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Your opinion. . . Laminate vs hardwood flooring?

I just wanted to know what other people think about laminate wood flooring vs hardwood. Long story short, I've had both and ultimately prefer hardwood floors. Had alot of problems with laminate flooring (scratched, chipped) which meant it had to be torn out and redone in sections before resale; huge headache! Anyways I tried warning my best friend about buying a home with wall-to-wall laminate flooring, but she seems to be a little nieve about it. . . believing everything shes read about how great it "can" be. Anyways, whats your opinion. . . and what would you prefer in your home?

Public Comments

  1. i have had laminate installed in my last 2 homes and i love it. we have a dog and its much more durable than hardwood.i have had a home with hardwood , and when it was time for refinishing....ugghhh! what a mess! and costly too!
  2. Hardwood more expensive and has better resale value plus you can repair scratches because it is durable, etc... Laminate cannot have heavy furniture rearranged or it will crack. Laminate must have spills cleaned up immediately so it won't warp. Laminate will chip/crack if something solid dropped on it. There are different quality of laminate available. We have it & like it, but we have no little kids damaging it & just one declawed cat and are very careful to keep it nice including doorway throw rugs. I would have preferred the hardwood floors we had at the farm.
  3. You get what you pay for. Laminate is cheaper and easier to install. The problem comes with aging and then replacing. The hardwood floors will take traffic better and refinishing is possible. If you drop anything heavier than a spoon on laminate it will make a dent , and that dent cannot be refinished. Hardwood is much more expensive on the onset but it pays off in the long run. Laminate has also the problem of the hollow sound, which for some people is a problem. Go walk on a floor if you have never done it and fell the difference. And you are right, if you need to replace a piece it must be cut out of the floor. Good luck