Hardwood or Laminate, Which Do You Choose?
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Here at Georgia Carpet, we offer some of the best flooring brands in the market. Whether you are trying to pick between Shaw or Mohawk or maybe a company like Armstrong, we want to help you with all your flooring decisions. In this journey, people tend to narrow their flooring options between hardwood and laminate. Maybe you’ve had enough of your tile flooring and its not-so-new grout look or you just can’t continue with carpet upkeep. This leaves the hard surface options. Two of the most popular choices are staring you right in the face but you may have trouble deciding if you want to go with real wood flooring or laminate flooring. By the time you finish reading this, our hope is that you will know exactly what you want! The best way to approach this decision-making process is to compare and contrast these two flooring types so that you will be able to find a flooring that will best suit your needs.
Let’s start by breaking down specific questions to consider before making your decision:
First things first, what kind of budget are you working with?
You want to gauge your price range first so you know where to cast your search net. If you don’t consider budget first, you may find something that you absolutely love but will be disappointed when you see that it doesn’t quite fit your budget. While Georgia Carpet has some of the best prices nationwide, you still need to make sure you are finding products within your range. By starting your search in your budget, it makes filtering through all your options that much easier. Funding is a major component of your final flooring decision. If you are not wanting to spend a large portion on flooring, laminate will definitely be the more economical choice. We have affordable brands like Chesapeake, Egger, and Mannington. On the other hand, you may be ready to go all out for your new floors. For those that have more room in the budget then by all means go with real hardwood if it appeals to you and your needs.
Johnnson Hardwood English Pub Cognac
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Mannington Restoration Blacksmith Oak Flame
How much foot traffic do you have going through your home on a daily basis?
This question helps you figure out what kind of durability you need. High foot traffic includes those with multiple household members, whether that be children, grandparents, or large furry family members. Lighter traffic usually means less active homes with few houseguests or pets. Both hardwood and laminate will hold up against all these, the difference mainly lies in the amount of traffic and cleanability/maintenance. These two flooring types are incredibly durable but make sure to go with a higher quality of either for high traffic homes. No matter what choice you make, maintenance is key. If you do not keep up with it, wear will begin to show rather quickly. This is true for any type of flooring.
How long do you plan to live in your current home?
Continuing with questions about your home, this one focuses more on your future rather than the present. It’s important to consider the long-term vision for your flooring. A key aspect to consider is if you plan on moving. Will you be able to enjoy your beautiful flooring for years to come? Or are is it a temporary fix until you move onto another place? The expense associated with buying and installing real wood flooring is more expensive than that of laminate flooring, however, homes on the market with hardwood flooring are highly desirable. This will make moving a much more lucrative option in the long run.
Are you planning on selling your home for a return on the initial investment?
This question may be a bit more difficult to answer but it is still important to consider. Nothing is absolute so you may think you are not going to sell your home but then a few years down the road that may change. As mentioned in the question before, homes with hardwood flooring are highly desirable. Real hardwood floors do sell better on the market, but if the home isn’t necessarily top quality itself, a laminate may be the best option in this case. It’s important to note that you should gauge the housing market and pick the flooring that will benefit you and future owners.
What type of style does your home’s design aesthetic lean toward?
The final question is simple. Your answer all depends on the personal style and value that you have put into your home in its current state. If you have spent a larger budget on décor and furnishings then would a hardwood floor add to that luxury feel? On the flip side, if your home has a smaller decor budget, a solid hardwood may look a little off-putting. Some styles of hardwood may not have the right color palettes for your decor but a laminate might. You might want to look into the coloring differences before you find something that blends seamlessly with your decor. In this case, it is really just a matter of personal tastes.
Once you find answers to all of the above questions, you should have an idea of how to solve your flooring conundrum. Knowing what you want out of your floors is the first step to finalizing a decision. These questions were formulated in hopes of aiding your thought process and giving an added perspective. Finally, we want to point out the main difference between hardwood and laminate. Hardwood is made fully from solid wood but with laminate, numerous layers of materials are compressed together by heat and/or pressure to give a unified look of real wood. While these two types of flooring are excellent options for any home, we have a wide selection of hard surface flooring for you to choose from. Contact or visit Georgia Carpet Industries today!
