Actually, the wood will last longer. If it gets scratched it can be refinished.

 

laminet will not outlast wood, you can re-finish wood at least 3 times and should last 50 plus years. A laminet will sound hallow on dogs nails and foot traffic. If your dogs have wet mouths, laminet is not water friendly.
I once left on vacation and my neighbor was taking care of my dog. She put a bucket of water for her on the laminet [she was a golden retriever] the floor buckled.
I am installing real oak in my kitchen for that reason.
Ps dog has sinse past away, and don't live in same home.

 

Laminate is only as good as the thin surface. I would look at hardwood for sure. Or better yet if you have pets? Quality, not box store or liquidator crap, bamboo. Comes in just about any color you can imagine and is harder than most hardwoods. Strand bamboo is used in industrial flooring. Great in kitchens. Installs like hardwood or you can get it as engineered flooring. Here is one company I have used often even though it is a bit pricery. There are others.

http://www.duro-design.com/index.cfm/bamboo-flooring/

 

If I were you I would seriously reconsider the wood or laminate in the kitchen. I have real oak in my kitchen and after a drinking water jug leaked overnight, there was some extensive damage. It buckled quite quickley and because its t/g and in the middle of the floor, it will be costly to repair. Kitchens are wet. Dishwashers and fridges leak.
Some tiles add a lot of class. Even though IMO laminate is cheesey, and real wood looks great, I'm very opposed to wood in the kitchen. Personally, I would take vinyl over hardwood in a kitchen anyday

 

I would not get laminate. I am ripping up the Pergo in my kitchen Friday and installing tile. Go for the real HW.

 

I put real wood in our kitchen but I went with a really hard exotic wood that won't have much of an issue if it gets a little wet.
It's actually much darker than the pics show.

 

 

Plain and simple, laminate is a temporary floor covering. Hardwood can last almost forever. The oak flooring in my house was installed 70 years ago. Even with that, neither is a good idea in bathrooms or kitchens.

 

I worked for flooring company for few years and from my experience I can tell you that wood floor looks amazing and bring the value up but I have bin to too many houses where the fridge or dishwasher leaked and the wood had to be replace. With laminate you can pop couple of them out and replace but with wood you gonna have to do more than just couple. Also the fact is when something does happen you have to have extra wood, not just couple planks. In so many cases customer wanna fix there floor but the product was discontinued. I personally love hardwood but I seen to much damage. Some of the laminate can look really realistics

 

You keep saying that you worked for a flooring company for a few years, what exactly did you do? I have been installing since 1973 and am curious. I tend to have a different opinion than you on most of your posts.

 

I did sales, not install. Not sure why u have dif advice. And just before you write me up, I did go to all my jobs I sold and was there with the installers.

 

I don't know what you mean "write you up". I'm just an old flooring installer trying to help DIYers with their projects. And I like to see them get good advice.

 

Well that's what I'm trying do. I'm really big fan of hardwood floor , I just seen to much damage with hardwood floors in kitchen

 

Neither is a good idea in a kitchen, but water will cause more damage to laminate than hardwood. A little water will swell the joints in laminate. A little water won't do any major damage to hardwood.

 

Except at my house.........a little water standing overnight= a lot of damage in the morning