The 5 Most Durable Flooring Types, and What Each One Looks Like
Posted by MariRuth Runyon on 31st Jan 2023 · Updated [VERIFY: publish date; confirm byline name]
For everyday wear and water, luxury vinyl and laminate are the most durable floors for most homes. For a floor that can last for generations, choose solid or engineered hardwood, which can be sanded and refinished when it wears. Durability is only half the decision, though: each type also gives a room a different look. Below, we rank five types on how well they last, then say what each looks like, which styles it does best and where it belongs.
The 5 Types at a Glance
| Engineered hardwood | Solid hardwood | Luxury vinyl (LVP/LVT) | Laminate | Carpet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday wear | Real wood surface; dents and scratches like solid wood of the same species | Real wood; hardness depends on species | Strong; resists scratches and dents | Very hard surface; strong scratch resistance | Depends on fiber; nylon and wool wear best |
| Water | Handles humidity better than solid; not for standing water unless rated waterproof | Sensitive to moisture | Waterproof (rigid core and most click products) | Water-resistant; waterproof versions exist | Absorbs spills |
| Refinishing | Can be sanded 1 to 3 times, depending on wear layer [VERIFY against the lines sold] | Can be sanded many times over its life | Cannot be refinished; replace worn planks | Cannot be refinished | Cannot be refinished; can be cleaned |
| Look | Real wood grain; wide planks available | Real wood grain; classic and timeless | Wood, stone and tile looks, printed | Wood looks, printed; often the most realistic texture of the two | Soft; widest range of colors and patterns |
| Best for | Main living areas, homes with humidity swings | Living and dining rooms, long-term homes | Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, busy homes | Living areas, bedrooms, busy homes on a budget | Bedrooms, family rooms, stairs |
This table compares the five types in general. Wear layers, scratch ratings and pet performance are covered in our guide to the best flooring for a house with pets.
1. Engineered Hardwood
At the top of our list is engineered hardwood. It has a top layer of real hardwood over a cross-layered plywood or composite core, so it has all the beauty and character of solid hardwood with more stability. Solid hardwood can cup or buckle when humidity changes, while engineered hardwood resists that movement. Maintenance is easy, and light scratches can be buffed out. Its lifespan is shorter than solid hardwood's only because the real-wood top layer can be sanded fewer times.
Look and style: Engineered hardwood looks identical to solid hardwood of the same species, because the surface is real wood. It is also the easiest way to get wide, long planks, which tend to look more high-end and are harder to make in solid wood. White oak in a matte or wire-brushed finish suits modern and Scandinavian rooms; hickory and walnut suit rustic and traditional ones.
Best for: Main living areas, open-plan homes and climates with humidity swings. For kitchens, choose a waterproof engineered product such as Hartco Hydroblok White Oak or browse waterproof engineered hardwood.
Is engineered hardwood as durable as solid hardwood?
On the surface, yes; over its lifetime, solid hardwood lasts longer. Both have a real hardwood surface, so a white oak engineered floor and a white oak solid floor scratch and dent the same way. The difference is how many times they can be sanded. Solid hardwood can be refinished many times over its life, while engineered hardwood can be refinished only as many times as its top layer allows, often once to three times [VERIFY: confirm against the wear-layer thickness of the engineered lines Georgia Carpet sells]. Engineered hardwood is the more stable floor: it moves less with humidity and temperature, and can go over concrete and radiant heat where solid hardwood usually cannot.
2. Solid Hardwood
A close second is solid hardwood. It has the same look and hardness as engineered hardwood of the same species, without the added moisture protection. It stays near the top of our list because of its longevity: with proper care, a solid hardwood floor can last for decades and be sanded and refinished many times. It has a timeless look that adds value to a home. Hardness varies by species, which makes it versatile. For the hardest floors, choose hickory, hard maple or white oak, which rate highest on the Janka hardness scale among common flooring woods; walnut is softer than red oak. Despite its sensitivity to moisture, solid hardwood is easy to clean and can be refinished if it gets scratched.
Look and style: Solid hardwood is the classic choice and the one buyers expect in a traditional or higher-end home. Red and white oak are the most common; white oak takes light and natural stains well, while red oak shows a warmer, pinker tone. Narrower planks read as traditional, and site-finished floors can be stained to match an existing room.
Best for: Living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms on or above ground level, in homes you plan to keep for a long time. Not for bathrooms or basements.
3. Luxury Vinyl Tile and Plank
Not far behind the natural options is luxury vinyl. Its synthetic core makes it highly durable against spills and moisture, and rigid core (SPC) products are waterproof. If you want a wood look in a kitchen, bathroom or basement, this is the floor to choose. For scratch resistance, compare the wear layer, measured in mil; our pet flooring guide explains what the numbers mean.
Look and style: Luxury vinyl comes in the widest range of looks of any hard floor: oak, hickory and walnut planks, stone and tile visuals, and patterned layouts such as herringbone. Better products have embossed texture that follows the printed grain, which is what makes them look real up close. Up close, the best laminate usually looks a little more like real wood; luxury vinyl wins wherever water is a concern.
Best for: Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, laundry rooms and busy family homes.
4. Laminate
Laminate is similar to luxury vinyl; the main difference is the core. Laminate has a high-density wood-fiber core under a printed image and a hard, clear wear layer. That top layer makes it very hard to scratch, though its core makes it less water-resistant than vinyl. Many newer laminates, such as Mohawk RevWood, are built to resist water at the surface and seams. It is a great choice for active homes and needs less maintenance than hardwood.
Look and style: Laminate's main advantage is how natural it looks. Its deep, embossed texture and realistic grain make it the closest a man-made floor comes to real oak, which is why it is the usual answer to "how do I get the oak look without real hardwood?" It is especially convincing in natural and light oak tones and in wide planks.
Best for: Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways and busy homes that want the look of hardwood on a smaller budget.
5. Carpet
The only reason carpet is at the bottom of our list is that it is harder to clean. Well-made carpet can be very durable: wool and nylon are the longest-wearing fibers, and a dense, low-pile or loop construction holds up best to traffic. But spills are harder to clean from carpet than from any hard floor. If you are carpeting a room with little chance of spills or water, carpet is the way to go.
Look and style: Carpet is the warmest-looking and warmest-feeling floor, and it comes in the widest range of colors, patterns and textures. Plush and cut-pile carpets in warm neutrals read as cozy; patterned and loop carpets add texture to a room with plain walls. Our post on whether carpet makes a room warmer explains why it feels warmer, too.
Best for: Bedrooms, family rooms, basements finished as living space, and stairs.
What Flooring Gives a Natural Oak Look Without Real Hardwood?
Laminate and luxury vinyl plank both give a convincing natural oak look without real hardwood. Laminate usually looks a little more like real wood, because its embossed texture is deeper; luxury vinyl is the better choice wherever water is a concern. To make either look real, choose:
- A varied grain. Look for planks with many different printed boards, so the same knot does not repeat across the floor.
- Texture that matches the grain. Embossed-in-register (EIR) texture follows the printed grain, so the floor feels like wood as well as looking like it.
- A matte or low-sheen finish. Gloss is the quickest giveaway that a floor is not wood.
- Wide, long planks in a natural or light oak tone.
- Beveled edges that show each plank, as real wood does.
Order samples and see them in your own light, or use our room visualizer to place any floor in a photo of your room. If you would like real oak with more moisture tolerance, engineered hardwood is the middle ground.
What Is the Best Light Wood Flooring That Looks High-End?
White oak is the light wood most designers choose for a high-end floor, in wide planks with a matte or natural finish. Its tight, straight grain takes light and natural stains evenly, and it does not turn as yellow over time as some other light species. Hard maple is a paler, smoother alternative; ash has a bolder grain.
What makes a light floor look high-end is less the species than the details: wide, long planks, a low-sheen finish, a natural tone rather than a gray or orange one, and a real wood surface, which is why engineered white oak is a popular choice. Georgia Carpet stocks white oak engineered floors including Shaw Reflections White Oak, Robbins Nature's Canvas Gold White Oak and Hartco Hydroblok White Oak, a waterproof engineered option. [VERIFY: confirm these three are current, in stock, and available in light or natural tones]
Which Flooring Patterns and Layouts Are Trending?
Herringbone and chevron patterns, wide planks and natural wood tones are the strongest flooring trends right now. Herringbone in particular has moved from expensive hardwood parquet into click-together luxury vinyl, which is why it now appears in far more homes. Our herringbone flooring collection explains how herringbone differs from chevron and how to finish it at doorways. Wide, long planks in natural or light oak, matte finishes and warmer wood tones are replacing the gray floors of the last decade. For colors, textures and materials in more detail, see our flooring trends guide.
Which Flooring Styles Feel Warm and Cozy?
For a warm, cozy room, choose carpet or wood in warm tones with a textured, low-sheen finish. Plush or cut-pile carpet is the softest and warmest floor underfoot. Among hard floors, oak, hickory and walnut in honey, amber or natural brown tones feel warmer than gray or very pale floors, and wire-brushed or hand-scraped textures add a relaxed, lived-in feel. Wood-look luxury vinyl with an attached cork or foam underlayment feels softer and quieter underfoot than vinyl laid directly on concrete. Area rugs over a hard floor give you both.
What Flooring Works Best in Basements and Bathrooms?
Luxury vinyl is the best choice for most basements and bathrooms, because rigid core products are waterproof and will not rot, swell or grow mold. Porcelain or ceramic tile is the other traditional choice. Waterproof laminate and waterproof engineered hardwood can work in a basement or powder room if the manufacturer rates them for it. Avoid solid hardwood in either room, and avoid standard laminate in a full bathroom.
In a basement, test the concrete slab for moisture before any floor goes down, even a waterproof one. Our guide to the best flooring options for basements covers underlayments and moisture barriers, and our guide to LVP installation methods explains which method suits a slab.
Which Flooring Adds the Most Value to a Home?
Hardwood adds the most value to a home. In the National Association of REALTORS' Remodeling Impact Report, refinishing hardwood floors and installing new wood flooring were among the projects with the highest estimated cost recovery at resale [VERIFY: confirm the current report edition and its figures before quoting a percentage]. Buyers recognize real wood and expect it in main living areas. Solid hardwood is the traditional choice; engineered hardwood has the same real-wood surface and is valued similarly by most buyers. In kitchens, bathrooms and basements, buyers tend to value waterproof luxury vinyl or tile over wood.
Most Durable Flooring: FAQs
What is the most durable flooring for high-traffic areas?
For a busy home, luxury vinyl plank with a thick wear layer and laminate are the most durable choices among the floors we sell, because they resist scratches, dents and spills and never need refinishing. Porcelain tile is also very hard-wearing. Hardwood wears more visibly in high traffic but can be refinished.
Is laminate or luxury vinyl more durable?
Laminate has the harder, more scratch-resistant surface; luxury vinyl is better with water. Choose laminate for dry rooms where scratches are the main concern, and luxury vinyl for kitchens, bathrooms and basements. Our post on whether laminate is more scratch-resistant than luxury vinyl plank compares them in detail.
Which hardwood species is the hardest?
Among common flooring woods, hickory is the hardest, followed by hard maple and white oak; red oak is the usual benchmark. Walnut, cherry and pine are softer and dent more easily. The Janka hardness scale measures this.
Can engineered hardwood be refinished?
Yes, if its top layer of real wood is thick enough. Many engineered floors can be sanded and refinished one to three times [VERIFY]; thinner top layers can only be screened and recoated.
What flooring looks most like real wood?
Laminate with embossed-in-register texture usually looks most like real wood among man-made floors. Engineered hardwood is real wood on top, so it looks identical to solid hardwood.
What is the best durable flooring for homes with pets?
Luxury vinyl and laminate are the most pet-friendly. See our full guide to the best flooring for a house with pets, which compares wear layers, scratch resistance and noise.
The most durable floor is the one that suits both the room and the look you want. Georgia Carpet Industries has sold every type on this list from Dalton, Georgia, since 1969. Visit our showroom, book a video sales appointment to talk through your project, or call (800) 535-8789 for a quote.