Hardwood flooring is beautiful when installed in any home. It really lifts the room ambient up quite a notch. It has a very warm and inviting effect, however many people forget that laminates can offer the very same look at the fraction of the cost.
There are many laminates that look just like real wood. For many years now manufacturers including Alloc, Dupont and Mannington have worked hard to provide consumers with a superior quality flooring that truly looks like wood and offers the same, if not more, benefits.
The top layer is made of aluminum oxide, which is a very strong layer that keeps the floor safe and secure from accidental spills or tears and cracks. Formica can be installed in any room, while hardwood not so much. There are various restrictions when it comes to hardwood, depending on the level of moisture and humidity and even water in the room. For example using solid wood in the kitchen or bathroom is a bit no-no, while using the cheaper type instead is very feasible.
This brings us to the next point. Laminates are waterproof, hardwood is not. When water touches wood, unless it is very fast mopped dry, it will eventually warp and buckle, giving your flooring a very unprofessional look. Of course too much moisture is not good for plywood either, however this takes more abuse than the wooden counterpart. The hardwood expands and contracts, which affects the look of your floors. The more cost effective type due to the aluminum oxide coating effectively increases the level of resistance to water. Of course, buckling will happen as well if the water stays on the floor for too long.
Also real wood can be cracked and dinged from various impacts. If you drop anything sharp and heavy on it, your heart will cry at the results. Formica can take a lot of abuse before really giving in. Again it is all thanks to the aluminum oxide layer that protects the sub-floor so effectively.
Same with scratching. If you have to move your furniture which is sitting on hardwood, you’d rather ensure that the legs have some form of padding that protect the wooden surface. No such problem with the laminate type.
When it comes to maintenance, both are rather easy to keep clean. Mostly they need some sweeping and mopping. hardwood will need after a while sanding and refinishing, while this is not the case with laminates. Many times all it needs is a simple sweep and mop and you can use practically any cleaning liquid with it, while wood surfaces usually need a liquid that is approved by the wood flooring manufacturers.
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