Laminate vs. Solid Tongue & Groove Beadboard

Price

• Solid tongue and groove beadboard will generally be more expensive than its laminate equivalent. As with flooring, you can buy laminate beadboards that have a layer of real wood engineered onto their surface to provide a more natural look and feel. You should look to match the material your beadboard is made from to the floor surrounding it. Laminate beadboard fitted alongside real wood flooring would not be a good look.

Wear

• A laminate beadboard will be more resistant to knocks and scuffs than solid wood. Real wood is considerably softer than laminate, despite it often being referred to as hardwood. If you have young children or are planning to fit your beadboard in an area where it's likely to get knocked, you may want to consider laminate if you're not a fan of a more weathered look.

Installation

• Real wood panels with a tongue and groove system make the fitting process easier. The interlocking sections of their boards allow you to align them with accuracy and speed. The tongue and groove system also offers extra strength to your beadboard paneling. This means individual boards will be less likely to separate from your wall over time. The manufacturers of some real wood beadboards recommend that you nail their boards to your wall. Others, however, suggest glue.

Finish

• Although a real wood beadboard will damage more easily than a laminate panel, you can resurface a hardwood finish. As well giving you the opportunity to remove any imperfections, this also allows you to change the color or stain of your beadboard should you wish to do so. You're stuck with the finish you chose with laminate paneling.