For years homeowners have added beauty and value to their homes with hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring has become a popular low-cost alternative to natural hardwood. We get many people that come through our showroom wondering what the main difference between the two are. The biggest difference between hardwood flooring and laminate flooring is that hardwood flooring is made from actual wood. Laminate flooring is an image of wood projected onto individual planks created from pressing together several layers of synthetic material. True hardwood flooring is made of two components: solid and engineered.
Solid hardwood flooring is made entirely from a single piece of lumber. Engineered flooring, often mistaken for laminate, is comprised of a solid hardwood wear layer pressed over several plys of hardwood. The plys are pressed and bonded together using high pressure and heat. The process compresses the core veneers and makes the plank harder and more dimensionally stable. Once installed you cannot detect the difference between engineered and hardwood flooring.
Most people prefer the look of hardwood flooring over laminate flooring. Hardwood is gorgeous and can add considerable value to your home. Laminate flooring is not as visually appealing. Lower cost laminate flooring often contains artificial looking wood grain textures. Hardwood flooring can be easy to clean and maintain. Flooring.org has some great information and tips on how to maintain your hardwood floor. Properly maintained hardwood flooring can last anywhere from 80 – 100 years. Whereas, laminate flooring typically has a life of about 20 years. Visit our flooring page to shop and compare our hardwood flooring selection.