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Wooden floors have been the love of homeowners for centuries for its durability and natural authentic look. Laminate floors are the newcomers that offer the wood-look-like effects at much lower cost. Styles, installation, ease of maintenance and cost are the major facts that homeowners compare when it comes to choose between laminate floors or wooden floors.

Look and Feel

Many laminate floors mimic the look of traditional woods; however, you can also find several today that have the look of stone and marble patterns. After all, laminate floors arent made of real wood. You will tell the difference if looking closely. Laminate floor is a viable option to replace vinyl floors. It looks more closer to authentic wood floor but cost much less. Its common for homeowners to furnish basement with laminate floors if they have chosen wooden floors for their bedrooms and dining room.

Installation

The major reason many people are choosing laminate floors over wooden floors or oak flooring is the ease in installing, they are hardwearing and not as expensive as wooden floors. Wooden floors are often installed by professionals. Proper installation is essential to ensure that your wooden floor not buckled from the results of shrinking and expansion. Laminate floors can be easily installed by homeowners themselves since it is an interlocking system installed on top of the existing substrate. The weight of the laminate floors will hold the floors steady. Laminate floors are commonly referred to as a floating floor since they do not actually attach to the sub-floor. The planks are just clicked together, which makes them very easy to install. The installation of Quick-Step Laminate Flooring system is even easier. The system is the UNICLIC system and all you need to do is place the tongue of one plank into the groove of another at a certain angle and press down. You can walk on your new Quick-Step Laminate Flooring as soon as it is finished.

Maintenance

Wooden floors are sensitive to moisture and easy scratched while walking with your shoes on whether they are pre-finished or unfinished. Wooden floors required routine maintenance at every six months. The maintenance tool kits can be easily found in home improvement stores such as Home Depot. When you look at wooden floors, you will notice there are Engineered Wooden floors, or Factory Pre-finished Wooden Floors. Laminate floors, on the other hand, resist to water and wont be easily scratched. In case you want to replace the entire floor, replacing laminate floors are much easier than working on wood floors.

Cost

The cost saving of laminate flooring comes in three parts - 1) the saving of laminate floors, 2) the low cost of installation, and 3) the lower total maintenance cost in long run.

Choosing between oak flooring, wooden floors, laminate floors or Quick-Step Laminate Flooring is a matter of personal choice. You can decide which one fits with your budget, tastes and own personal lifestyle to create the home of your dreams.

Natalie Aranda writes on home and garden. Wood floors have been the love of homeowners for centuries for its durability and natural authentic look. Laminate floors are the newcomers that offer the wood-look-like effects at much lower cost. Styles, installation, ease of maintenance and cost are the major facts that homeowners compare when it comes to choose between laminate floors or wooden floors.