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Comment by simonsarris | Hacker News Reader

> look nearly indistinguishable

maybe I'm top 1% neurotic about these things but I can tell from Zillow images alone. And definitely by feel of walking on them and the distinct noise they make. There's no comparison.

I seriously doubt they are indistinguishable for most people, but I could be very wrong, especially since so many people go for them.

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Most people just don't care or never knew the difference. Like keming, once you notice it, you will likely notice for the rest of your life.

That was physically painful to read, good example

Yes. There is no way the extra costs of real hardwood are worth the supposed benefits, to me. LVP or LVT or whatever vinyl name is just so much cheaper and easier to work with, and as long as the floor is clean and presentable, the only difference I see is wood flooring being more expensive.

Have you ever lived in a house with real wood floors? The difference you feel barefoot is quite noticeable. It may not be worth the cost to you, but it is definitely different.

Sometimes life is better when you just accept that something is different but not necessarily worse.

Natural gas fireplaces aren't real wood-burning, and I can tell, but I just appreciate that they are way cleaner.

Now, furniture is a different story. Wood is much better than the engineered crap. Try lifting a modern piece that looks like wood and maybe has a thin layer of wood (very heavy and easy to damage) and then try lifting something made of real wood (light and strong).

But it's so much worse, we can squabble over particulars the minor day to day benefits of them both but the showstopper is that laminate is just trash waiting to happen. Hardwood floors can last 100+ years easy and can be maintained essentially indefinitely. And even if you don't maintain them they can be restored without too much trouble, there are previously abandoned houses that got flipped and are going for 600k with the original floors.

Hardwood floors, tile roofs, ceramic freestanding bathtubs, and loose stone or brick pathways are never not worth the investment.

I have had no issues with “engineered crap” from IKEA. Even have dresser drawers from nearly 20 years ago currently in use.

Another case where real wood provides no extra utility, to me. My furniture does not get tossed around, it does not need to be “strong”.

What is it about the laminate that makes it better?

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