Laminate Vs. Hardwood Floors: Which Is Right for You?

You’ve been making plans to replace a floor somewhere in your house and have narrowed it down to hardwood and laminate, but there are so many choices and a lot of confusing information out there. Here are some questions to ask yourself before making the final decision on hardwood or laminate flooring in Carrollton.

Who Will Install It?

Installing a wood floor is more technical than installing a laminate floor. For hardwood floors, it’s best to hire a pro. On the flip side, laminate floor planks are pre-grooved and easy to install by a confident DIYer.

What Color Are You Looking For?

Hardwood can be stained to a color of your liking and is also available in most every species of wood, from yellow pine to dark mahogany. Laminate flooring has the full range of woodlike color finishes, plus some unexpected materials like metal, concrete, and cork.

How Old Are You and How Old Is Your House?

Some wood floors offer a lifetime warranty and you can count on more than 25 years of happy use. Laminate flooring typically lasts under 20 years and even less than that in high-traffic areas.

What’s Your Budget?

Because hardwood floors are 100 percent wood, the materials are more expensive than those for laminate floors. They are also more expensive to install. Laminate and engineered flooring both have middle layers of plywood or compressed wood, which is cheaper than solid wood and can easily be installed by you and a helper.

How Much Foot Traffic Will the Floor Get?

Wear and tear is frequently an issue for laminate flooring, which can’t be repaired or refinished. However, hardwood floors are more likely to stain, scratch, fade, and swell with moisture, but can usually be repaired.



Which type of floor is right for that new home project you’ve been thinking about? If you’d like to learn more about the most affordable laminate and hardwood flooring Carrollton has to offer, give the flooring and design experts at CMA Flooring a call at 972-418-6606. We look forward to hearing from you.