Flooring Showdown: Laminate vs. Wood Flooring

How Modern Laminate Flooring Stands Up to Traditional Wood Flooring
Throughout the years, there has been a steady increase in flooring options available to builders and homeowners alike. Choosing a floor that fits their needs includes a number of attractive choices available; wood, tile, marble, stone, and others. In the wood flooring arena, two flooring options stand out: traditional hardwood and the steadily gaining in popularity laminate flooring.

Laminate flooring and traditional wood flooring
Solid wood flooring is the traditional choice for residences and commercial buildings because of its solid reputation as a reliable flooring material. Laminate flooring, on the other hand, is a fairly new development. It has been in use in Europe, where it originated, for many years and is gaining popularity in North America. Many say that laminate flooring is a worthy substitute for hardwood flooring.

Laminate vs. Wood Flooring
Being similar in appearance, hardwood flooring and laminate flooring are often compared with each other. Both offer advantages to the homeowner. Hardwood and laminate flooring can be very similar in appearance - but they are very different. Traditional wood flooring offers a natural surface, where laminate is a replica, manufactured from paper, fiberboard, and innovative print technology.

Grain patterns and colors in wood flooring and laminate flooring
Hardwood flooring has naturally beautiful and distinct grain patterns and rich color ranges that set the standard for laminate flooring, which also exhibits beautiful and distinct grain patterns found in wood. But laminate flooring is a photograph of wood that is laminated onto a base.

Cost comparisons
Cost-wise, it is no surprise that hardwood is generally more expensive than laminate flooring. Laminate delivers on look, while being made up of less expensive materials. Hardwood is often the flooring of choice in more affluent settings and in settings where additional structural strength is important. Laminate flooring adds no such strength.

Care & maintenance for traditional wood flooring and laminate flooring
Laminate floors are easier to maintain compared to traditional wood floors. And laminate flooring that triumphs over the competition as it can be installed pretty much any flat, dry, and clean surface. However, laminate flooring is difficult to repair if at all damaged, and refinishing is not an option.