Both elegant and long-lasting, hard flooring is widely considered an upmarket type of floor, with huge benefits to homeowners and businesses alike.
Keep reading to discover the different types of flooring, the pros and cons of hard flooring, and how to choose the best flooring for your home.
Types of Hard Flooring
There are four main types of hard flooring: laminate, engineered wood, luxury vinyl planks, luxury vinyl tile flooring (also known as LVP or LVT), and hardwood (also known as solid wood or real wood).
Keep reading to learn the pros and cons of each.
Laminate
Laminate flooring is arguably one of the most popular floors. It looks like wood with a smooth finish. It’s typically made from three layers: a moisture-resistant backing, a high-density core, and a printed layer on top.
The pros of laminate include:
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Long-lasting and scratch-resistant
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Water-resistant
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Affordable
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Low maintenance and easy to clean
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Looks modern
The cons of laminate are:
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Can’t get too wet (the boards can warp, split, or bow)
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Cannot be sanded or filled once it wears or scratches (unlike engineered wood)
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood is often seen as a more resilient alternative to hardwood. It has a similar beauty to solid wood, since the top layer is made from real wood, but it has a plywood core for added strength.
The pros of engineered wood include:
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Appears natural and mimics solid wood
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Can be finished with a matte or sheen
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Strong and resilient
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Handles moisture better than hardwood
The cons of engineered wood include:
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Cannot be sanded and refinished as many times as hardwood
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Is not entirely waterproof
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The top layer can wear or scratch over time (which can be buffed or filled)
Luxury Vinyl Planks or Tile (LVP or LVT)
Luxury vinyl comes in planks (just like laminate flooring) or tiles. It has the appearance of natural wood or tiles with an artificial-grained surface. It’s a popular choice over laminate or ceramic for its ease of installation and warmth.
The pros of luxury vinyl include:
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Affordable
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Very easy to install (can be cut with a Stanley blade)
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Has a grained surface (unlike laminate)
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Warmer underfoot compared to porcelain tiles
The cons of luxury vinyl include:
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Has a slightly more synthetic look compared to laminate
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Heavy furniture or appliances can dent the surface over time
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Can be scratched by sharp objects (like stones under shoes)
Solid Wood/Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring (also known as solid wood) is considered one of the most luxurious types of hard flooring. Made from natural wood, it’s extremely long-lasting and has an unbeatable natural appearance.
The pros of hardwood include:
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Long-lasting (up to 100 years with good care)
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Can be sanded and refinished many times
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Has character (with each plank looking slightly different)
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Offers some water-resistance
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Can add value to a home
The cons of hardwood include:
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Can be easily damaged by excess water or humidity
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Can scratch or scuff easily (which can be buffed, sanded, or filled away)
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Has a more premium price tag
Choosing the Best Type of Flooring For Your Home
When choosing floors for your home, it’s important to consider your needs in terms of how durable and water-resistant you need the floor to be, alongside the maintenance you’re willing to do and what you want to spend.
Durability and wear-resistance
High-traffic areas are more susceptible to wear, which can mean hardwood floors will fade more easily (requiring refinishing). Whereas laminate and luxury vinyl won’t show signs of wear until they’re very old.
Water resistance
Few hard floors can be wet mopped without causing severe damage under the surface, but some rooms are more prone to humidity and spillages than others (like utility rooms and kitchens). Consider how water-resistant you need your floors to be to suit the environment.
Maintenance
Hardwood floors generally require more maintenance compared to laminate, luxury vinyl, and even engineered wood. You reap the rewards when properly caring for solid wood, but if you prefer a lower-maintenance hard floor, laminate or luxury vinyl is the better choice.
Budget
All floors are priced differently, with hardwood and engineered wood being the more premium options compared to laminate and luxury vinyl. Consider which type of floor is best for your budget.
Find Your Dream Floor Today
Ready to find your dream floor? Explore our collections of laminate, herringbone laminate, and luxury vinyl planks or tiles today.
Frequently asked questions
What are the different types of hard flooring?
You've got solid hardwood, engineered wood, laminate, luxury vinyl, and stone or tile. Each of these has its own feel, price point, and best use case. The right one really depends on where it's going and how much wear it needs to handle.
What are the pros and cons of laminate flooring?
Laminate is tough, budget-friendly, and comes in loads of styles. However, if it gets wet regularly, it'll start to swell and buckle. It does the job brilliantly in living rooms and hallways, just don't put it anywhere near a leak waiting to happen.
What are the advantages of engineered wood flooring?
You get the genuine wood look and feel without worrying every time the heating kicks in or the seasons change. It sits more stably than solid wood, which makes it a much safer bet in rooms with underfloor heating or varying humidity.
What are the disadvantages of engineered wood flooring?
The top wood layer is relatively thin, so you can only sand it back once or twice before you've used it up, unlike solid hardwood, which you can refinish again and again. It's also not cheap, so if the budget's tight, laminate or vinyl will stretch further.
What are the benefits of luxury vinyl flooring?
It's waterproof, hard-wearing, and, honest to goodness, difficult to tell apart from real wood or stone these days. For kitchens, bathrooms, or anywhere kids and pets roam freely, it's one of the most practical floors you can put down.
What are the drawbacks of luxury vinyl flooring?
If a section gets badly gouged or damaged, you're usually looking at replacing the whole run rather than a simple repair. And while it looks the part, it won't carry the same premium feel or add the same value as genuine wood or stone.
What are the pros and cons of hardwood flooring?
There's nothing quite like the real thing. Solid hardwood ages beautifully, can be refinished repeatedly, and adds genuine value to a home. The catch is the cost, and it really doesn't like moisture, so you need to be realistic about where you're fitting it.
How durable is hardwood flooring compared to other options?
A well-laid hardwood floor can genuinely outlast the house, but species matters a lot, as softer woods dent far more easily than oak or hickory. For raw durability against scratches and water, stone and quality LVT will actually outperform it day-to-day.
Which flooring type is best for water resistance?
Luxury vinyl is the safest choice if water's a concern. It doesn't care about spills or splashes one bit. Porcelain tile is equally solid, but laminate and solid hardwood are the two you really want to keep away from persistent moisture.
How do you choose the best hard flooring for your home based on budget and maintenance?
Think about the room first, as a bathroom needs something totally different from a bedroom. Then be honest about your budget, not just for buying the floor, but maintaining it long term, because a cheaper floor that needs replacing in five years rarely saves you money.
