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5 Convincing Hardwood Flooring Alternatives

If you’ve decided you want hardwood flooring in your Albuquerque area home, you might want to consider these alternatives that can look like the real thing. These flooring options provide the hardwood flooring look you desire, but allow you to save on materials!

Vinyl Plank

I know that you’re thinking vinyl sounds like it’s a long way away from hardwood.  However, luxury vinyl plank flooring is now textured and looks pretty close to the real deal.  This option works particularly well in basements, laundry rooms, or even an entryway where moisture can sometimes be a concern.

Wood-Look Tile

You’d be amazed at the tile that is on the market today.  Wood-look tile is typically installed with thin grout lines that are black or dark brown in color.  This allows the tile to mimic the hardwood flooring and not look like tile at all!  The tile will be colder underfoot, but if you have pets and were at all worried about scratching, wood-look tile may be the way to go.

Laminate

If homeowners were to look at many hardwood flooring alternatives side-by-side, laminate would win as the most convincing of all.  The smooth surface of laminate mimics the smooth finish of a solid hardwood floor perfectly.  Perhaps why this flooring option looks like the real deal is because a very high-resolution photograph of hardwood is used to create this flooring!

Bamboo

Bamboo plants are technically a grass that grows much more quickly than many hardwood trees. This makes it more affordable and also more eco-friendly.  And don’t worry about durability with Bamboo; it is harder than many hardwood flooring species!

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

This is not exactly an alternative to hardwood flooring because engineered hardwood flooring is made from real hardwood!  However, the multi-layered design makes this flooring type more affordable and more adaptable to humidity and moisture.  With engineered hardwood, you’ll be able to sand and refinish your floors 1-3 times.  With a solid hardwood floor, you can refinish up to 10 times!

Ready to get the look of beautiful hardwood flooring in your home?  Call the experts at the Poulin Design Center in Albuquerque today for a free design consultation!

Photo: Iriana Shiyan