Real wood vs laminate flooring: which should you choose? | AD

11th September 2020 Home

This is a post I was asked to write on laminate flooring, and while it is sponsored, it is actually perfect timing. After having a wall taking down between our kitchen and dining room last year, we have recently finally refloored the area.

As this is a temporary fix, we used a good quality vinyl to bring the area together while we wait to raise the funds to replace our kitchen. This is something which we hope to do in the next few years. In the meantime, we have to make the decision whether to go for a real wood floor or laminate flooring.

So, I took a closer look.

COMFORT

Laminate flooring is a wooden flooring that is made from a material such as a high-density fibreboard and covered in a wooden decorative layer. This does mean that laminate flooring tends to be noisier than their hardwood counterparts due to its hard surfaces and how light the material is.

Real wood on the other hand, tends not to have that echo sounds which you often have with laminate. This is mainly due to the weight and density of the materials.

Best for comfort: real wood

MOISTURE

One thing I really worried about was moisture and water, especially as we plan to use this in our kitchen leading through to the dining room. Although many real wood floors come with water resistent coatings, they are not waterproof and therefore are not suitable for wet areas like kitchens and bathrooms.

Most laminates in contrast come with click technology which helps prevent water damaging your floors which is great news for us.

Best for moisture: laminate

WEAR & MAINTENANCE

Now I thought that on look, real wood would be the clear winner. However, I have to admit there are some beautiful laminate options available on the market too. When it comes to wear, it is well known that real wood tends to scratch more easily as well as requiring a little more love to keep it looking beautiful and lasting as long as possible.

In contrast, as long as you regularly hoover your laminate and keep it clean with a damp mop, then it should age well.

Best for wear & maintenance: laminate

COST

Now I thought that laminate would be cheaper by a mile, but to be fair there are laminate and real wood options that seem to be available to suit every budget.

However, the price of real wood seems to spiral upwards, which isn’t particularly unsurprising.

Best for cost: laminate (though not by much)

THE VERDICT

Now, when I started the research for this post, I had it in my mind that I wanted a real wood floor throughout. I’m not sure why if I’m honest, it just felt like the right thing to do. However, the more I have researched the topic, the more I now think that a laminate floor could be the best option for our kitchen through to dining area.

What about you? Do you have a real wood or laminate floor in your kitchen / dining room? Which do you prefer?

DISCLOSURE: this is a sponsored post. Thank you for supporting the posts which make this blog possible.