There are some beautiful choices in laminate floors, and sometimes it's a hard decision to make between laminate and real hardwood floors. But, there are good reasons for going with hardwood floors. First, hardwood floors are just that - hardwood which has been harvested and cut and treated to be floors. This is a basic building material which, with proper care, will last a century or more. As with any good wood, as hardwood floors mature through use and everyday wear, they take on a look and beauty of their own, which can't be replicated by imitation products. Second, hardwood floors are more expensive to install for a reason: they are made of superior quality materials, not man-made, imitation materials. Remember, laminate floors are often designed to mimic the look of hardwood floors; why have an imitation when you can have the real thing? Third, laminate floors are more prone to damage than well-installed and well-maintained hardwood floors. Any sharp-edged or pointed object which is accidentally dropped on a laminate floor is highly likely to heave a dent or beginnings of a hole in the floor, which can only be remedied by replacing that piece of flooring, if you bought extra flooring for emergencies in the beginning, or you can still find the style/pattern of laminate which is part of your flooring. Manufacturers don't make the same styles and patterns of laminate flooring year after year, and, if you're in Year Three of your laminate floor and some sort of accident occurs which requires you to replace part of the floor, you may be out of luck because that style/pattern may no longer be manufactured. But, hardwood is hardwood, and oak or pine or some other type of wood will always be oak or pine. Hardwood floors are also the "green" choice in flooring. Hardwood trees are an eminently replaceable natural resource; as mature trees are harvested for their wood, new trees and planted to take their place in the cycle of nature. Laminate floors are man-made from chemicals and other products, often not desirable in a designated green household. Hardwood will always be "the real thing," and laminate will always be laminate - a man-made interpretation of nature. Mother Nature has always done a superior job to anything man can imagine and make; it's always easier and wiser to use Mother Nature's materials than those made by man. http://www.247pro.com/html/flooring_contractors.aspx A good Flooring Contractors can help you pick out the best material for your home. Therefore, you need a contractor who is experienced, qualified, as well as someone you can trust.
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