If you are a prospective home owner it's important to recognise the difference between laminate and real wood flooring, especially if the current home owner is claiming their "real wood flooring" as a premium upgrade.  It is possible to tell the difference between the two by sight only although the differences may not be truly obvious upon first glance.  In recent years we have seen numerous laminate floors being developed which look completely like real wood flooring and in cases like this you may have to look more clearly.  So how can you distinguish between the two?

1. Firstly you should examine the floor's grain pattern.  As laminate flooring is basically a photograph of real wood if you examine it closely you will see repetitive patterns that won't be seen in real wood flooring.  This is easiest to tell if you can find a knot - if you see the knot identical elsewhere on the floor, you can be sure that the flooring is laminate and not real wood.
2. After examining the grain pattern you should inspect the flooring for scratch marks.  Laminate flooring is much more durable than real wood so if you do see any dents or scratches you are likely looking at real wood.  This is one of the reasons why many home owners with pets or children prefer to have laminate flooring in their house rather than real wood.
3. The next step is to touch the floor.  Real wood flooring has a specific texture whereas laminate will be smooth to the touch.  Additionally real wood is much harder than laminate so try knocking on the wood as well.  Laminate wood flooring won't sound as solid as the real deal.
4. If you are still not entirely sure, try finding the end of the floor board.  If you find a cooling or heating vent in the floor, try removing the cover and inspecting the boards surrounding it.  If laminate flooring is installed you will clearly be able to see numerous types of material sandwiched together whereas real wood flooring will be completely solid.

When buying a home for the first time it is vital to ensure that the flooring you have been told is real wood is exactly what it is.  Many people are now installing real wood flooring due to them being able to substantially increase the asking price on a home.  But it is always a good idea to make sure.