The aesthetics of hardwood floors is the allure that has many homeowners opting for this type of flooring. Hardwood floors exude a certain chicness, quality, and refine look that adds value to living areas. With the timber used being adequately treated and cured, what you get is a natural flooring that will last for years.
Conversely, there is laminate flooring, which is made to mimic the hardwood floors. It is not made from authentic timber, but it does offer numerous benefits that make it a fantastic flooring option for your home. Below are some of the notable advantages that laminate floors have over their hardwood counterparts.
1. Price
The cost of installing a hardwood floor is higher than that of a laminate one. With the latter, you get recycled timber pressed together at high temperatures to form solid engineer wood that is then covered with a membrane that mimics hardwood flooring. A result is a flooring option that mirrors the hardwood floors, but costs less. Purchasing quality laminate will set you back around £2.5 per square foot while hardwood can be as high as £4.5 or more per square foot. If you factor in those figures and the fact that the installation costs for the laminate floors are 50% less than that of the hardwood floors, then you see why laminate is the way to go.
2. Easy Installation
You can use a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach when dealing with laminate floors. You do not need to use glue or special equipment. Many of the laminate flooring options are designed to snap together. That means they are available as modular pieces. You, therefore, do not need to hire a floor installation professional to do the job. The same case cannot be said of the hardwood flooring that requires special tools and adequate skills to install. If you want your home to be installed by professionals, contract this laminate flooring installer for a professional job.
3. Suitable For Different Environments
Laminate flooring can be installed in the kitchen, bathroom, and other areas of the house that are partially moist. You can even find some laminate flooring that you can invest in your basement. You will not have such flexibility when you opt for hardwood floors. You will be restricted to dry place because wet conditions can cause the timber to crack, warp, and rot.
4. Pet-Friendly
If you have pets in your home, then you should consider using laminate flooring. The material has excellent scratch resistance meaning it can endure the clawing of your cat or dog. Pick the type that is around 12mm thick so that you avoid the annoying scraping sound that your pet will make when clawing the floor. You will not have to worry about dings or other damages even when you have kids running around the house. Hardwood flooring, on the other hand, will require special attention to protect it from scratches.
5. Heating Flexibility
If you have radiant heating in your home or plan to install such a system, then you should go for laminate flooring. You cannot install radiant heating under hardwood floors to avoid damaging the timber.
From the above comparisons, you hopefully have an idea of why laminate floors are a practical and affordable flooring option to hardwood. You can call us today to learn more about laminate floors.