real hardwood flooring vs laminate flooring

DRP

We have oak engineered throughout our lounge/diner/kitchen. It does scratch.

The best flooring we've had is pine floorboards we put down in our old place. They were treated with Osmo polyx hardwax oil. This made them really tough. Probably just as important is that they were newly cut boards made from reclaimed Victorian wood (local reclaimation yard) - not expensive tbh. They were knotty and rustic, which must have helped hide and marks i suppose.

Davesnave

getmore4less wrote: »

There are some very good LVT products as an alternative to both.

I agree with this. I have a vinyl (well known brand) in my kitchen and it needs almost no maintenance, while my in-laws have had their similar one for > 20 years and it still looks fine.

I wouldn't deny that real wood looks better when kept well, but for many households it's not necessarily the most suitable floor, and some of us have other priorities.

LBUK_2

I have real dark oak floorboards. The dark oak colour was created by essentially burning the wood if I understood the explanation correctly.

Yes they show impact marks but the colour is sound. It could be argued they add character but you can always get them sanded out if not.

I can see how they'd last forever and the floor is unique.

Laminate is slippy, temporary and if you've seen one laminate, you've seen them all.

My parents laminate became swollen at the edges after a hot drink was spilt on it. Ruined.

twohooter_2

I had a similar dilemma when deciding on flooring for the whole of my ground floor. I originally thought about real wood but was put off by the thought of dents, scratches and maintenance. Eventually, after much research I opted for Karndean LVT. My floor has been down for a few months now and I am thrilled to bits with it. It looks great, is very easy to keep clean and doesn't feel cold underfoot. Everyone who has seen it has been very impressed. It was not a cheap option but was the right choice for me and I would recommend at least considering it.