their own in hardwood vs. laminate comparisons of durability and style.
Cost
Cost is easily the biggest selling point of laminate flooring; it typically runs about half the price of hardwood. If you’re on a tight budget, laminate flooring is the better choice.
Environmental Impact
When it comes to being eco-friendly, hardwood flooring is the better choice. However, many laminate floors are recyclable, slightly reducing their environmental impact.
Moisture Resistance
Even if you’re not installing new floors in a kitchen or bathroom, your floors will likely encounter moisture at some point, so it’s helpful to know how these materials tolerate water. When it comes to wood floors versus laminate, the latter tends to be more moisture-resistant.
Lifespan
One of hardwood flooring’s biggest benefits is that it can last a lifetime. Laminate, however, usually has a lifespan of 15 to 25 years.
Appearance and Aesthetics
Hard wood is characterized by tremendous texture variation of the wood grain, which is why no two planks of hardwood flooring, whether solid or engineered, appear exactly alike. In laminate flooring, pre-designed patterns that imitate the look of wood texture, are imprinted onto the floor surface.
Although in appearance some high quality laminate floors may look like real wood, repetition is unavoidable, as uniqueness of an authentic wood is impossible to replicate.
