Wood Floor Panels: Solid or Engineered?

Wood floor panels are a really popular interior choice for owners of small houses, big houses, new houses, old houses and apartments of all styles. A really versatile, hard-wearing and affordable flooring solution, wood isn’t just great to look at, it’s easy to maintain too. But one thing many people struggle with is the big choice between solid and engineered.

We’ve written about this before on the Wood and Beyond blog, but because it’s one of the biggest and most frequent questions we get asked, we’ve decided to explore the dilemma again. Each time we do this, we get feedback from clients saying that before reading our posts they had really misunderstood engineered wood flooring – so we’re delighted to be able to help and make a difference.

Solid wood floor panels

Solid wood flooring is the most traditional wood flooring. It’s what was fitted centuries ago in castles and stately homes and decades ago in new build homes. And solid wood was chosen for great reason: because it looks great, it’s easy to maintain and lasts (more than a lifetime) with the right care.

No matter whether you plump for oak, walnut or another wood of your choice, you know that when you choose solid wood flooring you’re getting a natural product at a great price that will look a million dollars. Solid wood is perfect for any room in your home where you neither have under floor heating nor expect temperatures and moisture levels to fluctuate considerably.

So, if you don’t have under floor heating, solid wood is a great solution for lounges, bedrooms, halls and dining rooms. But we’d advise you against installing it in the likes of bathrooms and kitchens. Why? It’s simple really. Because solid wood is a completely natural product, it expands and contracts when it comes in contact with significant moisture or is exposed to rapidly changing temperatures. While expansion and contraction isn’t an issue for wood when it’s in its natural environment, when it’s laid as a floor, it can cause unsightly and draughty gaps as well as the risk of cupping and bowing. All of these things will spoil the look of your floor, which is why we recommend that you choose an engineered solution for bathrooms, kitchens and rooms with under floor heating.

Engineered wood floor panels

Engineered wood flooring is, alongside laminated flooring, one of the most misunderstood flooring solutions. Often confused with laminate, engineered flooring is a really exciting development in wood flooring, but is only really appreciated by the people who fully understand it.

Made up of layers of ply that are bonded together, engineered wood flooring is topped off with a solid wood top layer. It’s this solid wood top layer that makes engineered wood flooring look so fantastic. With a range of species, grades, finishes, and thicknesses, this top layer makes engineered look just like solid wood at the same time as boasting all the benefits that this floor brings.

Engineered wood flooring is built in such a way that makes it stronger and more stable than solid wood. The layers and layers of ply that are bonded together make a really strong and stable core for each and every board. And it’s this strong and stable core board that means that engineered wood flooring doesn’t expand and contract to nearly the same extent as solid wood. The end result is that you can fit it over under floor heating as well as in kitchens and bathrooms without fear of damage caused by expansion and contraction.

Add the versatility of this floor to its great looks and you start to see why so many people plump for this option.

If you’re debating which way to go and could do with a helping hand, why not get in touch? At Wood and Beyond, the whole team is here for you – we’re here to help you make sure that the wooden floor you choose for your project is the right one for you.