Home Improvement Interior Remodel Flooring & Stairs Hardwood

Types of Wood Flooring and How to Choose One

Pros and cons of solid hardwood, engineered wood, and wood substitutes

Custom home interior with wood flooring

David Papazian / Digital Vision / Getty Images

Wood flooring is often valued for its timeless look, giving a house a warm feel and increasing property value. Wood flooring comes in two types—solid or engineered wood. Wood substitutes or faux-wood offerings include bamboo, laminate, luxury vinyl flooring, and wood-look ceramic tile.

Read on for a breakdown of the pros and cons of each type of flooring and the factors you should consider when choosing which is best for your space.

Types of Wood and Wood Alternative Flooring
Basics Positive Negative
Solid Wood Solid piece of soft or hardwood; comes finished or unfinished Long lifespan; luster can be revived with refinishing; can be stained in different colors; increases home value Vulnerable to moisture; needs subflooring; can get scratched; requires professional installation
Engineered Wood  Made of sandwiched veneer wood and plywood Less expensive than solid wood; can be installed by DIYers; can last up to 30 years; can be installed as a floating floor; increases home value Doesn't last as long as solid wood, can't be refinished as much as solid wood, vulnerable to moisture, although can handle more than solid wood
Bamboo Grass, not wood, but as hard as hardwood Most eco-friendly; highly resistant to moisture; easy to install; can be installed as a floating floor, increases home value Easily scratched; humidity can make it crack; doesn't last as long as solid wood
Laminate Multi-layered panel with a top image layer that reproduces the look of wood or stone; comprised of wood-chip composite Scratch resistant, easy to install, inexpensive Vulnerable to moisture damage, slippery, cannot be sanded or repaired
Luxury Vinyl Plank Vinyl flooring in plank strips Waterproof, easy to install, less expensive; installed as a floating floor Difficult to repair; may not be a convincing wood mimic for some
Wood-Look Ceramic Tile Made of ceramic or porcelain, main component is clay Waterproof, scratch resistant, easier to install than wood flooring, not as expensive as wood flooring Hard, cold, may not look convincingly like wood
  • 01 of 06

    Solid Hardwood Flooring

    Bedroom with hardwood floors

    Margot Cavin​ / The Spruce

    • Best for: Long-term investment and greatest resale value

    Solid hardwood flooring is solid wood from the top to the bottom of the plank. It's similar to any other piece of lumber sawn straight off the log. You can get it unfinished or prefinished.

    Unfinished hardwood tends to be cheaper than prefinished but requires light sanding, staining (optional), and sealing after installation before using it. The sealant requires 48 hours to dry. Even then, additional coats may be necessary. With unfinished, the advantage is you can stain it and seal it to your exact specification. With prefinished hardwood flooring, you can walk on it right after installation; the most significant advantage is the quick turnaround time.

    Hardwood must be nailed to a wooden subfloor. Unlike the other wood flooring options, it cannot be installed straight on concrete or on top of your existing floor. Because of the nail-down requirement, it is recommended that you hire hardwood floor installers or rent floor staplers from a home improvement center.

    Because hardwood is especially prone to scratches and dents, pay special attention to the Janka hardness rating scale and buy a wood species appropriate to your lifestyle and budget.

    One of the most significant advantages of solid wood flooring is that it can be re-sanded numerous times, extending its life for decades. It can outlast its original homeowners—up to 100 years with proper care. Its greatest weakness is that it cannot be installed in moist areas such as basements or bathrooms.

    Pros
    • Has the longest lifespan

    • Can be refinished many times

    • Increases home value

    Cons
    • Vulnerable to moisture and scratches

    • Needs subflooring

    • Requires professional installation

  • 02 of 06

    Engineered Wood Flooring

    Engineered wood floor with side table

    Margot Cavin​ / The Spruce

    • Best for: Good investment at a lower price than solid wood; adds resale value

    Engineered wood flooring is an alternative to solid hardwood flooring that has surpassed solid hardwood sales. Engineered flooring is a sandwich of veneer wood and plywood. You see and walk on the thin layer of veneer wood, while the plywood underneath comprises 75% or more of the flooring.

    The use of plywood distinguishes engineered wood flooring from solid hardwood. Each ply runs perpendicular to its adjacent ply, giving dimensional strength to the sandwich layers.

    This option requires less solid wood, conserving more trees, and in most cases, is less expensive than solid wood. You can count on a good-quality engineered wood floor typically lasting 25 to 30 years. It is more manageable for DIYers to install. Engineered wood flooring also stands up well to areas with light moisture, such as basements and bathrooms.

    Engineered wood has more installation options. It can be nailed down, like solid hardwood, or installed as floating floors.

    What Is a Floating Floor?

    Floating floors require no nails or screws and usually need only minimal subfloor prep. If your existing floor is flat and stable, you can install the floating floor right on top.

    Its disadvantage is its thin top layer. This 1/16- to 1/8-inch veneer wood layer can be sanded only once or twice, and each sanding needs to be light. Deep scratches and dents in engineered wood cannot be sanded out. Seek the advice of a reputable flooring company before sanding.

    Pros
    • Less expensive than solid wood

    • DIYer can install; can install as floating floor

    • Increases home value

    Cons
    • Only lasts up to 30 years vs. 100 years (solid wood)

    • Can only refinish once or twice, if that

    • Vulnerable to moisture

  • 03 of 06

    Bamboo Flooring

    Bedroom bamboo floor

     

    tulcarion / Getty Images

    • Best for: Eco-conscious; closest replica to the solid wood without using trees; also adds resale value

    One popular alternative to hardwood is bamboo flooring. While bamboo is a grass rather than hardwood, it's usually classed as hardwood and is highly valued for its apparent green and environmentally friendly qualities.

    Bamboo will appeal to consumers interested in using natural, renewable resources that are farmed sustainably. A bamboo stalk can be harvested repeatedly every five or six years, while trees require at least 20 years to mature.

    Bamboo looks, feels, and behaves remarkably like real wood. It's easy to install, highly durable, and adds to the home's resale value. Its most significant disadvantage is it can get scratched, so it might not be the best option for homes with pets or rambunctious children. It's also vulnerable to cracking in humid situations. Most warranties for bamboo flooring last about 25 years.

    Pros
    • Most eco-friendly

    • Resistant to moisture

    • DIYer can install; can install as floating floor

    • Increases home value

    Cons
    • Easily scratched

    • Vulnerable to cracking when humid

    • Solid wood outlasts bamboo

  • 04 of 06

    Laminate Flooring

    Hallway with laminate wood floor

    Margot Cavin​ / The Spruce

    • Best for: Cost-conscious; suitable for areas around the house not prone to moisture

    Laminate flooring is not real wood, at least not in the way that hardwood and engineered wood are. It comprises a thin top layer of resin-infused paper, all on top of a wood-chip composite. So, technically laminate flooring is wood; or more precisely, laminate flooring contains wood.

    Laminate flooring is a precise simulation of wood. The image layer is essentially a photograph of wood. With better laminate flooring brands, you can look closely at the product and still be fooled.

    Among the advantages of laminate flooring are its scratch resistance, ease of installation, and low cost. Some disadvantages of laminate flooring are that it is vulnerable to moisture damage, is slippery, and cannot be sanded or repaired.

    Pros
    • Scratch resistant

    • Easy to install

    • Inexpensive

    • Budget friendly

    Cons
    • Vulnerable to moisture

    • Slippery

    • Cannot be sanded or repaired

    Continue to 5 of 6 below
  • 05 of 06

    Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

    Grey luxury vinyl plank flooring with two metal and wooden stools and eggshell blue island in kitchen

    mtreasure/ iStock/ Getty Images Plus

    • Best for: Budget-minded; Bathroom, kitchen, or areas prone to moisture

    Luxury vinyl plank flooring comes in versions that look remarkably like natural wood. Like laminate flooring, LVP installs long planks as a floating floor, so there is no need to attach them to the subfloor.

    Luxury vinyl plank flooring differs from laminate flooring in that it is waterproof. LVP is safe to install in high-moisture environments like full bathrooms.

    Paying a little more for LVP gives you thicker boards with deeper embossing for even more of a faux-wood look. On average, it lasts about 20 years.

    Pros
    • Waterproof; easy to maintain

    • Easy to install; can be installed as floating floor

    • Budget friendly

    Cons
    • Difficult to repair

    • Wood-look may not be convincing

  • 06 of 06

    Wood-Look Ceramic Tile

    Wood-Look Ceramic Tile - Koa Species Simulation

    Handtrade By FG / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

    • Best for: Bathroom, kitchen, or areas prone to moisture; good, durable cost-cutting option

    Ceramic tile traditionally has come in large squares from 4- to 16-inch squares or small tesserae in mosaic tile. So, long and narrow ceramic tile planks are newer on the market. But it's a necessary format if you want your ceramic tile to simulate real wood flooring.

    Plank ceramic tile is like luxury vinyl flooring, which is 100% waterproof. It's a less accurate simulation of wood than laminate flooring or LVP but is a durable option for use in bathrooms or kitchens. Ceramic tile can last 20 to 50 years, depending on use and care.

    Pros
    • Waterproof

    • Scratch resistant

    • Easier to install and less expensive than wood

    Cons
    • Hard

    • Cold

    • Wood-look may not be convincing

Choosing a Type of Wood Flooring or a Similar Alternative

When considering new flooring for your home, several factors will likely influence your decision: price, aesthetics, and where you will use it. Other factors to consider include factors like slip-resistance or hardness (if you have children or older adults in the home), scratch resistance (if you have pets), or ease of installation (if you plan to DIY).

If keeping costs low is essential, then the least expensive options will be laminate and ceramic tile. Although a DIYer can install tiles, it's not easy. Also, consider if a room will come in contact with a lot of moisture, like bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. In that case, do not use wood flooring or laminate; however, LVP, ceramic tiles, and bamboo are good alternatives.

Renting Your Home?

Major renovations are not usually allowed by renters, but if you want to transform your space to your aesthetic, consider LVP or laminate planks that can be installed as floating floors, not requiring any nailing down or adhesives.

Homeowners often consider their property's future regarding the resale of their property, how long they plan to keep the home, and whether they will need to replace the flooring at some point. Solid or engineered wood would be a decent long-term investment with a good potential return.