Consideration

Hardwood

Laminate

Appearance

• Elegant - Class
• No two floors are ever identical due to variance in wood grains
• Numerous installation patterns and designs can be created

• Numerous board widths
• Domestic & exotic woods
• Array of stain colors, gloss factors, edge details
• Ornamental insets available

• Available in a variety of hardwood species from exotic to standard oaks, tile and other appearances
• Very dependent on product overall finished quality
• Improved finishes, Hand scraped and virtually impossible to tell apart from the real hardwood once installed.
• Available in various thicknesses with beveled edges. 12mm Beveled edge with embossed finish being the current height of technology
• Classen Beveled and Narrow Plank design is the peak of laminate technology and considered the highest end category.  It is difficult almost impossible to tell apart from Hardwood, except on price.

Typical Warranties

• Pre-finished:

Structural Integrity Lifetime - Finish - 3 to 25 years

• Unfinished:

Varies dramatically

• Wear, fading and staining: 10 to Lifetime
• Moisture resistance from cleaners and spills: 5 to 30 years
• Will not unlock at seams: 5 to 20 years

Note:  Warranties have improved dramatically over the last 5 years – majority of 12mm products offering 25 Years to Lifetime Warranty.

Life Expectancy

• Pending no damage from external sources, the hardwood itself will last for hundred's of years.

• Dependent on overall quality of the product life expectancies will vary between 15 and 50 years

Child Friendly

• Can be scratched

• Liquid spills can damage surface and cause boards to warp and rot

• Can be scratched

• Liquid spills can damage surface and cause boards rot

Pet Friendly

• Can be scratched

• Pet urine can damage surface and cause boards to warp and rot

• Can be scratched

• Pet urine can damage surface and cause rot

Care & Maintenance

• Vacuum & mop using non-wax cleaners
• Recoat with polyurethane as needed
• Can be refinished - refinishing required every 15 to 25 years

• Vacuum, sweep & mop using non-wax cleaners

Installation

• Nails, staples or glue

3/4" or 5/8" thick: Nail to wood

5/16" thick: Staple or glue to wood, concrete or existing floor with the exception of carpet

• Interlocking floating construction
• Requires underlayment

Additional information about laminate flooring underlayment

• Interlocking floating construction (no glue needed): Tongue and groove locking

Grade Levels

• Below grade only in very dry regions
• On grade
• Above grade

• Below grade
• On grade
• Above grade

Room Installation

• All rooms with following exceptions:

·         Full & half bathrooms - not recommended - hardwood is very sensitive to humidity fluctuations and water

·         Below grade basements - not recommended - hardwood may buckle or warp with fluctuations in moisture level

Note: As hardwood scratches consideration should be given to installations in foyers as dirt brought into the home can scratch the surface.

• All rooms with following exceptions:

·         Full & half bathrooms - not recommended - laminate is sensitive to water.

Budgeting

• Material cost $3/sq. ft. to $30/sq. ft. - very dependent on quality and dimensions of hardwood boards, finish and species.
• Installation cost (contractor):

·         Prefinished - $2/sq. ft. to $6/sq. ft.

·         Unfinished hardwood, finished on site - $6/sq. ft. to $10/sq. ft.

Note:  Sq. ft. installation prices do not include the material or installation costs of underlayment, or repairs to sub-floors.

Note:  Installing hardwood flooring on steps is not included in the pricing.

• Material cost $0.75/sq. ft. to $6/sq. ft. - dependent on quality of material and finish
• Installation cost (contractor):

·         $1/sq. ft. to $4/sq. ft.

Note:  Sq. ft. installation prices do not include the material or installation costs of underlayment, or repairs to sub-floors.

Note:  Installing laminate flooring on steps is not included in the pricing.

DIY Complexity - Scale 1 to 5 with 1 being the easiest.

• 3/4" or 5/8" thick, with nails - 4.
• 5/16" thick, with glue or staples - 3

• Interlocking floating without glue - 1

Overall

• Harwood is the real thing but is more expensive to buy and to install.
• Not a great DIY Product

• With the dramatic changes in technology not many consumers can tell the difference once installed between an embossed 12mm beveled laminate in hardwood.  The difference is now not in appearance but in the pocketbook.