How can you tell the difference between real wood and laminate?

Pay attention to fading Most laminates have a protective layer so that the floor doesn't wear out as much. Hardwood, on the other hand, can be affected by light and liquid. If you see any discoloration from water spots or discolored spots in areas with lots of light, then you're standing on hardwood. Staples are another obvious indicator of whether a floor is made of hardwood or laminate.

Do you notice any scratch marks or even crevices on a floor that looks like wood? It's probably hardwood rather than laminate. Most types of wood used in hardwood floors are naturally soft. This softness may be attractive, but it makes the wood more susceptible to minor or major damage. On the contrary, laminate is made to support the weight of normal objects that fall or slip slightly across its surface.

That strength means that you don't have to be as careful with laminate as you are with solid wood or veneer. However, wood species such as Brazilian cherry and acacia are much harder and less malleable and can withstand dents and scratches better than softer woods. Another way to deduce if a floor is made of wood or laminate is to pay special attention to the consistency of the color.

Real wood

is characterized by an enormous variation in texture in the veins of the wood, so no two hardwood floorboards, whether solid or engineered, look exactly the same.

In hot, humid climates, such as Florida, multilayer or engineered hardwood floors are preferred to solid ones. For this reason, solid and engineered wood floors should be installed indoors where humidity levels are controlled and maintained between 45 and 55% for solid floors and between 45 and 65% for engineering floors. However, water-based finishes don't necessarily change the color of the wood when applied and don't tend to yellow as they age. Engineered hardwood is manufactured from several layers of solid wood or plywood, also mostly organic.

Since the average time between sanding is 10 to 20 years, it's easy to see how real wood floors last longer than laminate floors. Understanding the differences between them helps you decide which furniture material is best for your home. The top layer consists of a sawn sheet of solid wood, often stained and prefinished in the factory. Solid and engineered wood floors, on the other hand, can last a lifetime (40 to 80 years or more) if well maintained.

If you pay close attention to the surface of the floor, you could figure out if the floor is wooden or laminate simply by how it dents or chips. These variations can come from many sources, such as sunlight or water that has been in the wood for too long. The type of wood can vary from soft wood to hardwood varieties, each with different characteristics and traits. However, generally, if you see discoloration, especially under carpet, furniture, and near sunny areas of a home, these are hardwood floors.