The growing popularity, variety of style, and lower price of laminate flooring has diminished demand for hardwood flooring. Although hardwood floors comprise a somewhat smaller share of the home flooring market they have an amazingly loyal consumer base that ensures it will remain popular for the foreseeable future. There is an upscale market that creates enough demand for the product that you may be able to find a reasonably priced product on the discount flooring market if you check around. The more you check online for sales at discount outlets or warehouse style stores, the more likely you'll find a bargain. Keep on hunting!

The main key advantages laminate flooring has over hardwood floors is durability and price. Despite that, most hardwood floor owners will speak of their hardwood floors with pride. Hardwood floors have been in use for a long time and garnered a high level of prestige. Hardwood floors are considered warm, natural and are long lasting. They also have a solid wood sounding feel that most laminate floors can't duplicate.

You can however, can buy a hybrid type of laminate flooring called laminate hardwood flooring. It uses only a thin veneer piece of hardwood, yet is less costly and may be less resistant to scratches and indentations from heavy objects.

Hardwood floors can be either unfinished or with acrylic coatings or polyurethane floor finishes. Unfinished hardwood flooring can be stained in a huge variety of colors before the finish is applied. This flooring is produced at planks, strips, slats or parquets.

Traditionally, hardwood flooring boards or slats are three quarters of an inch thick. They are nailed down to the subfloor. A hardwood floor will require sanding and refinishing every 5 to 10 years. That will depend on the amount of traffic it sees and the fading the sunlight will casue. Most types of hardwood floors are reasonably durable, however over you'll find a lot of dents, scratches, wear marks and other marks will erode its appearance. Som people consider that to be part of the charm of hardwood flooring however, you'll see the need for sanding and refinishing after a number of years. If you give it a different type of stain, it will almost seem like completely new hardwood floor!

The time-consuming nature of installing hardwood flooring has made it less attractive than other floor types that are easier to install. Recent innovations in manufacturing and installation techniques has lead to a new generation of engineered hardwood flooring that can be glued, stapled down or locked together. If you get past the installation project though, hardwood floors may still possess the appearance and upscale quality many people are looking for.