There are so many different types of flooring available for your property. But the one that gets the most attention – the one that is perceived to have the best resale value and be seen in the most positive way – remains hardwood flooring. Hardwood flooring is viewed by many to be the premier form of flooring. Even though it is the most expensive, it is highly prized by buyers, and is often recommended by many flooring companies.
Flooring is Changing
Hardwood flooring IS still a great form of flooring. It is comfortable to walk on, it looks beautiful. It adds character to the home. It is quiet and long lasting. If you want hardwood flooring, you should get it. It is an amazing option for so many properties.
But you also don’t *need* to get hardwood flooring anymore. That is because other forms of flooring have improved so dramatically, that they are now amazing options that are well worth the investment. For example, laminate flooring used to be considered the “cheap” form of flooring. It was plasticky, looked fake, and tended to break or peel.
Laminate flooring was cheaper financially. But it also looked cheaper. Many homeowners only chose laminate because it was all they could afford, but their property values were often hurt as a result since the flooring looked lower quality.
Laminate flooring now, however, offers a substantial improvement. Indeed, the quality of laminate has improved so dramatically over the past decade or so that there is an argument to be made that it is a better choice for your flooring than hardwood floors might be. For example:
- Laminate is More Realistic – Laminate now looks far more realistic than it used to. So much so that it can almost perfectly mimic natural wood.
- Laminate is Stronger – Laminate is exponentially more durable than it was in the past. High quality laminate is nearly unbreakable, and when correctly installed it should last for many, many years.
- Laminate Has More Color Options – Here is one area where laminate actually excel and beats hardwood flooring. Laminate has more color options, which allows you to decorate your property in ways not possible with wood. The right color combinations could improve the value of your home even further depending on your choice in décor.
- Laminate Resists Scratches – Another advantage compared to hardwood is that modern day laminate can be almost completely resistant to scratches. Some brands refer to this as their “diamond coating” because it is so resistant to scratches, it is as “strong as diamonds.” Hardwood flooring, on the other hand, scratches easily.
In addition to all of these advantages, the cost of laminate has not really increased. In fact, most laminate can be purchased for roughly the same price as it was decades ago (adjusted for inflation), and installation can – depending on the brand – be cheaper, because the interlocking system that most laminates use make it much easier to install.
Hardwood vs. Laminate
Hardwood flooring remains intensely desirable, and should be considered if it is within your budget. It also has many advantages that laminate does not. But the choice now isn’t between laminate and some low quality “other.” Now, there are many choices – from laminate to LVP to tile to concrete – that all make amazing flooring for the right homes and budgets. All that matters now is finding one that is right for you.
