The most popular type of flooring today is laminate flooring. But there was a time when hardwood flooring was the most highly sought after flooring. Still, there are people who prefer hardwood flooring because of its beauty and feel. Hardwood flooring is made out of a piece of hardwood. The species of hardwood that is used will determine the durability of the hardwood flooring. It is usually available in thicknesses of 3/8" or 3/4" and as strips, planks, or parquet blocks. You can purchase unfinished hardwood flooring that can be stained with various colors. You can also purchase hardwood flooring that has been pre-finished with polyurethane coating. This coating is waterproof and would provide good protection against urine from your pets. Without this coating, the urine could permanently discolor the hardwood flooring. Good hardwood flooring can cost you about $5 for each square foot. The highest quality hardwood flooring can cost more than $50 per square foot. The old way of placing hardwood flooring on concrete involved first taping a plastic barrier onto the concrete. The next step would be to build a moisture-resistant plywood subfloor onto the plastic barrier. Then you would have to nail the hardwood flooring down to the plywood subfloor. This process can take a very long time. This process will also raise the vertical height of the floor by more than an inch. This can cause problems with door entries. These are some of the reasons why hardwood is not as popular as laminate. But with the invention of engineered hardwood flooring, you do not need to nail the hardwood down to a subfloor anymore. Some engineered hardwood flooring can be glued directly to the concrete after the concrete has been cleaned and dried. It can also be installed as a floating floor. This means that a padding is placed underneath the engineered hardwood flooring and then the flooring is clicked and locked together. For this situation, no glue is used. After several years of use, you can expect to see little nicks and dents in your hardwood flooring. It dents more easily than laminate does. The weather can also affect the condition of your hardwood flooring. You could see some cracking or buckling if it is exposed to too much moisture. Consequently, you should not clean your hardwood flooring with water. You can also minimize cracking by using a combination of a humidifier and heating system or a dehumidifier and cooling system in order to maintain a 50% humidity level. Hardwood flooring can also be damaged by sand and dirt. So you should sweep up and vacuum on a regular basis. You should also refrain from using detergent-based products because they can etch the finish. Fortunately, if your hardwood flooring is damaged, it can be sanded and refinished. Laminate does not have this option. But laminate is more durable so this is not much of a problem. The frequency at which you will have to sand and refinish your hardwood flooring will depend on how much exposure to sunlight it gets and how much traffic your flooring needs to put up with. Many people will probably have to sand and refinish their hardwood flooring every five to ten years. However, there are many people who will not mind because they like the feel of natural hardwood and they also like the look of weathered hardwood flooring. Also, homes that have hardwood flooring often go for higher prices.