Have the look of Brazilian hardwood for a fraction of the cost

These gorgeous floors are made with laminate flooring designed to mimic the look of acacia wood.

Take another look at that beautiful hardwood floor in your neighbor’s dining room or the tile or stone floor in the kitchen and bath. They might not be the real thing.

In homes throughout Nashville, floors that look like real – and expensive – natural materials are actually laminates. These manmade materials mimic the look of rare woods, stone, tile and even concrete but can be purchased and installed at a lower cost.

“For a very reasonable price, you can have the look of Brazilian hardwood or another premium material,” said Andrew Denny, a partner at Textures flooring showroom, 1015 W. Kirkland Ave. in Nashville.

Textures charges about $5 per square foot for high-quality laminates, versus $7 per square foot for hardwood, he said.

“That difference adds up very quickly,” Denny said.

Laminates have long been popular for countertops, but recent advances in manufacturing technology have made them an attractive and durable flooring option. About 20 times harder than a kitchen countertop, laminate floors can be made of products such as high-density fiberboard or cork, which take the place of solid wood. Several layers of these materials are fused together to create an extremely strong, stable product.

The design layer gives a laminate floor its good looks. A high-resolution photographic image of premium hardwood or another natural material is printed on paper and fused to the core layer. The surface we walk on is called the wear layer. This see-through layer protects the design layer and resists staining, wear and fading better than natural wood or other flooring products.

“Laminates have the advantages of reasonable cost, many different looks and ease of maintenance,” said Christopher Davis, president and CEO of the World Floor Covering Association.

Many homeowners are attracted to laminates because they want floors that are simple to maintain, he said.

Laminates are particularly popular for high-traffic areas and children’s rooms, “any place something might spill and you don’t want to spend your life worrying about a stain,” Davis said. “If you spill something on it, just take a damp rag and wipe it up. That’s a big part of the appeal.”

Adding to their versatility, laminate floors can be installed over any existing surface, even concrete. Many manufacturers offer planks and squares that simply snap together without glue, making it easy for do-it-yourselfers to install a new floor.

“Laminates are at the point you can do anything with them,” Davis said.