There are two types of hardwood floors available today: engineered and solid wood. While both products are made using genuine wood, they vary in the way they are constructed. Solid hardwood flooring is manufactured from one piece of milled wood and contains solid wood all throughout.

Solid hardwood continuously remains one of the most popular types of flooring because of its warm, classic look but it is also one of the more expensive flooring materials on the market. Hardwood flooring is versatile in its look, is long-lasting and will withstand up to five refinishes to remove surface scratches. Hardwood flooring increases the resale value of your home as it’s such a sought-after feature for many.

Many kinds of wood are available, from domestic species such as oak, maple, & walnut to exotic varieties such as Brazilian cherry, and come in planks of varying widths and lengths. Wood flooring can be sold either finished or unfinished. Unfinished flooring requires sanding and finishing it after installing. Prefinished wood flooring typically costs less and involves less work. Also, the factory-installed finishes are usually more durable than anything you could do yourself.

Wood is a renewable resource, but it isn’t always harvested in sustainable ways. Cutting trees without planting new ones in their place, or cutting them faster than new ones can grow, may contribute to global warming.

Pros of Solid Hardwood Flooring

Cons of Solid Hardwood Flooring

Engineered flooring offers the look of real wood at a more affordable price than solid wood. It is as durable as solid hardwood and can last almost as long with proper care. It is called engineered wood because, unlike solid or hardwood floorings, it has a plywood base. It has a thin glossy veneer of natural real wood on top, (which enhance the visible wood grain & looks like real hardwood), plus it has layers of stains & sealants. Then it also has strong, tightly compressed, moisture-blocking layers of less expensive plywood underneath. This makes engineered wood cheaper, sturdier, more water-resistant, and more durable than solid wood but at a lower price. Some types of engineered wood have even more stability with backing made from recycled wood fiber mixed with stone dust. Some engineered planks come with a special tongue and groove system that clicks into place to form a tight seam without glue or nails. Engineered wood is more stable than solid wood and less sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, making them a reasonable choice for a basement room, unlike solid wood. And speaking of basements, many types of engineered wood flooring can be installed directly over a concrete subfloor, something that isn’t always possible with solid wood.

Pros of Engineered Wood Flooring

Cons of Engineered Wood Flooring

Both solid and engineered wood floors can be installed by nailing to or gluing down on a subfloor, or installed as a floating floor on top of a foam or cork underlayer above the subfloor.

Laminate Flooring is an affordable flooring option for owners who prefer an alternative to carpet but want to avoid the cost of hardwood or tiles. Laminate flooring consists of a moisture-resistant, stabilizing base layer and a core of compressed layers of high-density fiberboard, often set in resin. A photographic layer is laminated to the surface under a tough, clear plastic, wear-resistant, protective layer of resin for added durability. The printed layer can look like hardwood, stone, tiles, pebbles or virtually anything else in a budget range. Its thick resin surface makes it essentially stain-free. Most of them are floating floor systems, which you can install right over your old flooring with no glue or nails.

Pros of Laminate Flooring

Cons of Laminate Flooring