I have both right now.  My kitchen is real hardwood flooring and honestly I hate it in my kitchen area.  I'd much prefer ceramic tile, but what's done is done now.  I have a floating laminate wood floor in my office and I do love it in here.  It is perfect for "this" space.  I think if you were to redo the entire house and you like the look and feel of the real wood, then you can't go wrong.  I think if I were to do the whole house, then yes, I'd also go for the real thing.  Eventually that is a goal of mine to remove all the carpet from our 6 yr old house and add real hardwood through out.  Better for allergy sufferer! :)

I have hardwood throughout the house, except the kitchen.  If I had to replace the hardwood, I would save and replace it with hardwood.  It is warm and has a luminosity that laminate cannot replicate.  That said, though, I have laminate in the kitchen and it is perfect.  No fuss floor.

Laminate these days is so improved that most people can't even tell the difference between good laminate and hardwood and it is about 1/3 of the cost. Hardwood is something we are all just used to for years.

We are building a new house and I have chosen laminate flooring for durability. We currently live in a condo with hardwood floors which in no time scratched and marked. I don't believe the issue is always cost, rather a question of practicality. As an aside, I find the hardwood in the condo cold both in looks and on my feet. Whatever you choose, enjoy!

My husband and I are house shopping, and I just want to cry when I see people lay down laminate floors in log homes. To me it plastic and fake looking, it is genuine hardwood floors for me or plywood until I can afford it. Laminate floors to me are the same as putting up wood panelling, real wood or bust. If the property is a rental then cut corners but if it is your home you deserve the best.

We installed laminate flooring in our former home and some of the comments from potential homebuyers was "too much laminate".  For resale, I would go with the real hardwood.  Laminate is good for small areas, just don't go overboard.  It may cost you a sale.

We have hardwood everywhere on the main floor of our bungalow except in the kitchen, where we selected German-engineered oak laminate. The product is beautiful and practical--designed for kitchens so that you can spill things on it and they dont go through! I love my laminate and would not change it for the world. I guess that I am still harbouring those horrid memories of sanding and staining floors and the disruption that used to cause before the intro of less toxic, less smelly finishes. Enough said: give laminate serious consideration if you seek warmth,  economy AND practicality.

I love watching your show,and i get alot of ideas from it, as for now i'm biulding an addition to my parents home and plan on useing hardwood flooring. i'm 24 yrs of age and have been doing carpentry for 6 yrs now and my boss likes the work i do because of the ideas i get off of your show and one day i would like to meet you, i stay in B.C. canada

hi there im a big fan of the show worlds most extreme homes an i would like the there are links to the pictures of the homes shown. the web site isnt the best user friendly.

It is a big debate and I think you either hate laminate wood flooring or tolerate it.

You have to consider budget as well as functionality when choosing flooring.

I have seen some wood laminate that I thought were nice but they continue to disappointment me with the feel, how easily they seem to scratch and the matte finish most of them have. Just like all floor choices they are cheap choices, and I mean cheap not "inexpensive", affordable great deals, and high end budget breakers.  And more often then not, you get what you pay for.  If you choose laminate then choose one that is textured and touchy feely on the feet.  And make sure it is installed right.  I think alot of people take on laminate flooring because it is marketed as DIY. They start it and find out it is a little harder then it looks.

So to conclude my 10 cents worth, well maybe a twoonie worth, think budget, think about how functional it is in your life and then get it installed right!

After all, it is just flooring, we walk on it.

Has anyone taken carpet off of stairs, and refaced with hardwood. I have been told it is very expensive, and labour intensive. Is it better to install new wood stair case, and stain it the colour that you want?

HI Lynn,

It's not a cheap endeavour but it would be much more expensive to replace an entire staircase.  All you're doing essentially is buying a small amount of hardwood, and staining it to match the rest of your flooring.  The pricey part is of course the installation, but there are hardwood companies that specialize in that.  Depending on where you are, there is this place in New Market, ON - you can call them for advice and an estimate if you're not local.  Good luck!  rowanfloor(.)com

I put down laminate flooring six yearsago and now it is opening up I dont know why if you do please let me know

Vic, over time, it warps.  That could be due to moisture, excessive dryness, or shifting in the house/foundation.  It could also be the nature of the product.  If it was 6 years ago, some of the earlier laminates were not as long-lasting as some of the breeds today.  Also, what did you lay it over?  Did you put in a proper subfloor?  

I have laminate throught all 3 levels of my home.  I shopped around until I found a laminate that looks so real it would hard to tell the difference from real hardwood.  I really like it because with 3 small children it doesn't dent and mark like the hardwood does and it was less than half the price of hardwood with a 25 year warranty.  

I need to replace the wood floors in my house now. I am leaning towards laminate because the wood floors here are so old they HAVE to go. I'd replace them with hardwood in a heartbeat had the economy not tanked. Sorry, I may deserve "the best" but, I simply cannot afford replacing a whole house with all hardwood right now. I'm also looking at bamboo and cork. Laminates these days are actually quite nice. I do think it's a bit snobbish insisting on hardwood.

I am contemplating upgrading/remodeling; beginning from the floor up.   Regardless that I know LAMINATE is the most economical/practical, I am going to go with 'engineered hardwood'.   (I would love to know the name brand on the laminate that Krista has as I can usually spot laminate a mile away.  Hers sound great!)

For Lynn:  I found a very good website that gives instructions on replacing only the step (riser) on stairs which I also plan to do as I will be painting out the rest out and applying a runner anways.   It is under the title "Installing Hardwood on Existing Staircases at hardwoodinstaller.com

We have had laminate flooring throughout our house, except the bathroom, for the past two years.  We love it and it is so easy to keep.  Just needs a damp mop to bring it right back to normal.  We live at a beach so there is plenty of traffic from the yard and deck and so far no problems at all.

I put laminate floor in my house last July. It will meet our current needs. So far there are no dog scratches on it like there were on our real hardwood in our other house.

my two cents:

when you plan to install laminate floor, buy an extra planks several square feet for replacement purpose in the future. It will save you since laminate floor usually discontinue after few years.

Laminate is very nice looking now but no matter what anyone says it still does not compare to the real deal.  10 years from now the laminate is going to make the home look dated.  Wood is timeless.  

hi, i m renovating my house, and i want  to  change  my  stair case,it  is  straight n i wannna  a  curved  stairs  , i want  some  sugetions and  advise  ,so  any can help me frm  where  i can get help?

What to do with engineered hardwood that was layed over plywood and now squeaks to my frustration?