Pros and cons between laminate wood floors and hardwood floors...?

Question

The floor wil be placed on concrete and we have 2 dogs. What are the pros and cons of each...which do you prefer?

Answer 1

laminate:
pros- ease of installation; cheaper cost; easier to maintain.
cons- they are not really indestructable like they are claimed to be; they can be very slippery; they lack the beauty of real hardwood; they dont add as much value to your home as hardwood; they cannot be sanded down and refinished if they become damaged;. they are quite suseptible to water damage.

hardwood:
pros- extremely durable and beautiful; add value to your home; can be refinished at any time; are more forgiving of wear and tear and water damage; slight scuffs and scratches can add to the character of the wood (laminate just looks damaged by comparison)
cons-- the price to purchase and install is criminal. installation is more labor-intensive and complicated than laminate. cant be easily and quickly replaced like laminate can.

I live in a 94 year old house with original, scarred and scratched hardwood of a dark walnut color, been sanded and refinished many times. i use beeswax on it. wouldn't trade it for anything. but if i was moving into a house that didnt already have existing hardwood, i think id have to go with a laminate, just for the cost-effectiveness. id use the best quality laminate available and try to get one with a woodgrained texture matte finish--those flat glossy laminates just look so cheesy.

Answer 2

All are susceptible to moisture cupping so make sure you place durable vapor barrier over the concrete before the sleepers and or the flooring goes on.

Laminate and hardwood veneer can go directly over the vapor barrier. Hardwood will have to go on sleepers/strapping.

Laminate flooring has a particle board substrate which is affected by moisture. The laminate boards could curl up.
It also scratches easy and is slippery for a dog. After awhile it sort of looks like laminate. It is the same thing as a laminate countertop.

Hardwood veneer flooring also has the particle board as a substrate. It is a little harder and more natural then laminate.

Real hardwood full thickness flooring is of course the best and most durable. The most expensive too. Probably the basement might be a little too much.

If I were your dog, I would prefer the real hardwood floor, with plush thick oriental rugs over it, and also radiant heat under that.

A good alternative to above would be VCT tiles. It is the easiest to install, durable, looks gooding. The dogs still need the Oriental rugs though.
woof, woof

Answer 3

I chose the laminate over the hardwood and I love it. It has the hardwood look, is much more durable, and it's resistant to scratches common from pets and kids. Easy to clean and maintain. I have a dog and we haven't had any damage to the laminate. We have it in our foyer, 1st floor bath, kitchen, and hallways. It's been a solid purchase.

I had hardwood in a previous house and when the house settled, some of the boards gained gaps between the planks of wood. It's also harder to take care of. The neighbors have a dog and the dog destroyed parts of their floor. They had to have it refinished.

I think that there are some people out there that have this mistaken illusion that hardwood floors are the end all be all. From a resale perspective, I think that there are some people that will only want hardwood and may snub their nose at the laminate.

On the other hand, laminate is a step up from vinyl floors!

Answer 4

Ugh, my parents installed Pergo (laminate) in this house and then sold it to me--their new house has all oak hardwood floors. They have two big dogs and I have to say that the Pergo has withstood any scratches from them over 10 years. The installers said that it should be "water-tight" but after a small bit of leaking on one occasion near the dishwasher 6 years ago, it's all puckered and twisted. My mother dropped (and broke) a glass dish on the floor and the laminate has a permanent scar that even the touch-up material can't cover enough because the cut went through the wood pattern.

However, they have only been in their new house since Sept 2006 and there are noticable markings from the dog's toenails.

Overall...I'd still go with hardwood floors!!

Answer 5

By far the superior is the hardwood floors. No matter what you're told, laminate floors will damage easily and dogs will scratch it. Hardwood, while more expensive are the better investment as they can be refinished down the road and in my estimation much nicer to walk on and look at. Bare in mind that laminate may be the way to go environmentally and depending on the eveness of the floor. Laminate can be more forgiving than hardwood as well.

In the end, it's your choice though!

Good Luck!

Answer 6

Laminate floors
pros - more economical for installation and for upkeep
cons - have a different sound when you walk across, are softer and shows dings and scratches (from pets) more

Hardwood floors
pros - added value to your home, more durable
cons - more expensive on maintenance

I would prefer to install real hardwood floors

Answer 7

We just put laminate over a cement floor. We are very happy with it. Have never tried putting in a wood floor, so I can't compare.
You have to use a moisture barrier over concrete before you put the laminate down. It is plastic sheeting that comes in rolls and is fairly inexpensive

Answer 8

That depends on how long you are staying in this house. If you are living in it for good then wood floors is the way to go. You can refinish them when ever you need to and I think they look a lot nicer. A laminate glue down will look ok but will wear out quicker and can not be as easily refinished.

Answer 9

Laminate floors are engineered and cannot be refinished once they are installed. They come with a thin coat finish that doesn't allow for sanding and finishing...on the other hand real hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished at any time, in any color you want.

Answer 10

hard wood floors are solid wood. laminate is a thin coating of nice wood on a less expensive base.
a friend had laminate. washed the floor the laminate started to come off.
stick to the hard wood.