Facts of the Floors: Hardwood versus Laminate Wood

When you walk into a house, the first thing that catches your eye is the furniture. After gushing over the leather sofa and sitting on it for three minutes, you then notice the pastel curtains which remind you of spring. You pick up a magazine and a subscription card falls to the floor. As you bend to pick it up, you notice the rich brown texture of the wood flooring.

Wood flooring is a product of manufactured timber used to cover floors to give it a more appealing and smooth appearance. Wood flooring is known for its durability, timeless look and the overall visual warmth that it gives to a house. They are categorized into three types, namely (1) solid hardwood, (2) laminate wood, and (3) engineered wood. These wood floorings are not only limited to appearing as brown slabs, but they can be intricately arranged and designed to add more elegance to your home.

Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood floors come in a variety of shapes and sizes that are finished, prefinished or unfinished. A finish is a top coat that you apply to hardwood floors to give it that nice luster and deep color. Choosing which type of hardwood flooring may take time depending on your preference. Finished hardwood is ready for installation but may not have the tint that you prefer. You may customize your prefinished and unfinished hardwood, but you have to limit floor usage for 24-48 hours.

Although it takes time to install hardwood flooring and it can be quite expensive depending on which tree it was harvested from, it can last for several years compared to other types of wood floorings. Hardwood flooring can also increase the resell value of your house unlike laminate wood flooring which is made of composite wood.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate wood flooring is not real wood but a pretty good imitation of hardwood. This type of flooring is cheaper and easier to install. The top of laminate wood, as the word laminate implies, is covered with a thin film that makes it resistant to staining and scratches. This makes laminate wood easier to clean and maintain in a regular basis.

The disadvantage of laminate wood flooring Tampa homeowners complain about is that it can be bothersome to walk on because it’s slippery and produces a hollow sound. A warranty comes with ordering laminate wood flooring. Higher-end laminate wood flooring, made to imitate exotic hardwood, is more durable and has longer warranties. Whatever fits your budget and home, you can get more information about wood flooring at howstuffworks.com/home/hardwood-floor2.htm.

Kathy Carbone - About Author:
For more details, search laminate wood flooring Tampa and Laminate wood flooring in Google.

Article Source:
http://www.articleside.com/home-improvement-articles/facts-of-the-floors-hardwood-versus-laminate-wood.htm

Related Home Improvement Articles

Related Home Improvement Topics

electric gate hardwood inlay relaxing hammock chair yogibo fly swing chair engineered sous vide glass doors