For a picture perfect floor that is not made of real hardwood, but almost anyone would be hard pressed to tell the difference, the obvious choice is that of laminate flooring. That’s because each laminate flooring plank is, in fact, a picture of wood placed over layered sheets typically made of synthetic and fiberboard materials. The picture is sealed under a coating of an extremely hard and highly durable clear compound finish that can withstand all kinds of usual floor traffic damage such as scratches, cracking, and chips. Such occurrences are more likely to occur in hardwood floors.

A sudden rush may come over you and you rip out the rugs in your home. The time has come to install that beautiful wood flooring you’ve been dreaming about. You call a flooring contractor, or you make a bold move and decide you’re going to lay the floor yourself and stop by your favorite lumber yard. But whether it’s a flooring contractor or lumber yard worker, the first thing you hear is, “Okay, do you prefer engineered or solid hardwood?” And you have no clue what to do next.

According to the United States Department of Labor, thirty-five percent of professional flooring installers that lay carpet, hardwood, vinyl, or tile are self-employed. The remainder are employed by companies and corporations. The consumer should never need to travel far to locate an installer after flooring material is purchased. In most cases, the chosen flooring for a home or place of business can be installed by a professional that works for, or is contracted by, the place where the flooring was bought. If a self-employed independent contractor is preferred, possibly to reduce expenses, it is possible to find a number of them listed in newspaper ads and various other sources.