All the Looks of Real Wood Without the High Maintenance

We’ve noticed a trend with our flooring customers recently. More and more are opting for wood-look laminate and vinyl over real wood. And we totally understand why! They look fabulous and their durability is amazing, not to mention that they require a lot less care and maintenance compared to wood. In fact, that seems to be the main selling feature for a lot of customers.

“These floors look so nice that we are installing them in brand new houses, because a lot of people don’t want to put in the time required to take care of wood floors. They just want something that looks good and will last,” Gail, in our flooring department, said. 

If you only know vinyl and laminate floors from decades past, you need to see them for yourself to believe the improvement. These photos show the surface beauty, but the truth is that today’s laminate and vinyl are so well made that you often can’t tell the difference between them and real wood just by looking at them. Even walking on them isn’t the dead giveaway that it used to be, because there’s often a pad added to the back to reduce sound and adds warmth.

Go for a Cohesive Look

Our flooring experts here at Union Furniture & Flooring say, from a design perspective and aesthetic, one of the best benefits of choosing vinyl for your home is that you can have peace of mind installing it in every room. Yes, every room. Vinyl is a synthetic material that is basically plastic, which means it’s durable and — drumroll, please — moisture resistant. So the same flooring you choose for the family room and dining room can flow right into the kitchen, the bathroom, the laundry room, mudroom, the entry way, playroom . . . and you won’t have to stress about any water that may accidentally splash on the floor (although you’ll still need to clean it up as quickly as possible). 

Better still, they make vinyl that looks like wood, stone or tile, so you have nearly infinite design possibilities. And right now, Karastan is having a sale on its flooring options, including vinyl. The sale continues through October 26.

Not Afraid of Big Dogs (or Roller Skates)

Unlike vinyl, laminate is susceptible to moisture, so it’s not a great option for the bathroom, but it has an equally impressive superpower — scratch resistance. Of the three flooring types, laminate is the most resistant to scratches. So if you have a big dog, a houseful of animals or kids who like to roller skate down the hallway, you may want to go this route.

Laminate is a hybrid material made of several layers pressed together — a particle board base, followed by an image layer and then a transparent layer on top — but one really cool feature of today’s laminates is that they often have texture and a beveled edge, which makes them look even more like real wood (and feel less slippery too). 

Wood Looks for Less

As beautiful as today’s vinyl and laminate are, what makes them even more popular with homeowners is their price, which can be far less than real wood. Laminate is the most affordable, then vinyl, and finally wood. Of course, there are pricing levels for each option, but in general laminate ranges from $2.89/square foot up to the $5 range, vinyl ranges from $3.89/square foot up to the $7 range, and real wood begins around $4/square foot and goes up to the $10 or $11 range (installation not included).

You can browse all of our flooring options on our website, or come into the showroom to chat with one of our specialists about your project. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can schedule an appointment. Call us at (636) 583-3133.