Flooring options

[Vicky S.]

I am rehabbing my first rental(buy & hold). It curr has Berber carpet - bit worn out. Looking at suggestions on whether to go with laminate or engineered hardwood. I don't want to spend extra for actual hardwood. Have apprx 1200 sq ft to be replaced. Is there a thumb rule that one improves the actual value of the house compared to another? Want to evaluate from long term + premium on rental. I have menards, lowes and Home Depot nearby. Are these the places to look for the flooring or should I evaluate somewhere else too? Suggestions / recommendations please. Thanks.

[Adam Bartomeo]

I was a manager at Home Depot for years and understand these products. If you are looking for durability for tenants go with laminate. It is very durable. I have had mine in my rental for 8 yrs and it still looks new.

If you are looking for resale and the neighborhood has hard wood then go with hard wood. Engineered is a cheap hard wood in my opinion. Hardwood and engineered scratch easy and will have to be resurfaced after a few years. 

You cannot resurface laminate only replace the board.

The vinyl planks are a newer product that came out about 10 yrs ago. They weren't really intended for the home but for office space with high traffic. I'm not a Big fan for putting this in a home because it looks cheap but in a C or D apartment I may consider it.