Hi Britta, good question! I admit that we shopped based on looks / overall aesthetic as a first priority. We knew what “look” we wanted. Once we found any comparable hardwood with a similar width or distressing, it was out of our budget. This very floor we purchased was also the showroom entrance flooring, it had dirt, water and salt on it from winter weather. Once cleaned up it looked beautiful. We were able to get this flooring at around 1/3 of the cost of hardwood. These are wider planks go down like a solid board, and the pattern looks very real in person. We put an underlayment down to soften any noise. This has scratch and water resistance as well. If we have any chips (none so far) it’s very easy to cover it with the Mohawk markers. I guess I’d rather do touch ups versus a full sand and refinish of hardwood. I’m thinking that’s just a personal preference type of thing. This laminate is very different than any luxury vinyl, which vinyl was never a preference of ours. Hope this explains it!

Thanks Corrie, it feels so different now. We love it.

Thank you! Yes, a massive lesson learned for us.