| | Prefinished Engineered
Hardwood Floor | Laminate Floor |
| Visual Appearance | excellent | good |
| Scratch Resistance | good4 | very good |
| Stain Resistance | fair1 | excellent |
| Fade Resistance | fair2 | excellent |
| Impact Resistance | good | excellent |
| Ease of Maintenance | good | very good |
| Moisture Resistance | fair | good |
| Ease of Repair | good | poor |
| Can floor be refinished? | yes (not acrylic impregnated) | no |
| Install over concrete slab | if glue or float | yes, floating |
| Manufacturer's Warranty | good | good |
| Installation Methods | glue, staple, float | some pre-glued
glueless, floating |
| Easy To Install (DIY) | glueless floating - yes
staple-down - maybe
glue-down - messy | Yes |
| Life expectancy of floor (in years) | 25+3 | < 20 |
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