ENGINEERED HARDWOOD FLOORING VS LAMINATE FLOORING
While building a new home, one is faced with the question as to what kind of flooring would one opt for? In this regard, the two most popular choices that confront any home owner are the engineered hardwood flooring and the laminate flooring. Although both kinds of floorings can be availed from any engineered wood flooring store in London, however, the differences between the two are probably confusing. This piece of article is going to help you figure out.
The Basics
The engineered hardwood flooring is a wood floor that consists of several wood layers, with the lowermost and the middle layers being manufactured from either plywood planks or cross-laid solid wood planks. The top layer, on the other hand, consists of a solid sawn wood lamella which is often stained and prefinished in factory setting.
In contrast, laminate is not at all real wood but is designed in a way that it imitates the appearance of real wood. It is actually a multi-layer synthetic flooring product. Melamine resin and fibre board material are employed to manufacture the core layer of laminate flooring, while the top layer has an imprinted textured image that looks like real wood.
Comparison in terms of aesthetics of the two
As far as the aesthetics of the two are concerned, the difference between hardwood and laminate floors is starkly visible as well as obvious. While there is tremendous variation in texture of the wood grain in real wood, the laminate flooring, on the other hand, contains identical, repetitive pre-designed patterns which imitate the look of wood texture. It is almost impossible to replicate the uniqueness of authentic wood in any laminate flooring.
Durability comparison
It is a general observation that any flooring surface’s durability is dependent upon the frequency and intensity of foot traffic, apart from complying with the care and maintenance instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Since the process of manufacturing the outer layer of most of the laminate floors involves bounding melamine resins and aluminium oxide at high heat and extreme pressure, therefore, a laminate floor surface is harder than a wooden floor surface. Damage from moisture, staining and fading is seen to be very less in laminate floor surfaces.
Natural wood is softer as compared to a pressurized composite surface and therefore, it tends to dent more easily. Moreover, an authentic hardwood floor’s durability varies depending on finish, manufacturer and maintenance practices.
Repairs
Engineered hardwood flooring is easier to repair whereas laminate flooring does not repair easily.
Eco Friendliness
Engineered hardwood is mostly organic since it is manufactured from several layers of solid wood planks. In contrast, a laminate flooring is far from being organic because it is manufactured by bonding together composite material using large amounts of glue. The glues used are likely to contain toxic materials like formaldehyde.
Conclusion
Although both types of flooring materials are abundant in the market, it would be wiser to invest in engineered hardwood flooring and would prove to be an environmentally conscious choice than laminate flooring.
The readers who are looking forward to investing in the flooring of their homes would be happy to know that Nexus Flooring is the best engineered wood flooring store in London where you get a variety of choices.
