what is a better floor solid wood or laminate?

Answer 1

SOLID every time.... had Rhodesian Teak parquet floor in one house, quite old & ill treated. Cleaned old wax, re-sanded, refinished.....looked beautiful when the sun caught it...mmmm.... SOLID, every time.

Answer 2

depends how you define "Better" .

If you mean quality, then solid every time.

Solid is like wine, gets better with age.

I think laminate is a fashion that will die and date the flood of housing being fitted with it.

Not sure how the answer above me can praise laminate for "durability" and then say some of it is damaged by a minor water leak. Solid floors will still be there is 300 years.

Yes you will have to refinish solid floors every so often, belt sander every 50 years ? But you'll be throwing out your laminate long before then.

Answer 3

It really depends on where you want to use it. Laminate will do fine in bedrooms where there is not much traffic. Go for the solid wood in hallways, sitting/dining rooms. There is another option and that is semi-solid. This is a thin layer of solid wood (about 0ne eighth of an inch thick bonded to a less expensive timber. The total thickness is about 3-quarters of an inch/ It can look just as good as solid for about half the price.

Answer 4

Of course solid wood is better BUT it is more expensive and should be installed by a professional. If you choose laminate you can install it yourself which saves some cost and the laminate is cheaper to start with.

Answer 5

so far for the durability and look and ease of instillation it has been the laminate especially if you have kids or pets. The only problem that I have encountered was that my dishwasher leaked and I didn't know it some water soaked into the joint and I now have a small bump in the seam I mean small only aprox 1/2 inch long right at the seam. but otherwise I love it so much better than the hard wood as it tends to need more upkeep and will eventually need to be refinished

Answer 6

........Pro's and Con's. Wood more expensive but will last for life. Laminate is cheap, hard wearing but doesn't last anywhere as long as real wood. Laminate is not waterproof, If you spill something on it, clean it up quickly. Once Laminate floors look old, they have to be replaced. If wood looks old and tired, it can be sanded down and retreated. So over the long run, wood is cheaper.

Answer 7

Wood. I have a very nice laminate as it was inexpensive, but it can not take water sitting on it like a quality wood could. You would not want either in a bathroom, but laminate is very bad. wouldn't use it in a kitchen or next to a bathroom either (out hallway has some spots outside the kids bathroom)

Answer 8

Don't go with hardwood flooring--it's really hard to take care of, and there are laminate floorings our there that look just like natural wood, but hold up better and are much easier to clean. My father is an architect who just moved into a new office. They used the laminate flooring, and they love it. It went down quickly, and wasn't that expensive.

Answer 9

Solid lasts longer and you can sort out any scratches but to be honest carpet is best of all. Laminates and wood floors hold all the dust on top so you are constantly having to dust everywhere.

Answer 10

Provided the wood floor is sound and does not have chunks gouged out, then it is obviously better. If however the floor is badly damaged, then laminate is a quick way to bury the damage,

Answer 11

Depends on what your priorities are: laminate is easier to install and easier to care for. Solid wood looks better (in my opinion) and generally adds more value to the house.