Under the Contractor Umbrella

Has the time come to select the type of flooring to put into your home, and you're undecided between engineered and solid hardwood flooring? While these two materials look very similar, they are actually quite different. Here is what you'll want to know about these two wood flooring materials that you have to pick from.

Solid Hardwood Flooring

Solid wood is exactly what it sounds like, which is solid pieces of wood. You do not have several pieces of wood that are glued together, since what you see is what you get. This makes natural hardwood more likely to expand and contract due to the temperature and humidity in your home. You'll find that solid hardwood flooring often is made with thinner boards due to how the wood can change its shape.

Since solid hardwood is made of real wood throughout the entire board, you also have the option to refinish the flooring material multiple times. There is no risk of wearing through the top layer of hardwood and revealing a base material underneath. This allows solid hardwood flooring to potentially last forever without needing to be replaced.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered hardwood material has a thin layer of wood on a base material of plywood. The purpose of having engineered hardwood is to make the base more stable than regular hardwood. The crossed layers of plywood hold the wood material in place and make it less susceptible to shrinking and expanding over time. While all wood will shrink and expand, you will be less likely to see gaps or bowing in your floor as a result of having engineered hardwood flooring. 

The manufactured base layer of wood also allows engineered hardwood to have wider planks of wood. This can create a specific aesthetic that you are looking for, and a valid reason to choose engineered wood over solid wood. 

The top layer of wood material on engineered hardwood floors is going to be just as durable as solid hardwood flooring. The biggest difference is the thickness of the wood layers. Engineered hardwood flooring can be refinished, but not nearly as many times as solid hardwood due to the thickness of the top layer. There may come a time when you need to replace engineered hardwood flooring due to refinishing it multiple times. 

Still confused about which flooring material to put into your home? Reach out to a hardwood flooring contractor in your area for more information about these options. 

For more information, contact a hardwood flooring contractor near you.