Engineered Hardwood Flooring

These days a lot of people are deciding to go for engineered wood flooring rather than natural hardwood flooring. There are many reasons why engineered flooring is becoming so popular including:

  • Because engineered flooring is manmade, it can have a number of qualities that hardwood flooring just doesn’t have such as the fact that it can be more moisture resistant.

  • It tends to be less expensive than natural hardwood flooring because of the fact that the only place that hardwood is used is on the top layer. Engineered flooring looks as good as natural hardwood flooring but it is much cheaper because of the fact that the only piece of hardwood is one layer on the top.

When engineered flooring is constructed, cheaper wood is used to create the boards such as plywood or fibreboard. Each manufacturer may decide to use different numbers of layers but these days most of them use three. We have seen however, that some manufacturers are choosing to go for more than this because they will be creating a more durable product if they use five or even seven layers.

One of the disadvantages of natural wood flooring is the fact that it can expand and contract due to changes in temperature and this can sometimes cause buckling of the wood in extreme cases. This does not happen with engineered hardwood flooring and that makes it a better choice. It is more resistant to heat and water so it is the perfect choice for homes where natural hardwood flooring is not an option because of damp or radiant heating systems.

Another benefit of an engineered floor is that it can be installed without the need for nails or glue. It is installed in a similar way to a laminate floor and you must remember to place a moisture barrier between the flooring panels and the floor onto which you are installing it. It is quick and easy to install an engineered floor because the panels can be clicked into place and it is also easy to remove the planks if they get damaged.

The main benefit of engineered flooring is the fact that it looks just like natural hardwood flooring but is cheaper and easier to install. Another good thing about it is the fact that it uses less natural wood so is better for the environment. It will last for many years and like natural hardwood flooring, it can be sanded down and re-varnished if you wish. However if you are going to do this it would be wise to remember that you can only do it maybe once or twice before the top layer is destroyed and then the flooring will be ruined.