Real wood or laminate

Image: Kährs

When deciding on what the best flooring material for your home is, it can be difficult to know whether to opt for laminate flooring or stump up the extra money for real wood flooring.

To help you make a more informed decision, we outline the advantages and disadvantages for each below:

Real wood flooring
Also known as solid wood flooring, this type of surface is 100% real wood, with no extras other than paint or varnish, if you require them.

Advantages
For capturing that authentic look, nothing beats real wood flooring. Solid wood floors can be sanded to remove any scratches or scuff marks. This means that they last longer than laminate as the surface can be revamped several times during the course of its life.

Real wood flooring can also be varnished and painted to match the décor of your room each time you redecorate.

Disadvantages
As real wood flooring consists solely of natural wood, it can expand and contract depending on the levels of humidity in the air. This means that you should leave a small gap around the edge of wood flooring to allow for any expansion.
On particularly cold days, you may find your flooring has unsightly gaps between the planks in draughty rooms. Conversely on days with high levels of humidity you may find the wood has buckled. This buckling can result in severe damage if you haven't left enough space to accommodate it.

Laminate flooring
Laminate flooring consists of melamine resin fused with layers of fibre board, which imitates the appearance of real wood, stone or any other kind of flooring.

Advantages
This type of flooring is great if you’re on a budget. As, generally it’s cheaper than real wood flooring (starting at around £10 per m) but it's also a bit of a compromise if you’re looking for an authentic finish.
If you have small children, laminate flooring is an excellent option as it's very easy to clean; dirt and moisture can simply be wiped away and the flooring won’t be discoloured by chemicals in household cleaning products. This kind of flooring is resistant to scratches, so it's a fairly robust option. Laminate will also not absorb moisture, which can be a problem with real wood flooring, so it can be laid anywhere, even areas in the home which experience varying levels of humidity, such as the kitchen. Some laminates as so resistant they can even be laid in the bathroom.

Disadvantages
As laminate flooring is made from several layers of man-made fibre, it is impossible to sand it down should it get damaged. This means the only option for dealing with imperfections which may occur in the laminate, such as cracks, is to replace it entirely.
Also, if you want to change the appearance of your flooring, the only option is to buy a new floor.

Engineered wood flooring
This type of flooring is made by layering different types of wood and then finishing off each section with a veneer of the wood of your choice. It’s the ‘best of both worlds option’.

Advantages
This gives the appearances of a real wood floor, but with a price tag similar to that of laminate. Also like laminate this type of flooring doesn't have the same problems with moisture as solid wood, so it can be laid anywhere in the home.

Disadvantages
Like laminate this type of flooring can’t be sanded down, re-finished or repaired as the veneer on top is only a relatively thin layer.

Once you've chosen your preferred flooring, you can work out how much you will need with our handy flooring calculator.

Plus, take a look at our guide to laying laminate for some expert advice and tips.