what looks the best, what is the softest for a baby to fall on?
People have written entire books on this topic so I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty. To answer your question real wood is divided into 2 main categories, Solid and Engineered. Solid is wood that is the same all the way through usually 3/4 thick. The benefits of solid wood flooring is that you can refinish this many times until the nail starts to show. Engineered wood flooring has multiple layers made of plywood and hardwood. The name of the engineered flooring always refers to the hardwood layer on top. ie walnut, hickory, acacia, maple... The quality of this wood depends hugely on the top layer because this represents how many times you can refinish it. The main benefit of engineered flooring is that it is very stable and is less likely to warp or cup. Laminate flooring is basicly a picture of wood flooring. This is not a natural product and is extremely stable will never warp or cup. The downside is that this is not real wood and does not feel warm on your feet. Most professionals can instantly tell between wood and laminate. Pricing, Laminate is usually the cheapest. Solid and Engineered are similar in pricing depending on quality of design and brand. I hope this helps to clear things up. Like I said, there's no way I can explain everything to you in detail. There's just too much to know about each topic. Feel free to visit our blog if you want more information on the different types of flooring.
Laminates do not scratch and dent like hardwood. They last at least 20 years. Downside is they are prone to moister problems and they are a bit slippery wearing socks and pets have a hard time walking on them. Also, a large area will require a T molding in a doorway to allow for expansion. If you go this route I would recomend laminate with a beveled edge to give it a better look. Some laminates look fake but others will be mistaken for a real hardwood floor (ussually the beveled edge laminates look very real.) Hardwoods will have a much more natural look and can last a very long time with refinishing them from time to time. They are also prone to moister problems but in the same way as laminates. They will cup or bow and also creek with too dry or too humid conditions. Hardwoods will also scratch and dent and you should expect that unless you take extremely good care of it. Thats about it. enjoy the new floor no matter which way yu go :)
The best looking in my opinion is the real wood, which is what it sounds like, wood cut to fit together to make a floor. Softness, really not much difference. Engineered flooring and laminate are both factory made flooring systems that resemble wood floors. My daughter is 9 months old, and we just replaced real wood floors which were cracking and splintering, with laminate.
