Laminate vs hardwood
A photograph of wood against wood. Laminate is a third of the price installed, harder to scratch and a weekend to install; hardwood is the real material, can be refinished for a century and is the floor a buyer pays for. Both dislike water.
| Laminate | Hardwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | $5.50–$9 / sq ft | $12.50–$19 / sq ft |
| Water resistance | Fair | Very poor |
| Durability | Good | Good |
| Maintenance | Good | Fair |
| Lifespan | 15–25 years | 50–100 years |
| DIY difficulty | Easy | A trade |
| Pets | Good | Poor |
| Kids | Fair | Fair |
Choose laminate when
Choose laminate for a rental, a first house, a budget whole-house wood look, a room with chairs and toys, or a floor you are installing yourself. Buy AC4 and a good underlayment.
Choose hardwood when
Choose hardwood when you own the house, will stay, and want the real grain under your feet and the resale value when you leave. Over fifty years it is the cheaper floor; over five it is not.
Common questions
Can laminate be refinished?
No. The wear layer is melamine over a print; sanding it exposes the picture. Damage is a replaced plank.
Does laminate look fake?
The cheap ones do. Good laminate with embossed-in-register texture and long planks passes from standing height, not from the floor.
Don’t start with the flooring. Start with your home.
Eight questions about the rooms, the household, the subfloor and the budget. A ranked shortlist with the reasons, the watch-outs and a project estimate.
8 questions · about 2 minutes · no obligation
Ready to talk to an installer?
Your flooring choice is only half the equation. Installation, subfloor preparation, removal and transitions change the final price. Local professionals quote the same scope, and you decide whether to talk to any of them.
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