Engineered Wood Flooring Compared To Laminate

Solid and engineered wood flooring undoubtedly add great value and structure to the home and come in various species styles and stain.

Engineered wood flooring compared to laminate.

Engineered wood flooring. On average the installation cost of laminate floors is 50 less than solid hardwood. Both laminate flooring and vinyl flooring are usually less expensive than natural hardwood engineered wood and many types of ceramic or porcelain tile. Laminate is also much thinner than engineered wood averaging around 12mm whereas engineered wood tends to be thicker like hardwoods.

If you ve already started reviewing your options in the hardwood flooring market then you ll be well aware that engineered hardwood flooring is an increasingly popular product. Engineered wood contains a slice of natural wood on top while laminate uses a photographic layer that is coated with a protective layer. The main difference between the two floors is that engineered hardwood floors have an actual hardwood surface but structurally they are very similar to a laminate. Generally engineered wood is a more convincing but more costly option compared to laminate.

Laminate can look like fake when compared to engineered wood which is usually indistinguishable from solid hardwood. This process almost duplicated the actual feel and stability offered by real solid hardwood flooring. Laminate flooring and luxury vinyl flooring are roughly comparable in price although sheet vinyl does hold a slight edge. But on the other hand vinyl offers quite a good number of advantageous features that the natural hardwood and even engineered wood cannot offer.

Still laminate looks and feels like real hardwood and holds strong as a popular wood look floor thanks to its low maintenance cleaning routine and a durable scratch. Upwards of 2 20 per square foot for engineered hardwood compared to upwards of 3 40 per square foot for solid. Laminate was the pioneer for realistic wood look flooring back in the 70s and other types of flooring have caught on and have begun releasing their own realistic wood looks. Laminate flooring is a fully man made material that consists of several layers.

Laminate flooring and engineered hardwood floors are very similar and often get confused but there are some key differences to take into consideration when comparing the two floors. The base is fiberboard with a photographic image layer bonded over the top. Laminate is also a lot thinner than engineered wood. Then a transparent wear layer is applied to protect the surface.

And once the top layer of the laminate is damaged or worn it can t be sanded down and refinished like engineered and solid wood flooring. Undoubtedly the biggest advantage of laminate flooring is the price.