Benefits of Engineered Hardwood Floors

We know how stressful it can be to choose a floor for your home, the material, look, design, etc. The options appear to be endless, but the durability and quality of a product in the end is what we value more.

Therefore, let's concentrate on the best options in the market regarding hardwood flooring which are engineered hardwood floors or solid wood floors. First of all, both are great products but as anything their quality and price range is quite broad, let's explore the features and characteristics of these products.

One of the main differences between solid floors and engineering hardwood floors is that solid woods are 100 % the wood of your choice such as; red oak, maple, etc, whereas, engineering woods are made of several thin layers of plywood compressed and glued with a top layer of maple, red oak etc. This top layer of wood is known as the wearable layer and it can go from 1/2 mm to 6mm in thickness to 3 inches up to 20 inches wide to 10 feet long.

Moreover, it is important to think about the life of your floor, solid woods have no issues there because you can sand and refinish several times, in contrast, the engendered hardwood floor must be at least 5mm think on the top layer to be able to get sanded and refinished at least once. If your floor top layer is less than 5mm is known as thrown away floors.

The average floor needs to be refinished every 10 years it all depends on the traffic and treatment of that floor, but if you have a solid or 6mm engendered floor you can have a lifetime-long floor.

Herringbone Design

Design:

The second highlight in choosing your floor that comes to mind is the design. If you desire wide-long and stable slaps your best bet is going to be engendered hardwood floors because you have more variety in size as well as more stability due to the multiple plywood underneath layers. In contrast, the solid wood tent is smaller due to the natural bending of the wood, which isn't bad, but it can be a bit more challenging to install and you will have fewer size options to choose from.

In terms of color, wood pattern, or wood types both floors can be pre-finished or unfinished. Pre-finished is when you get the floor with the color and shine from the manufacturer already and could be limited in styles and design. In contrast, the unfinished floors will allow you to match your existing home design to the teeth as you can play with the stains and shine until you're fully satisfied with the results.

Price:

The last factor we need to consider before choosing our floors is the affordability and durability of the product. It is important to choose the best options within our budget, a good quality floor will last longer and our initial investment will be worth it.

Since the price of these products is wide It will depend on the budget of each person and the desired design and look. We recommend engineered

hardwood floors to be at least 6mm thick for durability purposes as you will be able to sand and refinish at least 2 times.

These floors in the average tent are 20% higher in price than the solid woods due to the multiple plywood underneath layers it is more labor-intensive to cut and glue all those layers in one piece, but is up to you to decide which wood will look better in your home.