Laminates and hardwood flooring: What is the difference?
A. There are a number of factors to look at. The first one is the way they are installed. Solid hardwoods (usually 3/4″ thick, though thinner varieties can be found) are nailed down to the subfloor. Thinner varieties of wood flooring such as engineered hardwood are either glued to the subfloor or stapled. Although lately it is becoming more common to find engineered hardwoods that can be installed as a “floating” floor, similar to laminate flooring. Laminate on the other hand, is always installed as a “floating installation. Generally for the do-it-yourselfer, laminate flooring is easier to install. Next are differences in surface wear and maintenance. Here is where laminate has another edge over hardwood. Because of the materials used in the construction of laminate flooring, it is an extremely hard, durable material. Very scratch resistant and impervious to stains. Prefinished hardwoods do have tough urethane coatings that use aluminum oxide to help protect the surface of the hardwoo
