When you are designing a home or are considering redoing your current space, it is best to work from the ground up. This means that one of the first decisions that you would make to take the steps towards designing your space is to choose your style of flooring. Although flooring is likely not the first thing you notice when you enter a room, it can still make a big impact on how you curate your home. You want your flooring to blend in and seem cohesive with the home in that you have created. When it comes down to making a decision on your flooring, most people find themselves torn between laminate and hardwood flooring. At Murray Floor & Window Coverings, we can help you compare laminate vs hardwood flooring for homes.
With each style of flooring comes certain pros and cons. However, it is first necessary to familiarize yourself with the basics of each style of flooring before you can dive into the different benefits and what each style has to offer. Laminate flooring is composed of a fiberboard that is rather thin and has either a stone or wood image. Hardwood flooring is a little more well-known because it is composed of 100% genuine wood. It is a common misconception that hardwood flooring is the better option because of the material, because there are certain spaces that would be more conducive to laminate flooring. Now that you are familiar with the style and composition of each form of flooring, it is best to move on to the different pros and cons of each style.
Price is one of the biggest differences between hardwood and laminate flooring. Not only is hardwood flooring more expensive with the initial cost, but it can also be quite pricey to have installed in your home. However, it does have a longer lifespan in comparison to the laminate flooring, so you won’t have to spend as much money continuously updating your flooring once they begin to show their age. Most hardwood flooring will last a lifetime when laminate flooring lasts about ten years on average. Laminate flooring is often more affordable and can be up to 50% cheaper to install, with some consumers even choosing to install their own flooring themselves.
In terms of repairs, it is much easier to repair or refinish hardwood flooring because of the material. You can actually sand and refinish your hardwood floors multiple times without causing any damage to the value of your wood floors. If your laminate comes in individual panels, then it might be easy to repair, but otherwise it is difficult to refinish and repair laminate flooring. However, if you have pets or have radiant heating, then laminate flooring is a great option for you because of the easy clean-up for the material and its finish. Although there are differences between the two styles of flooring, they each have different benefits and have the potential to work beautifully in your home.
There are many factors, such as durability, price, and retail value, to consider when making the decision to incorporate laminate or hardwood flooring in your home. However, you don’t have to make the decision between the two alone because we can help you at Murray Floor and Window Coverings. We are located in Billings, Montana and proudly serve the surrounding area.
