Solid Or Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Now that you have decided to purchase wooden floors, you are faced with two alternatives of wood types. The first alternative is solid hardwood flooring and the second is engineered hardwood flooring which is based on a combination of wood and other materials. Both will look the same to the naked eye and therefore to decide which type of wood you require, you need to understand how they are build. Solid wood is made from one piece of hardwood timber such as oak without the use of other materials, while engineered wood is made from three layers of hardwood together with plywood or MDF and a top layer of hardwood veneer.

Solid Wood Vs. Engineered Hardwood Comparison:

Recommendation:

Due to their nature, solid hardwood floors are recommended for those who wish to change the colour of the floor from time to time through the recoating process, those who wish to rejuvenate the floor due to heavy foot traffic and for those who wish to give their property more stability as the solid wood is extremely strong. On the other hand, engineered hardwood floors are also very strong, easier to install, but also they have the added property of not reacting to heating or moisture making them an ideal choice for areas where solid floors might cause a problem, because they tend to shrink as well as expand. During the summer, the moisture will evaporate from the solid wood causing the flooring to contract which may result in deep gaps between every plank. During the winter, as humidity intensifies the flooring will expand and the spaces between planks disappears. Engineered wood due to its build process and use of specialized materials will look the same, be it summer or winter.

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