Do you love the appearance and warmth of hardwood, but find it expensive? What if you could recreate this timeless style with some inexpensive flooring solutions that look like hardwood? Yes, you read it right! There are a number of wood-look options to choose from when it comes to flooring.
Let’s go through some of the most affordable wood-look flooring options to give your home the aesthetic appeal it deserves.
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Laminate flooring–highly durable and scratch-resistant
Today’s laminate flooring is unique in terms of aesthetics and functionality. Back in the time, it was tagged as the “fake wood flooring”. At present, laminate has a lot to offer.
It is cheap, aesthetically pleasing, highly durable, scratch-resistant and even waterproof. It has become one of the most popular alternatives to hardwood. In fact, there are laminate floors out there that can be mistaken for hardwood. This is because these floors are manufactured from different layers of particle board wood.
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Engineered wood – Sophisticated and natural flooring
Engineered wood is pretty similar to laminate flooring in a sense that it is available in planks and has multiple layers along with a thin slice of real wood. This gives the floor a sophisticated and natural look.
You can install engineered wood anywhere in the house without worrying about foot traffic, moisture and temperature. When it’s well-cared-for, the floor won’t need any replacement at least for 15-20 years.
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Luxury vinyl plank – High-end yet affordable
Also known as LVT, luxury vinyl plank is one of the best wood-look alternatives in Australia.
It’s ridiculously durable, comfortable and affordable. And with 3D printing and ER techniques, it has become more versatile than ever. Whether it’s your living room or bathroom, your entryway or stairs, LVT won’t let you down. The top layer of the LVT is printed to look like hardwood and mimics the wood grain. Plus, there is a variety of light to dark faux-wood colours to choose from.
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Porcelain floor tiles–Suitable for wet areas
Due to its high demand, porcelain is made to look like hardwood these days. It has been used to imitate the textures and finishes of hardwood and natural stone tiles in Melbourne. In fact, it is becoming very difficult to tell the difference between real hardwood and porcelain tiles. You can use these tiles in bathrooms and basements where humidity often leads to warping.
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Ceramic tiles – Extremely versatile and affordable
Commonly installed in kitchens and bathrooms, ceramic tiles have become a wood-look alternative over the past few years. Although they aren’t very comfortable underfoot and can’t withstand extreme temperature changes, ceramic tiles are available in a number of wood-look shapes, sizes and textures to complement any space. As long as you clean them regularly, you can enjoy a stylish indoor without any hassle.
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Bamboo flooring – Highly durable and eco-friendly
You might wonder that bamboo is a type of hardwood. Not at all! It’s technically some sort of tough grass. That’s a fascinating fact about bamboo. What’s even more interesting is that you can use it as wood-look flooring because of its extreme strength. In fact, it’s harder than oak. Additionally, installing a bamboo floor is an inexpensive and eco-friendly quest.
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Cork flooring – Shock and wear-resistant
Our final pick is cork flooring – a great option for high-traffic areas like playrooms and dining rooms. This type of flooring is a combination of cork and binders, which makes the floor resistant to wear and shock. And of course, cork is environment-friendly. Although it’s softer than hardwood, you can refinish and seal it to safeguard the top layer of the floor. Plus, its resale value is greater than other flooring options like laminate, vinyl or terrazzo tiles.
Concluding words
Installing or renovating a floor doesn’t have to be expensive, time-taking and stressful. Probably, that’s why there are some low-cost flooring solutions that are easier to install, clean and maintain than hardwood. So, if you’re on the hunt for a flooring solution that will be a great alternative to hardwood flooring, then consider installing one of the above-mentioned options.
Happy flooring!!!
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