Do laminate wood floors keep their apperance over time or is it better to get enginered wood floors?
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yep shes right
it is better to get real hardwood if you looking into longevity
Laminate will get scratched and you can not refinish them, and God forbid if water gets in the scratch they will bubble. They are just like Formica counter tops.
Where you will be installing the floor will have a huge bearing on the answer to this. As far as appearance retention and durability, the laminate will be inferior to real hardwood. It's wear layer is thinner, making it prone to scratching and marring. The darker the colour, the more visable the scratches. Dropping cans etc., on the laminate will easily gouge it. Any liquids spilled and allowed to seep into the joins will cause delamination and swelling. Another common complaint in both ( but mostly the laminate ) is that it is very slippery, causing furniture to slide easily, but also leaving more scratches behind. Chair leg pads or felt protectors are often needed. Laminate is difficult if not impossible to repair. Again due to the thin wear layer, sanding or refinishing is out.
So use in a kitchen, bath, or entry isn't great due to potential water, high traffic, and chance of gouging. In a dining room, chair legs scratching is a problem. In a living room or bedroom, you will have better luck but again, watch for furniture legs scratching it. Also pets can leave claw marks.
The real hardwood flooring has a better guarantee, is easier to repair, has a better wear layer, resists gouging and is not as easily scratched. It's durability and appearance retention is superior, so basically, you get what you pay for. If the flooring is going into a "gently lived in" area or a low traffic space, laminate may be fine. But be prepared for potential problems and make sure before you buy, to get all the manufacturer's specs, installtion and care instructions, and details of their guarantee or warranty. Read that carefully, as to what they will cover and what they won't. The wording is often tricky so ask lots of questions.
Wow so far everyone is 100% wrong. Laminates tend to hold up very well as long as you buy a decent piece (I like Wilsonart Estate plus) I sell flooring for a living at my store we have laminates that have lifetime warrentys on them the longest we offer on an engineered wood floor is 30 years. While an engineered wood floor can be refinished that isn't a cheap process I would spend the money on a nice laminate unless you can't find a look you like.
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