Laminate flooring has some advantages over the hardwood flooring. Before jumping into what the advantages are, we must first know what is the meaning of solid hardwood flooring and laminate flooring.
Hardwood flooring is made up of flooring boards that have solid hardwood material. The material which is used for solid hardwood flooring is generally 0.75 inches thick and is smooth at the top. These hardwood floorings are done by nailing the planks. Though, with time the prefinished hardwood flooring has gained popularity.
On the other hand, Laminate flooring comes with a thin fiberboard that is laminated with a wood or stone image. It is often more affordable and typically lasts for about 15-20 years. There is a design layer that is protected to make it scratch and stain-resistant.
Now that we have the basic idea of what Hardwood flooring and Laminate flooring means, we can dive into the advantages that are provided by a laminate flooring over a hardwood flooring. Read through the entire article to have a clear idea about it.
● Heat and Water resistance
Laminate floors are highly stain-resistant. They are mostly resistant to water also, but sometimes they can be compromised to excessive water which may lead to some issues. But in general, they are pretty good water-resistors. Laminate flooring also has the ability to resist heat to a certain extent, thus it can also be installed in areas with heating systems. The hardwood floors are neither good with water or heat, thus it is not at all ideal for installing hardwood flooring in wet or humid areas.
Thus, you get the idea that laminate flooring has a clear advantage over solid hardwood flooring in case of installing it in a wet or humid area as well as installing it over areas with heating systems.
● Installation
If you want to install your floorings by yourself then forget about opting in for solid hardwood flooring, as it is very difficult for general consumers to install it. You will have to rent special tools in order to do so. On the other hand, if you choose to go for laminate flooring then it will not be any problem for you, as laminate flooring is easy to install. Thus, if you are into DIY-stuff then laminate flooring is for you.
You won’t need any special tools for installing laminate flooring as the edges of the planks to click together. Thus, it is clear that in the case of installing laminate flooring is better than solid hardwood flooring.
● Cost
If you go to the market today to compare the prices for solid hardwood flooring and laminate flooring, you will find a huge difference in the cost of the products. The cost of hardwood flooring ranges from $10 to $22 per sq foot whereas laminate floorings have an average of $1-$12. The unique species of the hardwood flooring can cost a lot more than the average cost whereas the highest per sq ft cost of laminate flooring is just $12 which is that of designer quality.
Industrial style flooring comes at a very low cost in comparison to hardwood flooring and along with just the product cost, when you add on to it the fact that you can install the laminate flooring by yourself, then its value increases even more as you get to save the installation cost too.
These are some of the main advantages of laminate flooring over the hardwood flooring. Though I will never say that laminate flooring is hands down the better choice of the two because it has its own disadvantages too. But if you are tight on budget or live in a hot and humid area, and also has a high rainfall condition then laminate flooring is the option which will be best for you. You will get your money’s worth out of it.
