Hardwood Or Laminate? Choosing The Right Flooring In Your Commercial Space

Hardwood is a versatile flooring option. It works equally well in an elegant decor as it does in a casual atmosphere. Depending on the finish it can be warm and cozy or modern and sleek. It is this versatility that has made genuine hardwood and its look-alike, laminate flooring, so popular. If you are trying to decide what type you should use on your commercial floor, here are a few points to consider.

Deciding by Price

There are numerous options when shopping for wood floors but the first choice you need to make will be whether you want to purchase new wood, repurpose old flooring or purchase laminate. If you want to choose solely on the cost, purchase laminate. This will give you not only the least expensive range of options, but laminate is also the cheapest to install and to clean. Reclaimed hardwood flooring is a popular choice, but very expensive. However, it is a good option for those who want an environmentally-friendly flooring as well as a floor with a unique style. New hardwood is equally beautiful and there are many sustainable woods to choose from, so it can still be considered an Earth-friendly choice.

Heavily Trafficked Floors

Solid wood floors will need to be sealed to keep foot traffic from wearing away the finish. You can extend the finish by regularly changing traffic flow by rearranging retail racks or seating spaces in offices. Hardwood can be damaged more easily with dents from dropped items because these woods are typically softer than a laminate floor. Laminate floors are most at risk from scratches caused by gravel and grit tracked inside on shoes or items dragged across the floor. These scratches are usually more obvious on laminate floors than hardwood. Rubber mats can prevent dirt from being carried inside or tracks being worn into the floor from the casters on office chairs sliding back and forth, but any rubber mat or rubber-backed carpet can discolor hardwood floors.

Dealing With Moisture

Hardwood floors are a clear winner between laminated woods and genuine hardwood floors when water is present. Laundromats, bathroom floors or just humid environments can cause many laminate floors to warp and swell. Hardwood floors, when properly stained and coated in polyurethane, will be able to withstand a lot more moisture before it becomes a problem. However, either floor will be destroyed if water is allowed to regularly sit on the surface.

Hardwood floors can be refinished and repaired when they begin to show signs of wear, something that is just not possible with laminate. However, laminated floors are known for their durability and can stay looking fresh and new longer than some types of hardwood. Basically, laminates are easy to remove and replace and cheap enough to make that possible without breaking a budget, but hardwood has a timeless beauty and quality that nothing else can compare to. Many people love the look of a genuine hardwood floor even more once it begins to age. There is no clear winner in the battle of hardwood versus laminate floors. In the end it often just comes down to personal preferences. Contact a local outlet, such as Certified Flooring Installation, Inc., for further assistance.