What's better hardwood or laminate floors?

Question

I'm planning on removing my carpet and installing either Hardwood or laminate flooring. I only plan to live in the house another 5 years. Which option would give me the best return on investment?

Answer 1

Hardwood is definitely your best bet, both aesthetically and economically.

Answer 2

First, can you actually install wood floor? It's not recommended for below-grade cement floors due to moisture intrusion. Laminate is ok there as are some engineered woods.

Generally, wood floor looks richer and feels nicer underfoot while laminate is easier to install, cheaper and tougher.

As for ROI, opinions are all over the map. I've included a link below that assigns an approximate value to flooring, but it really is all about what your buyer wants.

So a few things to consider:

What is the finish level of your home? If you plan on upgrading your kitchen to natural materials like granite or marble then laminate would look out of place.

What do other homes in your area have? Yours will be compared to them when it comes on the market. With this weak housing market like we have now, if they have wood and you have laminate your house will be considered less attractive. On the other hand, in a booming market most buyers will overlook this and be willing to redo the floor to their own tastes.

Then there's the range of wood options - solid strip or plank, engineered, parquet, even bamboo. Speaking of which, I bought 5/8" bamboo for about $3/sq ft, it's even less now (about $2.) Laminate is very close to that.

Answer 3

Hardwood is very durable, BUT if you get it wet then you are looking at replacement quickly. Hardwood will last you awhile if you take care of it right and keep moisture at bay. Laminate floors are pretty nice, but they look cheap to me.

If you are in an area where it's wet often, go with laminate.  

Answer 4

hardwood flooring

laminate flooring can look good but it does not command that

"oh its got hardwood floors thats classy"

Answer 5

I have laminate floors.  I don't like them. The wood is way better.

Answer 6

been doing it for 20+ years. if you got the money do the hardwood

Answer 7

Pros: Laminate is usually fairly inexpensive, is easy to install, and is pretty durable.

Cons: Laminate usually looks inexpensive, lots of people don't care for the feel and sound of laminate, laminate will delaminate (swell and layers will start to come apart) if allowed to become wet.

pros: Hardwood is durable, it can usually be sanded, restained and recoated at least once for engineered wood and several times for solid hardwood. It isn't uncommon for a hardwood floor that is 100 years old to still be in use. Since it can be sanded and stained you can change from a dark flooring to something lighter and vice versa if trends change. Hardwood flooring usually adds value to your home.

Cons: Hardwood flooring can be expensive, expect to pay from $4-$50 per square foot depending on the style and grade of the material. Hardwood can be expensive to install, and often tools and techniques that aren't available to DIYers are needed. (Yeah I know that you can rent a compressor, a T-nailer, mallets, miter saws and table saws, clamps, spacers, etc.)