Different types of wood flooring?

I've alwayst thought that hardwood floors refer to the wooden planks that must be nailed down to the floor, but I'm a bit confused as to what laminant is. I have an aunt that just purchased some "wood" floors that were glued down. The planks lock together and are conected to the stripped floor with a sticky adhesive, but the surface appears to be a made of wood, a manufactured wood. Is this laminant or hardwood flooring? Someone told me that laminant was plastic, or something made to look like wood and the locking things that my aunt got were hardwoods, but I always thought that if it glued down it was a laminant. Could someone please explain this to me? Thanks, Chris

Public Comments

1. SOME LAMINATE IS PLASTIC COMPOSITION, BUT MOST ARE VERY THIN VENEER OF REAL WOOD OVER PLASTIC OR WOOD. THE REAL HARDWOOD FLOOR IS SOLID WOOD ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE THICKNESS OF THE PLANK, FINISHED SMOOTH ON TOP SURFACE.GO TO A TILE STORE THAT CARRIES WOOD FLOORING AND LET THEM EXPLAIN TO YOU THE DIFFERENCES IN WOOD FLOORING.
2. It's called harwood laminate so it's a combination of the two. Laminate floors do NOT have to be glued down if you buy the right kind. They're called "floating floors" and sometimes you lay the pad underneath or sometimes it's attached. This is a necessary part to keep the floor from being too loud. I'd hesitate about gluing when the other options are available.
3. first there is no such thing as laminate hard wood what you're aunt got was engineered wood floor that's the only type would glue down laminate does not it just snaps together engineered wood is made from real wood just like the sold wood floor's that you would nail down they started making the engineered wood so you could glue it and it would not be as thick laminate is plastic on top with a melamine wear layer and a hard density fiber board the different is laminate does not scratch as easy as wood floor's and it's easy to install for do it you're self type people