If the total cost is the same, which wood is better? Engineered wood? Or Laminated wood? The sales tried to convince me to do Laminated. But I want to make sure the wood I chose will add value to my house when selling.
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1For kitchen you probably want water proof instead of water resistant. There is a big difference.– crip659Commented Oct 3, 2021 at 21:21
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Avoid anything MDF backed if there is a chance water could sit on it unnoticed. I thought I was safe with it in my home office but a roof leak caused some of the boards to swell..led to bumps, board gaps and peeling laminate.– rtaftCommented Oct 3, 2021 at 23:09
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At least you've given us a definition of what you consider "better" - improving resale value. The only way to determine that is to study houses in your area to compare the value of engineered v laminate in otherwise comparable houses. At a minimum, you'd need to give us your locale. Otherwise, pricing info someone might determine for their neighborhood will likely not be applicable to yours. In that case, though, this becomes pricing info and that's off topic too.– FreeManCommented Oct 4, 2021 at 14:52
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2 Answers
Engineered wood, even it's more expansive. The choice is simple:
Life expectancy
This is one of the most significant differences between the two flooring options. In very general terms when you buy a laminate floor, you can expect a maximum life expectancy of around 20 years, whereas a quality engineered wood floor should last for up to 75 years. This simply has to be taken into account when making your decisions.
This is a very educational article about the differences between the two. Read on.
There's a lot of confusion about flooring terminology these days because there are so many options available. Engineered hardwood, laminate, luxury vinyl plank, etc.
Traditionally, and I think most contractors would agree, engineered hardwood is a premium product that consists of a thin veneer of hardwood that is affixed to a sublayer of some sort of engineered lumber, such as medium density fiberboard or oriented strand board, while laminate flooring is a print of a hardwood pattern on a piece of paper basically that is affixed in much the same manner.
It's confusing terminology because both products could be said to be "laminated."
The main question you should be asking is: What am I getting? Am I getting an actual hardwood veneer? Or am I getting a facsimile? Durability should be your second concern.
