Laminate or Hardwood?

I prefer carpet over hardwood. :grin:

 

I loved carpet, until we got some engineered hardwood for the family room and dining/pub area. Still have carpet in the bedrooms and I like it that way. But I love the look and feel of the hardwood now. And with the line we got, you can definitely tell a difference between it and laminate; it's got a natural, textured feel.

And we got a kid too that spills food all over, but it hasn't been a problem really.

 

Well to each his own. My parents have solid hardwood flooring and it looks incredible, but I would rather have some top quality carpet.

 

I would think dust would be much more problematic on wood/laminate as compared to carpet. Not so?

 

Only in the sense that the dust is hidden away with carpet. With laminate/wood the dust is there for you to see... but for you to be able to clean too.

 

It is also there to be stirred up in the air anytime you walk by or drop a bag on the ground.

I don't have allergies though so I guess if you do you wouldn't mind running a Swiffer over it twice a day. They do look better in most cases.

 

I would always pick hardwood as well. I didn't have to make that decision because my house already had red oak throughout, but my old place had engineered wood. Looks good but really susceptible to moisture.

Laminate? Meh. But for cheaper it has decent short-term durability.

I hate carpet. It is just a filter for dust and dirt (no matter how many times you vacuum), hides pests, and ages quickly.

 

I would have done hardwoods too but for me it was $17k for the laminate and $28k for hardwood. Just too much for me.

 

I think that would be the case with carpet as well. It's just not visible from a standing angle. I think the issue some people have with carpet is that it'll be harder to clean. Some types stain and retain odors, especially with pets. You'd have to get high end carpeting and still do some deep cleaning, which will also be a significant cost for the service or equipment. I'm not even sure you can really clean it completely. A significant amount of dust/dirt seems to seems to always seep throughout eventually, at least if you walk on with with outside shoes.

With laminate, it'll require more frequent cleaning, but liquids are an easier pick up and odors don't penetrate as easily. Plus, cleaning can consist of a quick wipe for the most part and maybe a more complete cleaning every few days.

 

Yeah for living areas you just need to keep it dusted and thats it.

 

Nobody ever mentioned tiles?

 

Hardwood is better... but laminate is easier and can be cheaper. I have hardwood through out one of my houses and it is well worth it.... great for re-sell value as well.

Laminate has gotten to the point where it no longer looks as cheap.... regardless it is certainly better than carpet.

 

We did laminate because of our pets - it holds up to scratches better than hardwood. If you have dogs running around, I doubt that your hardwood will be scratch free for long.

Get as much texture as you can, but be aware that even with a medium texture your dogs will probably slip on it. We have thrown a lot of of rugs on top of our laminate floor - but at least we can throw rugs away more easily than carpet.

Carpet is just so dirty and easy to damage, very happy that we made the switch. We have tile in the other half of the house, but the warmth of the faux wood is nice.

FWIW, we installed it ourselves and paid somewhere around $1500 for materials for about 6-700 square feet.

 

What kind of square footage are you getting for that price?

 

The question is if you can afford hardwood, go for it. If not, laminate.

Hardwood > laminate > carpet > earth.