Engineered wood flooring has many benefits over solid wood flooring, here are a number of reasons why.
Whether you have a small space that you’re trying to make fabulous or a large room that needs to feel warm and cozy, beautiful wood flooring is typically in the equation (or wish list).
Thanks to engineered wood flooring, your dream of real wood underfoot is more attainable (and affordable).
Engineered wood flooring is one of two types of hardwood flooring that is sold today, and it is growing in popularity for multiple reasons. Before getting into the details of why it’s a floor worth going after, let’s talk about the difference between solid wood flooring and engineered hardwood flooring.
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First, both are considered real wood floors. This may seem like a silly thing to point out, but there is sometimes a misconception that engineered wood is not real or not as good. A solid wood floor means that from top to bottom it is a full plank of a particular wood species.
These planks come in various thicknesses, lengths, and widths. As of recently, though, extra wide and extra long planks have seen a huge surge among buyers because it yields fewer seams between planks. Solid wood flooring planks are installed at or above ground and should not be installed over concrete slabs.
These two key pieces of info about installation are important because wood reacts to moisture. If exposed to excessive changes in moisture/humidity, a wood floor will experience one or all of the following issues:
- Gapping
- Cupping
- Buckling
On the flip side, engineered hardwood flooring is constructed in layers in order to create added stability to the planks and the finished floor. The bulk of the plank is made with thin layers of (typically) a fast-growth tree species, with each layer laid in a cross-ply orientation.
This means every layer is adhered to one another with the grain patterns in opposite directions. The final top layer is known as a wood veneer (also referred to as a “wear layer”), which is typically a slow-growth species such as an oak or acacia wood.
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Check out this selection of engineered hardwood flooring from GoHaus. All of their wood flooring (maple, oak, acacia, and exotic species) is constructed in this cross-ply manner. It is the construction that lends to why engineered wood has grown in popularity.
- The layered, cross-ply planks reduce the amount of contraction and expansion that happens when planks are faced with changes in humidity. This key word here is “reduce”; an engineered floor will still experience contraction and expansion, but less so than a solid floor.
- Because engineered planks are less prone to drastic expansion and contraction, you will be able to install planks below-grade (below ground level). So, that basement remodel you’ve had in mind can potentially use wood flooring.
- Generally speaking, methods of installation also increase. You can glue-down, nail-down, or float engineered planks, as they come in a tongue and groove construction.
- Engineered wood flooring is also a more sustainable way to use wood flooring, since it uses fast-growth trees for the core.
- Finally, engineered wood is sold at a better price point than solid wood flooring. What could be better than that?
If you’re in the market for wood flooring, don’t count engineered wood out of the equation. To learn more about engineered wood flooring, installation methods and more, visit gohaus.com.
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