How To Tell If Floors Are Hardwood Or Laminate

Laminate flooring is synthetic making it more affordable and it s also more durable than hardwood.

How to tell if floors are hardwood or laminate.

Ultimately the hardwood vs. Hardwood flooring is made from natural durable woods such as oak maple or hickory that can last a long time when maintained properly laminate flooring which is made of a synthetic fiberboard material and has a laminate finish is much cheaper than hardwood but will not last as long. Hardwood on the other hand can be resurfaced every 10 20 years to remove any dings scratches or dents on the surface. In fact this is the major advantage to a good quality laminate floor it may hold up to harder wear and tear from fido and fido s two legged companions running through the house sliding scratching and dropping hard toys on the floors on a daily basis than hardwood floor.

Artificial hardwood floors called laminate floors are available at a variety of price points and high quality laminate products can look deceptively similar to real wood. Because hardwood floors can last for generations they raise your home s value more than laminate floors. While hardwood flooring is the more authentic choice and has a longer life laminate flooring is usually the more affordable option. This does not mean laminate flooring is a particularly inferior choice however as in some cases it can.

For many it does. Both are very durable with laminate being less susceptible to scratches and easier to clean. And it looks fabulous. Being able to tell the difference between hardwood and laminate flooring takes a keen eye here are a few simple ways to distinguish between the two.

Laminate flooring is produced in a factory to replicate hardwood flooring and in most cases it can be a real challenge to distinguish between the two. That said hardwood is forever if cared for properly and laminate may need to be replaced in 25 to 30 years.