Most people know that hardwood or solid wood flooring is made directly from real wood, but are still unclear about the few types of manmade wood flooring available. A notable cause of confusion is the difference between laminate flooring and engineered wood flooring.
To be clear, these two types are not the same thing. They have some similarities, such as the fact they are both cheaper to buy than real hardwood flooring, but they have very different qualities, advantages and drawbacks. The following comparison should help you choose the right one for you:
• How is it made? Laminate flooring is made using a compressed plank of fibreboard, which is then covered with a ‘photographic’ image of real wood.
• Pros: It is the cheapest option you can go for, and it is also hardwearing and easy to install.
• Cons: Laminate flooring doesn’t look quite as good as real wood, and as its susceptible to moisture damage, you might be better off buying waterproof laminate such as Aqua-Step.
• How is it made? Layers of wood are bonded together at right angles, and a thick, real wood veneer covers the top surface.
• Pros: It can be sanded several times to remove marks or scratches. What’s more, it is better quality and more realistic-looking than laminate flooring, but cheaper to buy than real wood flooring. You can get the best of both worlds!
• Cons: There aren’t many drawbacks to this type of flooring, except that some varieties are harder to install than the click flooring technique used to fit laminates.