If you have your heart set on having a wood or faux wood floor you have four choices.
Laminate wood floor vs engineered hardwood.
Laminate and engineered versus hardwood or vinyl.
Both laminate flooring and vinyl flooring are usually less expensive than natural hardwood engineered wood and many types of ceramic or porcelain tile.
For many folks that ends the laminate vs.
Then a transparent wear layer is applied to protect the surface.
Though engineered wood is not made out of 100 solid wood you can think of it as smart hardwood a real hardwood floor that is more versatile than a solid wood plank.
In comparison real hardwood flooring costs an average 5 to 10 per square foot with installation running an additional 4 to 8 per square foot.
Engineered wood flooring.
Engineered hardwoods on average cost between 4 and 7 per square foot while it is more expensive than laminate it is still a very affordable alternative to hardwood flooring.
Laminate engineered wood solid hardwood and vinyl.
The base is fiberboard with a photographic image layer bonded over the top.
Laminate flooring generally is less expensive than engineered hardwood.
However laminate is significantly less expensive than engineered hardwoods.
Laminate vs engineered wood flooring.
Laminate flooring is a fully man made material that consists of several layers.
Both laminate flooring and engineered hardwood floors can be floated with a diy click and lock installation.
Cheaper versions have 1 4 inch cores and the photo reproductions may not be as realistic as more expensive versions.
When it comes to pricing both laminate and engineered hardwood are quite affordable when compared to other flooring types.
Both resemble true hardwood but each comes with its own benefits and disadvantages.
Comparing engineered wood with laminate is an interesting and worthwhile exercise and you might be surprised by the results.
More rigid than luxury vinyl aka non resilient.
Engineered hardwood debate right there.
One major difference is the subfloor requirements.
If you re seeking an alternative to hardwood but laminate doesn t sound like the material for you consider engineered wood or luxury vinyl.
For some only solid hardwood will do but for many the pros of an engineered wood floor often tip the scales.
Laminate flooring and luxury vinyl flooring are roughly comparable in price although sheet vinyl does hold a slight edge.
This is the only option of installation for a laminate floor however an engineered hardwood floor can also be installed with a glue down or nail staple option.
There s actually not that much between them and most of the pros and cons are the same as comparing laminate vs hardwood.
Laminate runs 1 to 7 per square foot depending on the quality.