Do you want to install hardwood flooring in your home, but are not sure if you want to use natural hardwood or laminate flooring? Here is what you need to know about these two materials.
Natural Hardwood Flooring
When you select natural hardwood flooring, you're choosing a floorboard that is a solid piece of wood all the way through. This offers some unique benefits when compared to other types of wood flooring material, especially when it comes to how the material is valued. You'll find that natural hardwood can add to your home's resale value since natural hardwood flooring is a more expensive and premium material.
What's nice about natural hardwood flooring is that you can change the look of the material over time. It does require sanding that top layer to remove the visible stain, but you'll then be able to apply a new color of stain to completely change the look of your floors.
One of the downfalls of using natural hardwood is that it can be damaged. The wood can be scratched, it can swell from water exposure, and the stain can wear off in high-traffic areas. This is not that big of a problem though, because you can always sand and refinish a natural hardwood floor.
Laminate Flooring
When you purchase laminate flooring, know that the floorboard itself is made out of real wood. The big difference is that the top layer on the floorboard is actually a picture instead of wood. All of the grains of the wood you are seeing are not real, since it is designed to replicate the look of real wood with a protective layer on top. However, the wood design being a picture means that you can't change the look of laminate flooring. What you purchase is what's there to stay until the flooring material is eventually replaced.
Why would someone want laminate flooring if the look you are seeing is not from real wood? Laminate has many benefits over natural hardwood, which includes how the material is scratch resistant. That protective top layer doesn't only protect the image of the wood underneath, but your floors in general as well. It makes laminate flooring a great choice for those households with kids and pets. The image that is used to replicate hardwood flooring can also look incredibly realistic. Don't be surprised if you fool guests that come into your home when they think that you have natural hardwood.
Share19 November 2021
What's under your feet right now? Well, you might be outside on the grass, in which case, you can disregard that question. But if your indoors, the floor is what's under your feet. If you have not spent a lot of time thinking about the floor under your feet, that's about to change. Welcome to a blog about flooring. This may sound like a rather flat or one-sided topic at first, but we have so much to say. We're going to blog about all different types of flooring. We'll share articles on installing it, caring for it, and so much more!
