Wood Flooring – Buying Guide

Wood Flooring – Buying Guide

Laminate Flooring

What is it? This would be a plank of compressed fibreboard which is then covered with a photo image of stone, wood or tile. On top of that would be a protective overlay which protects the image from any form of damage.

Pros and Cons

-     It is very affordable and quite durable

-     Comes with a click-lock design which makes it easy to installation

-     There's a wide variety of designs to choose from so you can find one that would suit your preferences easily

-     It doesn't really look like the real thing

-     The joints do tend to wear down over time and surface damage is pretty difficult to fix often requiring replacement instead

-     Resell value isn't the best

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

What is it? Each floorboard is comprised of about three to four layers of wood which is glued together to create a plank which is about 14mm thick each. It would come with a real wood veneer that's about 4mm in thickness on top. This means that you can actually sand this and treat it to help restore the wood's original finish should it become worn out.

Pros and Cons:

-     Its construction makes it a lot more stable that your regular piece of solid wood. It is also less prone to certain changes which is often caused by a room's temperature or humidity

-     It is found to be more attractive than laminate options. Besides that, it is also more affordable when compared to solid wood planks

-     There are very little negative aspects to this material besides the fact that it is a bit harder to installation

-     It is also more prone to certain damages when compared to laminate flooring

Real Wood Flooring

What is it? Each board is made out of a single piece of wood which is about 18-20 mm in thickness. It is also typically fitted using the tongue and groove design. One thing you must remember is that all types of real wood flooring would have a “hardness score” which helps indicate how easily it can be worn out, damaged or dented. The great thing about real wood, however, is the fact that it can be sanded to restore its former luster. There is a limit to it though and this is set by how deep the tongue is from the top of the board.

Pros and Cons:

-     Lends an air of sophistication to any space it is used in

-     Great resell value

-     Tends to swell in damp environments

-     Difficult to install

-The most expensive option of the three types of wood flooring