Did you know that we’ve been using wood in our homes for more than 10,000 years?
Even today, hardwood floors are one of the most desirable forms of flooring.
Hardwood floors have a number of issues, however. The good news is that there is a perfect alternative: engineered hardwood flooring.
Read on as we look at the many advantages of engineered hardwood flooring.
What Is Engineered Hardwood Flooring?
Engineered hardwood flooring is made by using a piece of solid hardwood as a top layer to an engineered base.
The base can be made in different ways; the most common option is a multi-ply base made of thin strips of wood with wood grain’s running perpendicular to each other to create a more stable core. This gives a look and feel that is identical to traditional hardwood floors.
What Are the Benefits?
There are multiple benefits to choosing an engineered hardwood floor. Below are just some of them.
Hard Wearing
Engineered hardwood floors are very hard-wearing.
They have a tough hardwood top layer, but the engineered base also makes them very tough and able to stand up to heavy footfall.
The cross-grain multi-layering cores make engineered hardwood much more water and moisture-resistant than solid hardwood as well. These features make engineered hardwood flooring a good investment.
Huge Choice
Since engineered flooring adds a top layer of solid hardwood to the engineered base, it means you can get almost any option you want.
Engineered hardwood offers the ability to manufacture wider planks due to the cross-grain core. Solid hardwoods can warp and bend due to climate change much easier as the plank gets wider and wider. That’s why you don’t see too many 7″ wide plank solid hardwood, but you can easily find a 7″ wide engineered plank.
With such a wide range of choices, you can find the perfect flooring for your home without having to compromise on quality.
Easy To Install
Since the engineered base offers more stability than traditional hardwood flooring, it means that it is usually suitable for click installation.
That makes installing an engineered hardwood floor a breeze; in fact, some people choose to install their engineered hardwood floors themselves.
Less Expansion and Contraction
One downside of hardwood floors is that they are prone to expansion and contraction.
When there are high levels of moisture or temperature fluctuation in your home, traditional hardwood floors can expand and contract, which can lead to warping or cupping.
Engineered hardwood flooring is much more resistant to moisture and temperature changes, making it one of the best flooring options for rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms where high levels of moisture are likely to be found.
More Environmentally Friendly
Engineered hardwood flooring uses a lot less solid timber than traditional hardwood floors do since only the top layer is made from solid hardwood.
This means that engineered hardwood flooring is a more environmentally friendly option. Since it uses less solid timber, that means that engineered hardwood flooring is much more sustainable in the long term.
Looks Like The Real Thing
The top layer of an engineered wood floor is the only part that you see once it’s installed, so it’s very hard to tell an engineered hardwood floor and a traditional solid hardwood floor apart.
The finished look is stunning; you get the beautiful aesthetic of real hardwood with all the additional benefits that an engineered hardwood floor can offer.
Can Be Resanded
Engineered flooring is inexpensive and can look pretty good, but it has one major issue.
If you damage engineered flooring, there’s nothing you can do other than live with the damage or rip it up and start again. The good news is that with engineered hardwood flooring if you do pick up any minor damage, you can deal with it fairly easily.
Since the top layer of your engineered hardwood floor is made from solid hardwood, you can sand it down. That means any scuffs or scrapes can be sanded out, leaving your flooring looking as good as new.
Once it’s sanded, you can also refinish it. That means you can even change the look of your engineered hardwood floor if you need to make changes to the aesthetic of the room further down the road. It makes engineered hardwood flooring one of the most versatile options out there. However, we don’t recommend you try to resand engineered hardwood more than once.
Works With Underfloor Heating
Underfloor heating is one of life’s great luxuries. There’s nothing quite like walking barefoot over a floor that has been warmed to the perfect temperature.
Whilst it is possible to install underfloor heating under traditional hardwood flooring, we advise against it. Firstly, the thick wood isn’t ideal for transmitting heat meaning your heating needs to work harder for you to feel the benefit.
In addition, as we’ve already learned, changes in temperature can cause hardwood flooring to expand and contract, which can lead to serious issues.
Engineered hardwood floor is both resistant to expansion and contraction, and better able to transmit heat, so is the perfect choice if you’re thinking about installing underfloor heating.
Cheaper
One of the biggest benefits of engineered hardwood flooring is the price.
Solid hardwood floors are one of the most expensive flooring options out there. Since engineered hardwood floors use less solid hardwood and are therefore cheaper to produce, it means that an engineered hardwood floor works out significantly cheaper than a solid hardwood equivalent.
Not only do you get the beautiful look of a hardwood floor, with all the additional benefits listed above, but you also save money too.
Are You Looking for Engineered Hardwood Flooring for Your Home?
If you’re looking for engineered hardwood flooring for your home, then you’re in the right place. Do you think we are blowing smoke up your behind to sell you more engineered hardwood? If so, read our blog post about the 10 disadvantages of engineered hardwood flooring.
We have a wide range of engineered hardwood flooring options at discount prices. We’ve been providing outstanding flooring products for more than 45 years. With everything from hardwood to luxury vinyl plank, we’re sure you’ll find what you need at a great price.
Check out our range of flooring options today.
