Often a situation may come while buying your flooring material, and you have to choose between either hardwood or laminate flooring material for your home. You must have selected the few best suppliers from the Flooring Domain directory of hardwood flooring companies but you are still thinking whether laminate will be a better choice.
Often while choosing between these two, the price becomes a criterion and people end up buying laminate flooring material as they will generally tend to be cheaper from the price of hardwood from a certain timber flooring company.
However, you must remember that when you are buying any flooring material for your home you must select them by keeping in view long term usage.
Let us make a comparison between laminate and hardwood flooring under the following parameters:
APPEARANCE
· Hardwood
Hardwood floor offers a very natural appearance and make your floor quite an attractive however, it can always get scratched if you have pets and young children at home.
· Laminate
Laminate floors will be much stronger and will not be affected by any kind of scratching, but it may not offer as much original look that a hardwood floor offers.
COST
· Hardwood
Cost of hardwood floor will depend mainly upon the type of hardwood chosen. In general cost of hardwood flooring material will tend to be higher than laminate flooring.
· Laminate
Laminate flooring is processed by integrating composite wood material at very high temperature with laminate material and it will cost much lower as compared to hardwood floors.
DURABILITY
· Hardwood
Hardwood floor may offer a very gorgeous appearance however it can always get scratched if you are not careful enough while shifting or moving your heavy furniture.
· Laminate
Laminate flooring will comparatively be much more durable against scratches and no harm will be done if you move your heavy furniture. However, it offers an artificial look.
REPAIR
· Hardwood
Hardwood floors can always be repaired by sanding operation. In case it gets any scratch mark then you can work upon them and remove the scratch marks.
· Laminate
Laminate floors may not damage easily but due to sunlight if its appearance may get faded and it is not repairable and will need replacement. However, exact matching may not be available after a few years.
ENVIRONMENT
· Hardwood
Hardwood floors will not be much suitable for wet areas or where there is excessive sunlight. Both can damage its appearance.
· Laminate
Laminate flooring will not be as much influenced by humidity or sun light as hardwood floors and can be suitable to install under any kind of environment.
INSTALLATION
· Hardwood
Hardwood installation needs a skilled person and its installation is bit difficult and time consuming too. You need to hire a competent professional to offer best look.
· Laminate
Laminates floors can be installed professionally much quickly and easily without using any nails or glue, and the entire finishing is done while making them at the factory instead doing at your house
Having gone through above comparison made between hardwood and laminate flooring, now you can decide which floor coverings will be the right option for you.