After weighing the options of hardwood versus engineered versus laminate, I made the first cut: engineered was not for me. While it may be slightly cheaper for rare wood choices, the price comparison (for most of the finishes that I liked) was not enough to make a difference between the engineered kind and the real deal. Plus, it seems too much of a coincidence that engineered rhymes with veneered: I've seen how veneers look and last on my cheap apartment furniture, and the idea of shelling out thousands to have that all over my floor makes my inner cheapskate shout "no thank you". In many cases, only one (if any) sanding and refinishing job can be done to it, and it's not everlasting tough like laminate.
photo: Phillips Hardwood Floors
For the next cut, we looked at installation choices. Since I have a cement slab for our first floor, hardwoods would either have to be glued or clipped into place (click here for more info) and would probably require professionals. Laminate, on the other hand, could be easily click-locked into place, and seemed like a total do-it-yourself kind of job. Maybe not "easy" to a beginner like me, but certainly easier and less messy than hardwood.
Weighing hiring a professional versus the very budget-friendly do-it-yourself option, I decided hardwoods cost significantly more than laminate. And as I mentioned in a previous post, this is not my forever home, so I need only to consider the additional value added by getting rid of the carpet. Combine that with the idea of Colby and my boyfriend running around and scraping items across a new hardwood floor (I can just imagine the "pick UP the chair!" harping), I was left with an obvious answer: laminate was durable, budget-friendly, and if I shopped around enough, I was sure that I could find something that didn't scream fake floor.
Now comes the hard part. Which finish do I choose? I always knew this would be the harder decision to make. I have already experienced freaking out at the wrong paint color, and that's only a $25 mistake; trying to make a $2500 decision on my own will probably put me on the next season of The OCD Project on VH1.
Then, a brilliant thought came to mind: I can get opinions on this! So, dear reader, I would really appreciate it if you would participate in my first ever blog poll. Which option do you like best, and why? Please vote for your favorite, and help a girl out!
Option 1: "Caribbean Rosewood"
Option 2: "Mayan Beechwood"
Option 3: "Exotic Walnut"
Flooring update: Click here, and here for photos of the real deal of options 1 and 3, installed in an actual room! Sorry, I tried to find Mayan Beechwood photos, but came up empty :(
