2007-03-02 16:24:03 · 8 answers · asked by 10 Point Shoe-In 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
Hands down, hardwood is the way to go. I did this in my house, it was hard work but well worth it. The value of your home goes up and it adds such beauty to your home, deep and rich. You can choose different types of wood also. I chose blond oak rather than a darker wood but it's really what you like. Laminate is cheap and won't add anything to your resale value or your personal pleasure. Save about half the cost by doing it yourself. Yes you need to buy a nail gun and a rubber nail gun mallet along with a saw to cut your pieces with but it will cost you about 50% less than having someone else do it. I got 2 of my friends to help and we did my house in 1 week. I also bought the wood already stained which saves much time and labor.
2007-03-02 19:24:54 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you are renting or leasing then laminate........much cheaper to purchase, easy to install and you can take it with you when you go if you decide you want to. and laminates now are hard to tell apart from hardwood flooring. its easy and relatively inexpensive to replace a piece that is damaged.
if you should decide to choose laminate flooring then make sure you get the floating floor, each piece clicks into the next making it easy to install, and easy to remove in case you have damage of any kind.
if you are a homeowner and can afford it....hardwood is the way to go. while it is more expensive your home's resale value will be greater. i would suggest if you really want hardwood but can't afford it right away then wait until you can!
now, having said all that we own our own home, have a dog, children and no one takes off their shoes when they come into our home and our laminate floor still looks good after several years of wear. and if it does need replacing the cost of replacing laminate and/or refinishing a hardwood floor is very close. so........i like the laminate for the simple fact that once the kids are gone we can have all new flooring and switch from the light pine we now have to a rich cherry or dark walnut or whatever we choose to. a designer's dream!!!
good luck and enjoy your new floor - whatever it is!
2007-03-06 15:06:19 · answer #2 · answered by tess 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we recently installed laminate flooring.. biggest mistake ever!!
It cost half as much and had 20 yr warranties etc, but what we didn't count on was the water damage factor which isn't covered.
The boards click together and water enters between the joints if a large amount is spilled and not immediately wiped off, causing a huge bubble to appear which will NOT go away.
We have kids, and glasses of water do get spilled, sometimes just a bit that doesn't get noticed right away and ....
Also, I have found that it marks really easily, EVERY footprint is visible and it always looks dirty!
They say you can replace the affected bit, but that means pulling up ALL the boards until the one you want to replace. Who would ever do that????
Edit: This is laminate on wood, by the way. The 'floating floor' kind that comes in pre finished boards you just click together. It looks and sounds like real wood but is much cheaper.
2007-03-02 18:09:21 · answer #3 · answered by Aussie mum 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hardwood is nice, but costly. If you decide to consider laminate check out a product called Fiber Floor by Tarkett. You roll it out like a rug and attach your baseboards-- no glue or tacks or anything. It stays in place and looks much better than linoleum. It has a foam backing so you don't need a pad and that makes it soft under foot. They have lots of good styles too. Oh, and it's cheap---about 14 to18 cents a square foot. I saw this on HGTV "I Want That" and it's very nice and easy to clean.
Here's a link:
http://www.tarkett-floors.com/floors/site/en-us/topic/fiberfloor/offer.asp
2007-03-02 17:35:42 · answer #4 · answered by furijen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hardwood can last for 100 years or more. It can be refinished and it is very expensive. Laminates don't last as long, can't be refinished and cost much less. You have to choose based on your budget, and how long you plan on being in the home.
2007-03-02 23:15:43 · answer #5 · answered by bugs280 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hardwood, but it is you to you and your budget, laminate is costs less, but will wear out sooner and get scrached up faster.
2007-03-02 16:46:54 · answer #6 · answered by firetrailman 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hardwood is much better, but it costs more.
2007-03-02 16:31:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hardwood is more expensive and much more maintenance
2007-03-02 17:28:27 · answer #8 · answered by ashwiniak2 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋