A Comparison of Tile, Laminate, and Hardwood Flooring

Maybe you’re trying to find flooring for a particular room where carpeting isn’t ideal. Have you ever seen a carpeted kitchen… or a carpeted bathroom? We have, and we immediately recommended that the owners choose a different type of flooring! For kitchens and bathrooms, we always recommend hard-surface flooring. At Carpet Direct, we offer tile, laminate, and hardwood options. Each option comes with pros and cons, and no one type is best for every family.

Porcelain, Natural Stone, and Vinyl Tile

Tile is a very on-trend hard surface flooring option. Our porcelain and natural stone tile come in a range of different styles, colors, and patterns. Tile is the most resilient flooring option we offer. Using tile will result in a stunning flooring design. If you want an Instagram-worthy kitchen, tile is the way to go—especially if you have a coordinating backsplash with an interesting pattern. If you like the look of tile but feel that porcelain or natural stone are out of your price range, our luxury vinyl tile might be the right choice for you.

Pros of Tile: Tile is water resistant, easy to care for, durable, and has more options design-wise than traditional hardwood or laminate.

Cons of Tile: It is more difficult to install. Tile can be cold and slightly uncomfortable to stand on.

Best for trendy kitchens and bathrooms, people interested in resilient flooring, and families looking for a stylish, durable option.

Laminate

We offer laminate wood and laminate tile designs in many different styles and finishes that are incredibly durable, stain resistant and will not fade over time. Laminate wood looks like real wood but is environmentally friendly and easier to take care of than genuine wood. You also won’t have to restain it after a few years. Laminate is the easiest to clean and maintain out of the three options; it isn’t picky about which cleaning products you use, and it can stand up to all kinds of abuse from little ones and pets that a hardwood floor wouldn’t tolerate very well.

Pros of Laminate Flooring: Laminate is budget-friendly, durable, scratch resistant, and fade resistant

Cons of Laminate Flooring: It is difficult to repair and cannot be refinished if you decide the color you have picked is not for you.

Best for high-traffic kitchens and bathrooms, and large families.

Genuine Hardwood

Our hardwood floors are a very luxurious flooring option—there’s nothing like the feeling and appearance of a genuine hardwood floor. It might be weird to describe a hard surface flooring option as “cozy” but we stand by it. Qur genuine hardwood flooring has a cozier feeling than tile or laminate. Although hardwood does require more upkeep than our other options, well-maintained wood flooring is a creat investment than won’t have to be replaced for centuries. We offer a wide variety of different styles and finishes that will last for years to come. From traditional oak to eco-friendly bamboo, our genuine hardwood flooring is made from only the finest woods in our inventory.

Pros of Genuine Hardwood Flooring: Hardwood flooring adds considerable value to your home, can last for decades, and can be repaired easily.

Cons of Genuine Hardwood Flooring: It can be expensive, prone to scratches and there is some work in maintaining hardwood floors.

Best for luxurious kitchens and living areas, this choice is for families looking for a more traditional, cozy option.

Of course almost all of the cons listed can be offset by making specific design decisions, i.e. adding an area rug to cold tile or choosing laminate that snaps together making for easy repair. No matter what your needs are, Carpet Direct can help you make the right flooring choice for your home. Contact us to get a flooring quote today.