As you enter the world of hardwood flooring you have many options. Engineered flooring is one of them. What is engineered flooring? Engineered hardwood flooring is composed of a hardwood “wear layer”, from 1/16″ to 3/16″ thick, laminated or glued to plywood. The plywood backing is assembled in a crossing pattern, usually of 3 or 5 plys. Then there is a thin layer of hardwood, which normally comes from waste material, or reclaimed wood. This is the catch, the thin layer on top is normally only 1/8″ which does not give you much wood on the surface to sand or refinish. Solid wood floors have an expected lifetime of approximately 100-120 years, as to where engineered flooring only about 5-10 years “IF” you get a good product than can be refinished more than once. With engineered flooring you take the risk of the wood delaminating from moisture, or from certain cleaning products you may use. Looks can be “deceiving” when looking through engineered products; they give you the look of solid hardwood but not the durability!
Labels, brand names and colors are often discontinued or changed in engineered flooring, leaving you in a dilemma if you ever have to replace for damage, or an addition to the room. Solid hardwood can be re-sanded and refinished several times to remove dents or deep scratches if needed, which makes it much more durable to the daily wear and tear of our family and our playful pets. With engineered wood flooring, you will have to live with some of those deep dents or scratches that come from everyday living. It is also easily found in the wood industry. ãEUREURMother Nature shows her magic with vibrate colors ranges in solid wood that we could never match with engineered flooring products.
Moisture issues are another factor you must consider on your flooring choice. Engineered products are made from laminating thin stock together, and you take a chance on it delaminating with moisture issues. This will make your flooring move apart, swell, and eventually have to be replaced. Laminated flooring is not good for bathrooms, kitchens or places with a lot of water for that reason.
Working with engineered flooring on the milling side of things is very hard to get perfection. The wood is very thin, making it harder to get the edges straight. They may be ridged, too making it hard to install and it can be uneven. Also something to think about is nearly every floor endures some separation between boards. If water gets down into the wood, it can cause it to cup, or rise off the floor or it can stain very easily from spills. If you can, train your family and friends to remove their shoes when they enter your home, then that would be ideal flooring option, but in reality that is not a logical choice. What is a good alternative to engineered flooring? Recycled hardwood flooring made of solid strips of lumber can be installed over concrete and resists the pressures from moisture. Like solid wood flooring, these products can be sanded and refinished for an even longer lifespan. There’s also cork flooring which offers a softer surface, but can wear faster overtime. Cork is a renewable material so it’s still a promising alternative. What’s the lesson here? Always do your homework. Before you shop around, gather your “pros and cons” to what will suit your flooring needs. Do not go by looks alone, see where your floor will take you in the future. You’ll be glad you took the time.
Discover more about recycled hardwood flooring and other engineered flooring alternatives.