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Engineered Wood Flooring – Benefits Over Hardwood Flooring

June 6th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

Engineered wood flooring is a product that is made up of a core of hardwood, plywood or HDF and a top layer of hardwood veneer that is glued on the top surface of the core and which is available in almost any hardwood species. This is why engineered wood flooring has the natural characteristics of the selected wood species and so it looks almost identical to the real thing but is less expensive.

In addition to the top layer of hardwood veneer that is on engineered wood flooring, it typically has another three or more core layers as well that give it much greater stability. The core layers may be plywood, high density fiberboard, or hardwood.

Engineered wood flooring is made to be easier to use and install than traditional flooring of one wood. It can come as planks or strip flooring. It can be installed by gluing to a subfloor or by stapling. It can also be installed as a floating floor under underlay to absorb noise and give when stepped on.

If you purchase pre-finished flooring then you do not have to treat the top veneer and it is ready to use as soon as it is installed. As it is made of different layers of wood it does not expand and contract like traditional wood flooring. This is useful in damp rooms like the basement and even the bathroom to a limited extent.

It will never be as long lasting as a traditional hardwood flooring but it can be sanded down and recovered if there are marks or stains on the flooring. This depends on the thickness of the top veneer. Obviously, the thicker the veneer the more expensive the flooring will be. The veneer will give your room the same look as a hardwood flooring using the same species of wood.

There are a myriad of choices for the top veneer, some of which are : Brazilian Cherry, Mesquite, Santos Mahogany, Merbau, Jarrah, Purple Heart, Hickory/Pecan, African Padauk, Wenge, Hard Maple, Australian Cypress, White Oak, Ash, American Beech, Red Oak, Heart Pink, Yellow Birch, Black Walnut, Teak, Black Cherry, Southern Yellow Pine, and Douglas Fir. When selecting a material you probably want to see the finish that it delivers to a room. Looking in showrooms is a good place to start.

Engineered wood flooring is a cheaper alternative to hardwood flooring. It is designed for the home improvement enthusiast and can be installed with limited experience. Although it is not as durable as hardwood, it is more versatile and can be used in more rooms than the traditional hardwood flooring.