For a variety of reasons, choosing a new flooring type can be intimidating. In addition to being concerned of the look and overall presentation, many people are overwhelmed by many different flooring materials to choose from and your budget to keep in mind. With all of your flooring choices, it is easy to get lost in the options. Some of the most popular options for flooring are laminate and hardwood flooring. Today, we at Mike’s Custom Flooring would like to offer a guide to help you be better informed when selecting laminate and hardwood flooring options.

Flooring Characteristics

Hardwood is more attractive than laminate and is classic without a doubt. Hardwood carries a certain prestige with which no other type of laminate can compete as well. There are some laminate, that from a distance, does an excellent job of replicating the look of hardwood flooring. They will not notice that your laminate is not hardwood flooring unless someone closely inspects your laminate in fact. A more natural and realistic look is created with newer laminate incorporating random patterning into their flooring. When it comes to the appearance, most consumers agree that hardwood flooring is the best.

Cost of Material & Installation of Flooring

It is important to keep in mind that costs will always vary. Inflation, supply and demand, and other factors will influence the pricing at any given time. There is no question that hardwood flooring will always cost more than laminate, and solid hardwood has a longer lifespan. Hardwood flooring is about $4 to $8 per square foot whereas laminate averages between $1 to $3 per square foot. It all depends on the type of wood. It is important to remember that designer forms of laminate that replicate hardwood can cost more, so sometimes the savings is not as obvious before automatically shifting to laminate, however.

Flooring Care & Cleaning

It is a lot easier to maintain the hardwood flooring than it used to be. Cleaning is simplified with the gadgets and devices designed to sweep the surface of hardwood floors. Damp-mopping with a wood cleaner will be enough if you need a more thorough cleaning, however. You do not have to worry about waxing or polishing since newer hardwood flooring installation is that a polyurethane varnish is applied to seal the floors. Water needs to be applied sparingly, though laminate flooring can also be cleaned with a broom or vacuum. Because it will melt the glue under the laminate, but you should never use a steam cleaner a damp mop with floor cleaner is the best choice. Too much moisture can be bad with both floorings, however.

Life Expectancy of Flooring

If you properly keep up with maintenance and cleaning, solid hardwood flooring is the best option in this category because hardwood can last about 100 years. Because of the lifespan, the extra maintenance tasks worth it. The laminate’s lifetime usually only lasts about 15 to 25 years, on the other hand. Hardwood flooring is the best choice for your home if you are looking at a home investment that will last for the lifetime of your home.

Hardwood Floor Installation, Repairs, Refinishing & More in Charles Town & Eastern Panhandle of Berkeley & Jefferson Counties in WV | Winchester & Frederick County | Round Hill & Loudoun County | Berryville & Clarke County | Herndon & Fairfax County VA

When you need hardwood or laminate flooring options installed in your home, call the experts of Mike’s Custom Flooring and let you assist you!