First, you can get the exact visual design that you wanted
and it will cost you considerably less. Second, laminate flooring can be
installed above and below the grade unlike hardwood flooring. Moreover, the
laminate flooring is installed without using any nails or glue which make it
much easier to it yourself. Furthermore, laminate flooring is extremely
durable, easy to maintain and can be replaced easily.
Kate has given the polite answer. I would have said, if you have no money, but need to clean up a floor laminent is a cheap solution. Cheap in looks, quality and cost. If you spill liquid on it, wipe it up fast as any moisture getting into the cracks could make it swell. Any damage means replacing the piece. It won't last for very many years under family use.
Wood is good. If this is in your home? It will last decades and be a possitive selling feature if you do sell.
Wood will cost you more but in the long run cost less because it can be repaired and resanded to look new again. And it doesn't look like plastic.
Much less expensive. Easy to install. Easier to replace if the need should arise.
Laminate is a synthetic flooring product with multiple layers. It is introduced to emulate the appearance of real wood. The center layer of laminate flooring is manufactured primarily from melamine resin and fiber board material. The top layer has an embossed textured image made to look like actual wood.Solid hardwood flooring planks are made from single pieces of wood can be obtained as unfinished or refinished.
Visually the difference between hardwood and laminate floors is completely obvious. Solid hardwood is characterized by wonderful texture difference of the wood grain, which is why no two planks of hardwood flooring, whether solid or engineered, appear exactly alike. In laminate flooring, patterns that imitate the look of wood texture are imprinted onto the floor surface.
The surface layer of most laminate floors is manufactured by bounding melamine resins and aluminum oxide at high heat and extreme pressure. This makes the floor surface often harder than that of natural wood. Most laminate floor surfaces are extremely resistant to moisture damage, staining and fading.
Durability of genuine hardwood flooring depends on finish, manufacturer and maintenance practices. Real wood is softer than a pressurized composite surface; therefore, it can dent more easily. Solid hardwood floors can be refinished, renewed and repaired fairly easily, often without the need to replace planks or even the entire floor, as is the case with damaged laminate flooring.
When we built our office building, we were debating on what type of flooring to install and then we ran into the issue of not having the right amount of outlets which really limited how we set up our office. I REALLY wanted hardwood flooring instead of laminate flooring, but the cable and wire issue was a huge dilemma for us. We did some research and came across raised access floor Which Access Floor is Right for Me Netfloor USA Cable Management Access... options and were in love! We had no idea that we could hide our wires underneath our feet with little hint of where they were, so we had it installed with a hardwood type finish in some of our rooms and are really pleased!
I just want to input some of my personal experience as an installer of laminate flooring.
It is not recommended to install laminate flooring below grades due to its inherent ability to absorb moisture and buckle. Unless you have a completely sealed, moisture proof basement, I would use a different flooring medium. Laminate floors should also never be placed it a bathroom.
Laminate floors also chip and scratch easily. If you have laminate in your kitchen, you are bound to drop a knife or some dish at some point. That is the most common reasons for chips. Once chipped, the flooring is open for moisture issues and will "bubble up", over time if you use any sort of moisture to clean the floors. Then again, any moisture will cause the seams to swell up as well.
Another very common issues people have with laminate flooring is their pets toenails. If you have an excitable pet, I'm sure you have seen them run across your floor trying to gain traction on the laminate. That is one of the fastest ways to scratch your floors.
While laminate is cheaper and easier to install, it can not be refinished as hard wood floors can. So basically, once it is scratched or chipped, your only options are to fill the chips with a matching wood putty, take up the flooring back to the damaged boards and replace them, or in the worse case scenario, cut the damaged boards out.
I'm sure everyone has their own stories, but this information comes from over fifteen years of installing flooring and replacing damaged floors. Even floors that have had repairs attempted before contacting me. ) I hope this information helps those in need.
I always tell customers, if you can afford the hard wood option, that is the best way to go. Even though I am not a fan of the cutting down of trees that is required for it. Good luck.
Hii Jinna Orson, you can read the answer here : The Advantages Of Using Laminate Wood Flooring
The advantages of laminate flooring over hardwood flooring :
Cork flooring has many advantages. Cork flooring is comfortable and easy to walk on, the cellular structure of cork makes the floor very durable which can absorb sounds and blows making the cork floor a great pick for apartments and condominiums.
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