Hardwood, Engineered, and Laminate Floor Comparison
What is the difference between solid hardwood, engineered wood, and laminate flooring? Here’s a guide to help you with the buying process:
| 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 |