How To Choose The Right Kind Of Floor
Choosing the type and category of flooring for a Bay Area remodel should be relatively simple and stress free. After all, although it will have implications for your maintenance schedule and home’s aesthetics, it’s not exactly a life or death decision. Yet many people get surprisingly stuck and hung up over it. Let’s break down the options, so you can make a better choice.
What is Engineered Hardwood?
Engineered hardwood flooring has the look and feel of real wood because the top is actual wood. The planks are pre-finished wood attached to unfinished plywood. The installation process can be simplified if you choose the floating option, which does not require gluing.
What is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is made from thin, pressed wood board that has been manufactured to give the appearance of wood, stone, or concrete. This top piece is attached to a layer of plywood, and it has a sealant to protect the product from stains, scratches, and moisture.
The Pros and Cons of Engineered and Laminate Floors
Both types are less expensive than traditional hardwood. Laminates are at the lower end of the price scale, and quality engineered wood can come close to the cost of hardwood. Laminates are usually easier to install; whereas the hardwood installation process for engineered materials can get complex, especially if there are other complicated architectural challenges related to things like stringent building codes and possible water exposure.
Frustratingly, both types cannot be refinished. Engineered hardwood can be lightly sanded to remove marks and scratches (a bit), but laminate must be replaced. Both lack the durability of hardwood flooring
What Flooring Options Make Sense For You?
What flooring options make sense for you, given the nature of your construction, your budget, your aesthetics and the needs of the property? Our team at Elegant Floors can help you identify best fit solutions. We have over 20 years experience installing hardwood floors in residential and commercial settings. Call our Bay Area flooring team now for insight at (650) 961-1339 or (408) 773-8624.
