What is the difference between hardwood vs laminate flooring?

Hardwood flooring is solid wood. such as Maple, oak, mahogany and is approx 5/8″ thick. It is laid on a sub floor. Hardwood floors can be sanded and re stained.
Laminate flooring is pressed wood fibres, and a layer of veneer is glued to it, to give the look of real wood. it is approx 1/4″ thick and is laid on sub floors or in the case of a floating laminate floor, on foam. it can’t be sanded or stained.

Wood Laminate Floor


When installing a floating wood laminate floor, do you need to lay down the moisture resistant plastic?

When installing a floating wood laminate floor, do you need to lay down the moisture resistant plastic as well as the foam sheets? I thought you did, but the guy that sold me the wood flooring insisted that the thick foam matting was all that was needed. Any advice would help. Thanks.

If you lay it on concrete, you must use the barrier
If you lay it on subfloor the foam is enough

How to lay Laminate Flooring