Does fake wood flooring last?

Joe S
by Joe S
We have fake wood flooring at my work and I'm wondering if it will last as long as real wood flooring or will wear out sooner? Which kinds are the best and which kinds should I avoid? Thanks!
Fake wood floor
  14 answers
  • Joe S Joe S on Sep 30, 2013
    Different view
  • Bonnie Lewenza Bonnie Lewenza on Sep 30, 2013
    When we did our bedroom floor which is 10' x 23' we went to a flooring auction. We got the blonde maple real wood, it has been down for 10 years now and still looks brand new. Ours was 3/4 inch thickness and I have never had to wax it nothing. I damp mop it with vinegar and water and it is good to go. Well worth the investment.
  • Happy Floors Inc Happy Floors Inc on Sep 30, 2013
    Well, basically and vinyl and laminate floor last longer that regular hardwood. BUT! Hardwood can be refinished. So in long term it will outlast any other floor types. It's hard to tell just by looking at picture what is it. If you have air grills(air fans) in the floor, you can pull it up and make a picture from the side. upload picture here and I will be able to tell you what flooring material you have there. Regards, Sergey Happy Floors Inc www.HappyFloors.com
    • Joe S Joe S on Sep 30, 2013
      @Happy Floors Inc Thanks - there are not any air vents - I don't have a view from the side. But thanks for the point about refinishing - good to remember!
  • Cathy Rayburn-Trobaugh Cathy Rayburn-Trobaugh on Sep 30, 2013
    I'm guessing you mean laminate. We put laminate in our family room and guest area mainly because we needed something tough that could take the beating our grandsons give it. We've been very happy--no gouges like hardwood would have after dropped Tonka trucks, large dog's long toenails, and various accidents that happen. It has even survived a malfunctioning dehumidifier that left a pool of standing water for days while we were on vacation. I think laminate's good looks last longer (and some of the newer laminates look great),, but Happy Floors is right--you can't sand it down like wood.
  • Terry's Flooring Terry's Flooring on Sep 30, 2013
    Laminate comes in different thicknesses , 7mm ,8mm , 10mm , and 12mm...You should shy away from 7mm and 8mm if you want a lasting floor...12mm you can refinish at some point , but you can't beat the durability that 3/4 inch hardwood gives you..It's different in that it's not a free floating floor ,and has to be either nailed down , or glued if over concrete ..Hope this helps you ..
    • Joe S Joe S on Sep 30, 2013
      @Terry's Flooring Thanks for the thickness recommendations. That's good to know.
  • Melinda Melinda on Sep 30, 2013
    We have a Living quarters Horse Trailer that has the wood laminate floors. 6 years old and looking good. We track a lot of stuff in there on that floor.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Sep 30, 2013
    I have personally worked on real wood floors that were 80 to 100 years old and still had many years left in them. I have yet to see a single "laminate" floor that did not look like crap after 4-5 years. In my eye there is nothing good about laminate. There is a class however of flooring called "engineered" hardwood that is a combo of some laminate technology with real wood for the top layer...some of these can be refinished...thou not as many times as a real wood floor. The issue with laminate is not so much "will it wear out" but how it looks after some time. Laminate floors have an Acrylic top layer that provides the "wear", the wood look come from "printed paper" under this plastic layer. Fine dust and dirt will "dull" the plastic top layer on laminates, these are due to fine scratches etc. This same phenomenon happens to real wood floor but here they can be refinished. If done properly a real wood floor can be refinished many times.
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    • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Oct 01, 2013
      @Joe S From a long term stand point real wood or tile will give you the best cost savings. Say you have hardwood installed at $ 7 per sq foot and laminate at $3.50 a sq foot. Ten years later you replace the laminate at say $4 sq foot, and do this every ten years. 30 to 40 years later you have spent 3 to 4 times as much. depending on the specie of hardwood you may only need 1 refinish in 30 to 40 years if properly care for. A natural oil finish on a wood like Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry) can endure decades without any real wear or damage. In fact I just cleaned an area of my master suite yesterday (Jatoba that was installed 12 years ago) and did a spot touch up with some more oil. It looks just like it did 12 years ago when I installed it. This touch up required no sanding...so the thickness of the wood was not affected. This process could go on pretty much forever.
  • Tec204422 Tec204422 on Sep 30, 2013
    We've have the wood laminate in our great room and kitchen for 15 years - it's Pergo and it looks as good today as it did then. We have a dog and 10 grandchildren who visit.
  • Marcella Marcella on Sep 30, 2013
    My laminate floor got wet in a few spots .How can I fix it where it bubbled .Thank you .
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    • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Oct 01, 2013
      @Marc When laminates get wet ( via capillary action at the seams) the biggest problems are de-laminating or substate swelling. De-laminations are impossible to fix, and the damaged sections need to be replaced. If this happens to be in the middle of the room this requires un-installing from the edge all the way to the damaged area...replacing the damaged area and then re-installing the parts that were removed. In many cases all of the un-installed stuff will need to be replaced as well as un-installing often "damages" the corners or edges which are quite vulnerable. Substrate swelling may or may not recede when dry...in most cases it will shrink back down some be never to the original thickness...so it would need to be replaced as well. Keep in mind when laminates are "made" they are often run through large press mills which exert thousands of pounds of pressure. Laminates and wood are never the best choices for wet areas...kitchens, baths etc. With a real hardwood floor however repairs due to water damage are a lot easier to repair.
  • Bonnie Lewenza Bonnie Lewenza on Oct 01, 2013
    Mine is not laminate, it is not a floating floor, It is maple. Ours we had to use a special nail gun to install ours. I have seen some beautiful laminate as well, I want to take up the ceramic in the kitchen and put down bamboo. Now that is a very tough floor.
  • CDC Contracting Inc. CDC Contracting Inc. on Oct 02, 2013
    Laminate flooring is always great if you want to avoid having that cut up look down the road that you would get with regular hardwood flooring, although nothing will outlast wooden floors. You can call me if you want I work in NYC and Long Island, my phone number is on my site http://www.cdccontracting.net and also I recently read a pretty awesome article written by a general contractor about laminate flooring and how to choose flooring in general that may help you out http://www.generalcontractor-nyc.com/blog/picking-flooring-materials-for-your-bedroom
    • Joe S Joe S on Oct 02, 2013
      @CDC Contracting Inc. Thanks for the info. I'm still researching but thanks for your number.
  • Terry's Flooring Terry's Flooring on Oct 03, 2013
    Bamboo Flooring Quite simply the World's Hardest Floors™ Not all bamboo flooring is created equal, Cali Bamboo flooring undergoes a proprietary manufacturing process that makes Fossilized® strand woven twice the density of any other hardwood floor in the world with a score of more than 5000+ on the Janka hardness test. Preferred by contractors, builders and DIY homeowners, Cali Bamboo brings a contemporary, fresh look to bamboo flooring with the perfect union of sustainability and durability to last a lifetime. Available in easy to install click lock or tongue & groove options with the ability to install over any subfloor, including radiant heat; Cali Bamboo offers a large variety of hand scraped, distressed and antique floors backed by an industry-leading 50-year residential warranty. I think if you stay on here long enough you'll hear all types of opinions from novice to people like me who has over 30 years in flooring...Best bet, is just research on your on ... :)
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    • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Oct 10, 2013
      @Joe S Then there is the whole Green-washed part. When a study finds bamboo's embodied energy higher for just the transport ( not counting all of the energy used in its "farming", harvesting, and intensive manufacturing process) over the the MANUFACTURE and transport of concrete....it is not very "green" at all.
  • KC Plumber Pro KC Plumber Pro on Oct 08, 2013
    I have never been a fan of laminate hardwood flooring too many problems when it gets wet.
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    • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Oct 20, 2013
      @KC Plumber Pro The frozen guy is just up the road from my place...I have had some great chats with Trygve ( the frozen guy's grandson) before he got deported.BBQ at Jack's stacks.
  • Terry's Flooring Terry's Flooring on Oct 09, 2013
    Yeah, KC it's not recommended to be installed in places where water is involved ..
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    • Terry's Flooring Terry's Flooring on Oct 09, 2013
      @Joe S It's not recommended to put any type of wood flooring in a kitchen,bathroom ,or laundry rooms..In those areas Ceramic Tile , or Vinyl is recommended..This is not a hard decision ..You are over thinking this whole ordeal..Do your own research and pick out what you like.. :)