Why choose Hardwood flooring over laminate?

Choosing a new floor for your home is an important business. There are so many options and finding the one that is right for you can be difficult. Here at PB Hardwoods we supply both solid wood flooring and engineered hardwood flooring to the trade and public (no laminate is sight).

There are two varieties of hardwood flooring to choose from, solid and engineered. Solid wood flooring is made from a solid piece of wood and is very high quality. Here at PB Hardwood, we supply unfinished solid oak flooring, for both the trade and public. We also supply engineered wood flooring in a variety of finishes including lacquered and waxed. Engineered hardwood flooring has a top layer of real wood and a plywood base – making it the best choice for use in homes with underfloor heating. The benefits of choosing a hardwood floor of any kind are numerous.

The first benefit of choosing hardwood over laminate is, of course, the quality. Real wood flooring offers a natural organic finish while adding character to your home. It is also very durable and although it costs more than laminate it should be looked at as an investment.

A real hardwood floor, if properly cared for will last a lifetime. They can be sanded and refinished to revive the wood and prolong its life if it gets dull or damaged. This is one of the biggest benefits of a hardwood floor over laminate as if won’t need replacing every 10 years. A hardwood floors character and quality will only increase with time. Generally, solid wood floors can be sanded up to 7 times, while a quality engineered floor up to four.

Another benefit of using real wood in your home is that wood has been found to have health benefits! A report by Planet Ark found wood in the home created similar health benefits to spending time in nature such as:

  • Improved air quality by moderating humidity, encouraging easier breathing.
  • Feelings of warmth and comfort.
  • Lower blood pressure, heart rate, and stress levels.

Hardwood floors are also breathable and a natural energy efficient helping to keep your energy bills down. However, it is worth considering that due to its breathable nature hardwood is only suitable in places where the humidity is 45-55% for solid wood and 45-65% for Engineered Flooring. This makes them unsuitable for kitchens and bathrooms.

Lastly, it is worth noting that hardwood flooring is much more eco-friendly than laminate flooring. Wood is considered a sustainable building material as when managed properly and cared for properly it becomes carbon positive. This is because in a well-managed forest when a tree is cut down a new one will be planted. Therefore by the time your hardwood flooring needs replacing a new tree will have grown. Its durability also makes it much more eco-friendly as it can last for hundreds of years.

Laminate flooring, on the other hand, is made from large volumes of glue. This is used to bond together composite materials that exude toxic substances into the air throughout their life. It can also not be repaired like a hardwood floor. So any damage to a laminate floor will mean its removal and the need to lay a completely new floor.

If you would like to order your hardwood floor at an excellent trade price please call us on 0151 548 0808 or info@pbhardwoods.co.uk