How to Choose Pre-Finished Flooring or Floors

Few things add a sense of beauty and luxury to a home like hardwood floors. The easiest hardwood-style floors to install come prefinished, and fall into three basic categories.

The first is solid hardwood. It's usually nailed down through a wood substrate and because it is solid top to bottom, it can last for literally generations.

The second option is engineered hardwood flooring. It's actually made up of several layers of wood, the top one being hardwood.

Engineered hardwood flooring is relatively easy to install. The edges often just snap together, it requires no glue or nails, and sometimes it floats on a foam cushion.

The third category of prefinished flooring is plastic laminate. While it looks just like hardwood, it's made by compressing resins and other materials under tremendous pressure. It has the appearance of wood but it's extremely durable. This is a great choice for high-traffic areas and homes with kids and pets.

There you have it! Solid wood, engineered wood, or laminate. One of them is bound to be the perfect choice for your flooring project.