Benefits of Engineered over Solid Hardwood Flooring

When it comes to hardwood floors, there are two manufacturing types: solid hardwood and engineered hardwood. Your home décor, climate and lifestyle play an important role in determining which of these hardwood floor types are best for you.

• Solid Wood Floors are classic all-wood floors, popular for centuries and suitable for all-manner of modern above-grade (dry area) uses.
• Engineered Wood Floors are made from multiple layers of wood, pressed and glued together for durability. Engineered floors are suitable for dry, above-grade areas such as a living room and damp, or below-grade uses such as a bathroom.

• Strength
  
  Engineered flooring is basically a ‘sandwich’ of finish wood and plywood. The finish wood is what you see and walk on. The plywood underneath comprises 80-90% of the floor. But it's the plywood that distinguishes engineered wood flooring from solid hardwood. Each ply runs perpendicular to its adjacent ply, giving dimensional strength to the ‘sandwich’. This means that engineered wood flooring stands up well to areas with light moisture—like basements and bathrooms.

• Easy Installation
  
  Another great thing about engineered wood is the range of installation options. The thinner varieties can be nailed down; the thicker kind can be installed as floating floors. Floating floors are the great boon to do-it-yourselfers--no heavy staplers to lug around, no sub-floor. As long as your existing floor is level and stable, you can install the floating floor right on top. You don’t need to adjust doorways or raise base-boards.

• Quick Installation.
  
  The top finish layer is pre-finished, which means that it's already sanded and sealed. As soon as the floor has been laid, you can walk on it. By contrast, unfinished solid hardwood must be sealed, and this requires waiting time before use. While solid floors need 2-3 weeks for installation, engineered floors need only 2-3 days!

• Areas With Light Moisture.
  
  Engineered wood flooring works well in kitchens, basements, and bathrooms where light moisture might be present. No wood flooring product is great for very wet areas (tile, concrete, vinyl, or any other non-organic product is best); but relative to other wood flooring products, engineered wood isn't bad.

• Value for Money.