Hardwood vs. Laminate Wood Flooring

When choosing flooring for your Santa Cruz, CA home, you may be struggling to decide between hardwood and laminate wood flooring. Upon first glance, they appear to be pretty similar, but there are some differences you should be aware of.

One major difference is the price. Laminate wood flooring is less expensive than hardwood flooring. On the flip side, however, hardwood is often seen as more visually and aesthetically appealing. Here are some of the pros and cons of hardwood vs. laminate wood flooring in Santa Cruz, CA.

Pros of laminate wood flooring

• More durable: Laminate flooring is more resistant to scratches and other types of wear and tear, making it a great option for homes with pets and young kids.
• Costs less: Because it is made from composite wood rather than single pieces of lumber, it is more affordable to produce and therefore more affordable to buy. It’s also cheaper to install. On average, installation of laminate wood flooring is half the cost of hardwood.

Cons of laminate wood flooring

• Less visually appealing: While some laminate flooring looks nearly identical to hardwood, other options have artificial-looking grain textures and other less desirable aesthetics.
• More difficult to repair: Not only is laminate flooring harder to repair than hardwood, but it you need to replace a section or individual board, the new piece may not match the rest if the floor has faded due to sunlight exposure.

Pros of hardwood flooring

• Desirable, natural look: Hardwood has a texture given to it by nature that simply cannot be replicated. Every board of a hardwood floor is unique, and every inch of the floor in your home will be unique compared to other homes.
• Adds value to your home: Because it is so naturally beautiful and unique, not to mention more expensive to buy and install, hardwood flooring adds value to a home compared to laminate flooring.
• Visually seamless repairs: Repairs on hardwood flooring can look like nothing ever happened once it is properly sanded and stained to match the surrounding area.

Cons of hardwood flooring

• More susceptible to damage: Hardwood is more easily scratched than laminate flooring and can take on some visible damage from too much moisture or foot traffic over the years.
• More expensive: While pricing depends on the type of wood you select, hardwood flooring is usually more expensive than laminate flooring. Hardwood flooring often runs $5 to $10 per square foot, while laminate flooring runs about $3 to $7 per square foot. Hardwood also costs 50 percent more, on average, to have installed.

Which is right for you?

What type of flooring is right for you can also depend on other factors like what room it’s in, how often it will be exposed to moisture and heavy traffic and the amount of sunlight in a given area. For more information on hardwood vs. laminate wood flooring in Santa Cruz, CA, contact the experienced professionals at The Wholesale House today. We’re here to work with you to meet all of your flooring needs!

Categorised in: Hardwood Flooring, Laminate Flooring

This post was written by Writer