Wood vs. Laminate Flooring

Joe Smith of Stellar Flooring Company (08/14/2008)

I am often asked which is better, wood or laminate flooring.

The answer is there is good and bad attributes of both. All wood and laminate floors scratch and are damaged by excess moisture. However, laminate flooring tends to resist both more than hardwood floors. Cheap laminate floors are the exception, easily scratched by 10 pound dogs and ruined by as little as a cup of water.

While advances in technology allow laminate floors to appear very realistic, it will always be impossible to duplicate the real thing. Therefore, hardwood floors will look better unless they do not meet traffic requirements of the area of installation. A quality laminate will look better than a wood floor demolished by scuffs and scratches.

When choosing wood or laminate for your home, I guess it comes down to you get what you pay for.