| |
Hardwood |
Engineered Wood
Flooring |
Laminate Flooring |
| Real wood? |
Yes--all the way through. |
Yes--but only the top layer is the finish layer. |
No--none of it is
wood. |
| Requires foam underlayment? |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Can be installed in basements |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Can be installed in bathrooms |
No, not recommended |
Yes |
Yes |
| Can be sanded |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Stain resistance |
Excellent--if wood is sealed; poor if wood is unsealed. |
Excellent--most engineered wood floor is sealed |
Excellent--flooring does not need sealing. |
| Insulating properties |
Excellent |
Fair |
Poor |
| Scratch and indent resistance (furniture, pets,
kids, etc.) |
Fair |
Fair |
Excellent |
| Can be installed over radiant (heated) floor |
Yes--but not the best option |
Yes--recommended |
Yes--recommended |
| Ease of installation for typical homeowner |
Difficult--requires special tools |
Easy--provided you do not choose the nail-down installation option |
Very easy |
| Floating floor? |
No |
Yes and no--can be either nail-down or floating, depending on type
of flooring chosen. |
Yes |
| Smoothes out irregularities in subfloor |
Yes--can bridge some small depressions and holes in sub-floor |
Yes--depending on thickness, can bridge some small depressions and
holes in sub-floor |
No |
| Must be installed perpendicular to floor joists |
Yes |
Yes |
No--either perpendicular or parallel to joists. |
| Irregular and defective flooring materials a
problem |
Yes |
No |
No |