Modern technology has created new and exciting wood flooring options. Today's flooring stores have a bewildering range of choices. So many choices at so many different price ranges that choosing your new floor may seem unnecessarily difficult.
While there may seem to be many choices, there are really only three main kinds of wood flooring.
Laminate: This type of wood flooring is a completely synthetic product. It's inner core is usually made from melamine resin and fiberboard. On top there is a kind of photographic overlay that simulates the appearance of real wood.
The thickness and durability of the top coat helps determine the quality of the laminate. There are some very poor, very cheap laminates that don't wear well and fail within a couple of years. There are some commercial grade laminates which are very durable, hard to scratch or gouge and last many years of rough wear.
Some of the tougher laminates are harder than wood and less prone to scratching, great if you have big dogs whose nails will often scratch natural wood floors.
This is generally the most affordable type of wood flooring. It's cost of installation is low and it's well suited for many types of subfloors.
Engineered Wood Flooring
An excellent mid-range choice if you're looking for the appearance of real wood while maintaining the flexibility and ease of installation of laminate. Engineered wood flooring is a hybrid product. A top layer of real wood is bonded and glued onto layers of plywood. This flooring is more forgiving to install than a real hardwood floor and more resistant to moisture. The cost is more than laminate, but much less than solid wood floors.
Solid Hardwood Flooring
Solid hardwood floors are the most expensive and most luxurious product on the market. They also have the highest cost of installation and can only be installed over certain kinds of floors. Before choosing hardwood floors get some advice from a local contractor on whether they are a good choice for your property and/or area. Problems with moisture or uneven flooring may make it an impractical choice for your property.
When properly installed solid hardwood floors are beautiful and will truly last a lifetime. When their original finish wears off they can be restained and refinished.
Making the final decision
Before investing in your floors, ask yourself some important questions. How long will I be staying in this property? What will give me my best ROI, return on investment? Are there any moisture issues? Will my dogs scratch a real wood floor.
No comments:
Post a Comment