Pros and cons of hardwood vs laminate flooring?

Answer 1

Hardwood is so beautiful but has a lot of maintenance work involved for proper care. Also I found that it scratches a lot easier then laminate. Laminate seems easier to clean, and maintain.

Also another thing to consider...if you have pets...especially dogs with longer claws...the constant walking on hardwood floor can and will damage it severely...compared to laminate that is more durable to pet wear, and household messes.

Answer 2

Basically laminate is meant to look like hardwood at a cheaper price. It may be easier to maintainin that you will never have to sand or refinish it, but the fact is that it just won't likely last as long as hardwood. Any scratch or anything and you won't be able to buff it out as it's not a solid product, but only a surface veneer meant to look like wood (which it doesn't, really). There can also be problems with moisture.
If your floor must be replaced and you can't afford the real stuff, laminate is ok. But hardwood is a much better longterm investment.

Answer 3

Hardwood :Will last longer, is easy to maintain (a little murphy oil and a cotton mop)and will fair better then laminate against scratches,water, and traffic

Laminates:Cheap

If you decide to do laminates and you have dogs, you should check out the cool plastic molds you can put on their claws to help w/ scatches.

Answer 4

Easy answer: if you plan to sell the house someday, the hardwood floors will add a huge amount of value to the home. Hardwood looks a lot better - makes the place look rich. - Stuart

Answer 5

laminate will delaminate if it gets wet, trust me i have repaired many sq ft of this.....hardwood has much more character than laminate....hardwood will add value to ur house laminate will not, per my bank appraiser...

lic. gen. contractor

Answer 6

well about hardwood floors it is cooler and gets dusty also
lamintae type like marble they require to be kept swept & moped
also very nice too ! http://www.laminateflooring.com best one
for your use