Though solid hardwood flooring is a favorite, in recent years laminated wood flooring has soared in popularity.

Laminated flooring has a thin layer (about 1/8 inch) of hardwood bonded to two layers of less costly wood backing, reducing the amount of expensive hardwood involved.

It's also easier to install because, unlike conventional solid wood flooring, which must be blind-nailed to subflooring and sanded before finishing, laminated flooring is prefinished and may be glued down or applied over a thin foam pad laid on the subfloor. Some types are adhesive backed.

Another advantage of laminated flooring materials is that, because they're made up of multiple layers, they're less likely to suffer from humidity-caused expansion and contraction problems that commonly occur in moisture-prone areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. Most laminated floors are installed over plywood subflooring, but they can also go over smooth concrete slabs or existing, sound vinyl flooring.

The advantage a solid-wood floor has over a laminated one is thickness. Solid-wood may be sanded and refinished multiple times. Laminated floors have a surface layer that's only about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. Once this goes, the floor goes.

Laminated flooring has interlocking tongue-and-groove edges. It is applied with adhesive to a 3/4-inch-thick plywood subfloor.

Floating floors of laminated wood have tongues and grooves glued together. The floor rests on a thin foam pad. Over concrete, a barrier of 6-mil plastic seals out moisture.