laminate and hardwood flooring

There are all kinds of different flooring material options on the market and sometimes it can be overwhelming for a homeowner that is purchasing flooring for the first time for their home. There are Pros and Cons for each different flooring product and for this blog post we will focus on Laminate and Hardwood Flooring, specifically engineered wood floors.

Laminate and Hardwood flooring differ in a few ways one is the top layer that we see and walk on everyday. The top layer for engineered hardwood floor, is actual a finished hardwood layer. It is made of a specific wood species such as Birch, Oak, Maple or Hickory and then is coated with a protective layer coating of aluminum oxide typically. Laminated floors have the protective top layer and just beneath that layer is the photographic graphic that mimics real hardwood.

Then the core can also vary between laminate and hardwood flooring. A laminate floor will have an HDF or High Density Fiberboard core which is compressed materials that provides an affordable and stable base for the laminate top layer. This usually includes a click and lock, uniclick installation method that requires a floating installation method. For most of your engineered wood floors, they are comprised of layers of wood, but they also are seeing more manufacturers utilize an HDF core as well.

The Pros and Cons of laminate and hardwood flooring are as such. Laminate pros are that it can be more affordable, both for the product and for paid installation labor, plus it is more durable or has a higher hardness rating than most of your domestic engineered wood floors. The Con is that the technology allows the products to improve greatly over short period of time and in a short period of time the floor might feel outdated. Pros for Engineered Hardwood are that it is an ageless or timeless look that most realtors agree adds real value to your home while most other flooring products do not. The cons are that as previously mentioned, it is a little more expensive.

So hopefully this short blog post helped you out a little on your search of laminate and hardwood flooring. Find out which of the Pros and Cons mean most to you and visit your local flooring retailer to assist you in your search.

by Brian Heltzel
The Floor Barn
Arlington, TX
http://www.floorbarn.com
817-419-1015
brian@floorbarn.com

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