If you have your heart set on natural wood flooring, you’re generally faced with two options: solid wood or engineered wood flooring. While solid wood flooring, crafted from pure natural wood, proves unsuitable for a kitchen setting, engineered wood flooring makes a fine alternative. This is largely thanks to its semi-solid composition. But why is that the case?
What Is Engineered Wood Flooring?
Engineered wood floorboards consist of a real wood top layer with a varied thickness between 2mm to 6mm. Beneath this natural wood layer, you’ll find between 8 to 12 layers of MDF, Ply and Softwood, making up an overall thickness of 10mm to 20mm. This robust structure renders engineered wood flooring stable, even in wet, humid and damp conditions typical of a kitchen. Hence, it’s also often referred to as semi-solid wood flooring.
The topmost natural wood layer is available in a range of woods such as Oak, Walnut, Ash, Beech, and even exotic varieties. This diverse choice ensures you’ll find the perfect colour and shade to complement your kitchen décor. Furthermore, these floorboards are available in traditional plank styles, as well as more sophisticated herringbone and chevron patterns, thereby broadening your design options.
What If You Still Prefer Solid Wood Flooring?
Wood inherently reacts to environmental changes. In wet, damp, and humid conditions, it expands. Similarly, it expands in warm conditions and when exposed to direct heat. If you were to install solid wood flooring in your kitchen, over time you would notice bulging and lifting. Even when the wood eventually settles, some form of damage or distortion is inevitable. Unfortunately, there is no remedy for this issue; solid wood flooring is simply ill-suited for the kitchen environment.
Tips for Choosing Engineered Wood Flooring for the Kitchen
Pre-Finished vs Site-Finished: A finish provides a protective layer against wear and tear, spills, stains, and scratches. Some finishes also offer a certain level of resistance to moisture, a crucial feature in a room like a kitchen where the flooring may come into contact with water. Finishes are either factory-applied (pre-finished) or applied during installation (site-finished). Pre-finished options tend to be more durable, thanks to industrial-strength chemicals that aren’t available to the general public. Therefore, it’s advisable to opt for pre-finished engineered wood flooring.
Type of Finish: Oil and lacquered finishes are two popular choices for wood flooring in kitchens. Oil penetrates the wood and enhances its natural beauty, resulting in a more organic, matte appearance. Lacquer, however, offers a hard, protective surface that resists scratches, stains, and moisture. The latter is more suited for those prioritising durability and low maintenance.
Thickness of the Real Wood Layer: The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in any household and thus prone to considerable wear and tear. As mentioned earlier, the real wood layer on engineered wood flooring ranges from 2mm to 6mm in thickness. The thinner this layer, the quicker the floor will wear out. It’s therefore recommended to select engineered wood flooring with at least a 3mm real wood layer; 4mm would likely be ideal.
To Recap
Engineered wood flooring is a perfect choice for the kitchen, providing the natural aesthetic of wood along with the necessary durability. By heeding the tips mentioned above, you’re sure to find the ideal engineered wood flooring for your kitchen.
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FAQ
Why is engineered wood flooring better for kitchens than solid wood?
Engineered wood flooring is more suited for kitchens due to its semi-solid construction, which makes it stable in the varying environmental conditions commonly found in kitchens, such as dampness, humidity, and wetness.
What makes up the structure of engineered wood flooring?
Engineered wood flooring is composed of a top layer of real wood, varying in thickness from 2mm to 6mm, laid over 8 to 12 layers of materials like MDF, Ply, and Softwood. The total thickness usually ranges from 10mm to 20mm.
Can you customise the look of engineered wood flooring?
Yes, engineered wood flooring is highly customisable. The top layer can be made from a variety of woods including Oak, Walnut, Ash, and Beech, among others. These are also available in different styles such as traditional planks or more intricate herringbone and chevron patterns.
What type of finish is recommended for engineered wood flooring in a kitchen?
There are two primary finishes: oil and lacquer. Oil gives a natural, matte look but may be less durable. Lacquer provides a hard, protective surface that is more resistant to moisture, scratches, and stains. For kitchens, the lacquered finish is generally more advisable due to its durability.
What should be the minimum thickness of the real wood layer in a kitchen?
For a kitchen setting, which usually experiences high foot traffic and wear and tear, it’s recommended to go for an engineered wood floor with a real wood top layer of at least 3mm. A thickness of 4mm would be ideal.