Price
The reality of what it costs to lay down a new floor and your personal budget may present a very different figure. Take into consideration the differences in price between hardwood and laminate floor:
Hardwood: CONS – this flooring option is made from harvested trees. Different woods are selected for their special beauty and a more exotic wood will incur a higher cost.
Laminate: PROS – laminate flooring looks like wood but is made from compressed wood fused together at high temperatures. Onto this is printed any attractive wood patterns and a covering or coating is added for protection. Not only are the materials cheaper but you can expect installation to be about half the cost of hardwood floor.
Durability
Consider the traffic you are expecting your new flooring to withstand. A durable flooring option will maintain its original beauty and last longer as the years roll by.
• Hardwood:
CONS– hardwood is exceptionally beautiful, but if you have kids, pets or a clumsy house guest you may find it gets exceptionally damaged very quickly.
PROS–– On the upside, hardwood is absolutely gorgeous and considering on the options you select you may increase the value of you home significantly.
• Laminate:
PROS – because it is made of a composite wood material, laminate can be expected to withstand the regular and even heavy traffic found in a residential or commercial location.
CONS –– even though laminate is tougher, you can’t really expect the same visual appeal you get from even cheaper hardwood flooring options from the most costly laminate flooring .
Repair
The flooring in your home will need to be addressed and repaired at some point in your future. This can be the result of a minor accident as well as the regular wear and tear you will expect to find on the floor.
Hardwood: PROS – hardwood can actually last a longtime if properly cared for, eventually as the top surface begins to look a bit scuffed and aged, it can be sanded down and refinished to look good as new.
Laminate: CONS – Laminate is not going to hold up as well in the long run. On the one side, some varieties do not repair very easily. The ones that do will usually snap together, but because of sunlight damage the correction may just be another mismatching tile and add to the artificiality of the floor.
Still your home will look better with the proper flooring option. To choose which of the options mentioned here is the best for you, consider the type of home life and environment it will support.
