How to Choose Between Hardwood and Laminate

Summary: Can’t decide if you want wood or laminate for your floors? Read on to know some points to consider when finalising your choice.

The floors you choose will affect the way your home will visually turn out. If you’re having a tough time deciding whether you want to go for hardwood or laminate floors, here are a few tips to help you decide.

Consider what you need:

Solid hardwood is the high-end option between the two. That doesn’t mean you can’t find high-quality laminate flooring options out in the market, though. You can, and they will likely cost you too, though not as much as a high-end hardwood flooring. That said, the better option isn’t always the high-end one. Before you buy anything, start by considering what you need. Think about that, The Spruce says, when you check out flooring materials and options.

Think about your budget:

How much can you spend on your floors? If you’re on a budget, then you’ll find that laminate flooring is a much better sell for you. Look for options that are within your price range. That should give you enough choices to explore.

Consider the style: If you love the look and feel of natural wood flooring, then hardwood will win the contest for you, hands down. Again, check out available options. Not all wood floors are equal, so you’ll need to figure out which ones fit the bill for you. Careful evaluation and assessment of options will help you, the Architectural Digest says.

Determine how long it will last:

Laminate floors can give you ten solid years of maximum use. They may even last longer if you minimise exposure to hazards. Remember, water infiltration can be a huge problem, so if you have any spills, mop them up right away. Do the same if you have hardwood floors. For these floors, though, you’ll need to be careful about the cleaning solutions you’ll use. If you don’t, you may end up accidentally compromising the wood floor. That’s going to be a shame, especially given the high cost of that option.

Combine the two:

There’s no reason you shouldn’t have both! If you love the durability and little maintenance work required for laminate floors but love the way wood floors look like, then shop around for laminate wood flooring. That’s one way to get what you want in one package.

Consider your space:

You’ll want to pick the flooring that’s ideal for your home and the weather conditions in your area. For instance, if it constantly rains where you are, then that’s going to put your wood flooring at higher risk of rot, damage and decay. You can have your floors treated and stained for extra protection, but moisture is unforgiving on wood. You may end up having to repair your floors much too often. You’ll be better off just choosing a different floor type for your property.

Factor in your lifestyle:

If you have pets or kids, both tend to be hard on wood floors. Pick laminate flooring instead if you want something that’s less fussy but can get the job done and is available in a slew of styles, colours and designs to suit you.

Sumit Pawar is a freelance writer, with years of experience, creating content for varied online portals. His content is published on many national and international publications.