Wood or Laminate

woodruffhunter · Oct 7, 2007

Ok here is my dilema:

I am building a house and cannot decide what type of flooring
I want. I found some very nice laminate that looks just like
wood (unlike the other laminate I have seen).

And, I have found some nice wood flooring that is comparable in
price.

My reservation on wood are this: It will not be as durable, more
subject to water damage, our small dog may have a tendency to
scratch it more. However, this is speculation since I have never owned it.

Please post your opinions and also if you think wood, $5 a sq.
foot intalled is a good deal.

Thanks!

TripleK · Oct 7, 2007

I'd go w/wood. My mother has beautiful hardwood floors throughout her whole house with 2 big ol' dogs on it. It's still in great shape after 4 years. Someday they'll have to be redone, I'm sure, but I'm ready to completely replace my laminate after only 2 years.

I'm not in love w/my laminate and it suffers water damage as well anyway. We had a water leak in the kitchen once and the laminate curled at the edges and is bowed in the worst spots. It will have to be replaced.

The wood looks better too and cleans up nicer. This laminate is taking a beating (I've got 4 kids) and it's starting to look quite shabby. It wasn't the most expensive laminate to begin with either, but it is just kinda dull and doesn't look as good as real hardwood, IMO.

You're going to get what you pay for and $5 a sq. foot for hardwood sounds like a good deal to me. The cheapest laminate is what...$1.29 a sq. foot and you install it yourself. The nicer laminate is at least double that, if not more, and you still install it yourself.

woodruffhunter · Oct 7, 2007

TK,

Thanks for the advice. Actually the laminate I was looking at would cost a little more than the wood (strange but true).
I think your right that the laminate is about as bad with moisture issues.

The way my three sons are, I will probably have to replace or re-finish in a a few years anyway.