So you have finally decided to rip up your carpet and replace it with hardwood flooring! There are a lot of advantages to having hardwood flooring in your home, some of which are that it looks great, it’s durable and cost-efficient.

Unless you have worked with hardwood flooring before, you may not know the differences between laminate hardwood and solid hardwood, or how each will benefit your home. If you want to know the differences, you have come to the right place! Read the following blog to see what advantages each type of hardwood floor has and which will work best for you.

Laminate Hardwood

Laminate hardwood flooring is very versatile, durable, and cost-effective. Instead of being made from slabs of wood, laminate is usually manufactured with high density fiber at its core. If you choose the laminate hardwood option, you can make it look like any type of wood you want. The top layer of each slab of laminate hardwood flooring is actually a photographic layer that can mimic the look of any type of wood, like bamboo, knotted wood, hardwood, etc.

One of the many advantages of laminate hardwood flooring is that it’s super easy to install or uninstall as it uses a tongue and groove locking system. They are also easy to clean and they are very resistant to scratching, wear and tear, and moisture.

A few disadvantages for laminate hardwood flooring is that you can’t repair it as easy as hardwood. Sometimes you can buy separate slabs and replace broken ones, but they may not end up matching to your other boards due to age and sunlight exposure.

Hardwood

Hardwood flooring comes in many different types of solid, natural wood. Since each plank contains only wood (unlike laminate hardwood that contains high density fiber), hardwood is a lot more fragile than other flooring options. Hardwood is susceptible to denting, so be careful when handling heavy objects, or if you are walking in high heels across your floor.

Hardwood also requires a lot of maintenance, including keeping them dry at all times because the boards can expand if moisture is left on them for too long. The payoff for choosing hardwood is that your floors will look beautiful all year long and can add extra value to your home when you eventually sell it. You can also easily sand and refinish any imperfections, like scuffs or scratches, so you don’t have to end up replacing each slab individually.

When deciding whether to get laminate or hardwood flooring, take into account each pro and con. There really is no right or wrong choice, but if you have a lot of pets or high foot traffic in your home, that could be an influence on your decision. No matter what you choose, laminate or hardwood flooring will make your home look amazing and can even increase your home’s value.