Why You Might Want To Choose Laminate Flooring Rather Than Real Wood When You Remodel

One of the most difficult decisions you have when remodeling your home is the type of flooring to choose. You may love hardwood floors and wish you could put them in your home, but their expense might eliminate them from serious consideration. A close alternative is laminate flooring. Laminate flooring looks similar to hardwood and it actually has some advantages over real wood. Here's a look at how laminate flooring compares to wood flooring and why you may want to install it in your home.

Laminate Flooring Is Durable

Laminate flooring is made from layers of composite wood bound together and topped with an image of real hardwood. The way it's made makes it strong and resistant to scratching and damage from dirt and small amounts of water. You can install laminate flooring in any room of your home, even in a basement. It is much more durable than a softer wood such as pine, so it won't scratch as much if you have dogs and kids in your home. While it may stay looking nicer than real wood for longer, it has to be replaced when it is worn out, although that should take a few decades. Real wood can usually be sanded and restored or refinished, so it could potentially last the life of your home. However, the lower price of laminate considered with the expense of restoring hardwood should offset concerns about having to replace laminate flooring some day.

Laminate Is Easy To Install

Laminate flooring is supplied in shorter boards than wood flooring. This makes it easy to pick up from the store and take home if you're planning a DIY installation. Laminate goes over an existing floor, so you can skip the step of ripping out an old floor unless it is carpet. The boards click together for quick and easy installation when compared to putting in a wood floor, which requires a skilled professional. If you don't want to install a laminate floor yourself, you can hire a contractor to do it at a much lower price than installing hardwood since putting in a real wood floor is labor intensive.

Laminate Flooring Comes In Many Styles

Just like real wood floors, you can buy laminate flooring that comes in many styles. The flooring is available in a range of prices with the higher priced flooring being higher quality and longer-lasting. You can buy the planks with textures on the surface to be more like wood flooring. You can choose from different colors and sheens that match about any type of wood floor you can buy. In addition, you can buy laminate flooring that looks like natural stone in case you prefer the look of stone in a kitchen or around entry doors. Just because you choose a lower priced form of flooring compared to real wood, you won't have to sacrifice on appearance.


Share