Engineered Hardwood Floors - Incredibly Important Facts You Should Know

Engineered hardwood floor is a type of hardwood floor in which multiple layers of planks are joined together with veneer. This is a popular type of hardwood floors that many people use. Here are 4 incredibly useful facts about this wood flooring that will give you better understanding of what it really is.


1. Engineered hardwoods are not that difficult to install. Homeowners can actually install them without the need to consult professionals at the site. The installation process can be carried out both on existing hardwood and imperfect sub floors. You can save your money learning how to install them yourself, but of course it's not that easy either.


2. Engineered hardwoods are manufactured to retain undulations in climatic conditions; hence, these wood floors provide you with more stability than other types of hardwood. Lots of the people who used them have similar things to say.


3. There is a great difference between engineered hardwood flooring and laminate floors. Engineered hardwood floors are made of hardwood veneer, which are glued together with a high-density fiberboard. Laminate floors do not have hardwood surface area.


4. Engineered hardwood floors are constructed with different species of hardwood trees from which you can access the one of your choice. I always encourage people to take the time in picking the one they like, not the one that's available.


So, if you have decided to install engineering hardwood in your home then this article would have provided you with some facts you need to know. More information about engineering hardwoods can be accessed from online reviews on hardwood flooring made online.

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Engineered Hardwood Flooring - Designed to Provide Great Flooring Stability

Have you ever wondered what engineered hardwood flooring is? It is flooring that is made up of a core of hardwood, plywood or HDF that has a top layer of hardwood veneer that is glued to the surface of the core. You can find engineered hardwood flooring in just about any species of hardwood. The end product has the natural characteristics of the hardwood you selected instead of just a photographic layer. This engineered product has been designed to provide the flooring with greater stability, especially in areas of moisture or heat that would pose a problem for conventional solid hardwood flooring.


The difference between a laminate flooring, solid hardwood flooring and engineered hardwood flooring is this: a laminate core floor is usually made of High Density Fiber or HDF. The top layer is a photographic layer that mimics the appearance of the product it is replicating. This can be wood, vinyl, or tile for example. This product is usually about 3/8 inch thick and has a tongue and groove locking system that doesn't use glue. This enables you to install and reinstall the flooring several times if you wish. A laminate is the least expensive of flooring options.


Solid hardwood is the natural wood species throughout the whole flooring. This too usually comes with a tongue and groove installation. A solid hardwood floor has good sanding and refinishing capabilities. It tends to be more expensive, and solid hardwood flooring has limitations to where it can be installed due to moisture or heat issues.


Engineered hardwood flooring usually has three or more core layers. The more layers you have, the greater the stability you can expect. The core layers of engineered hardwood flooring can be made of plywood, high density fiberboard or hardwood. The best part of engineered hardwood flooring is that is does not destroy the natural warmth and beauty of a traditional solid hardwood floor. The top layer is the same genuine hardwood you would have in solid hardwood flooring.


You can add the warmth and grace of more expensive solid hardwood flooring at a fraction of the cost when you decide to use engineered hardwood flooring. With all the money you save, you may want to think about remodeling the rest of your home.

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Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood Flooring adds an elegant touch to any space. The biggest things to consider when choosing your hardwood, though, are often overlooked. Many times, consumers will purchase their wood based solely on the color and thickness. The thickness of the wood can be very misleading.

It is often perceived that thicker wood means greater stability, and a more structurally sound product. In reality, a 3/8" engineered wood product can often be much more stable structural wise than a 3/4" solid product. The type of wood, and the type of construction can influence this.

For instance, if you have a 3/4" solid russian birch (which is one of the softest woods sold as flooring), the product will wear much, much faster than a 5-ply engineered 3/8" brazilian cherry wood.

For this reason, it is a much better rating system to view the wood's overall performance ability, which is evident through the warranty offered on the product. This can be much harder to judge when comparing cabin/tavern grade woods, as they often do not come with a warranty. In that particular situation, you can consider the warranties offered with the product's first quality counterpart.

Generally speaking, the longer the warranty, the better the structural ability of the wood. If it were likely to fail (show major signs of wear), then the manufacturer would be less willing to stand behind the product.

To this effect, engineered woods often come with a 25 year residential warranty, while many solid wood products carry only a 15 year. Also, most all commercially warranted hardwood flooring products are engineered. It is uncommon that you will find a solid wood floor that is recommended in a commercial application.

Going by these indicators, it can be seen that engineered wood is just as much structurally stable as solid wood, and should not be feared because it is not as thick.

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Engineered Hardwood Flooring: Reliable Floors to the Core

Many people quite rightly seek out solid hardwood flooring as the best means to add certain warmth, class, and an atmosphere of homey comfort to an interior. But, as many find out, hardwood flooring can have limitations in areas that are prone to climatic changes; when it is humid or damp, an unfortunate effect in hardwood is often the swelling or cupping of the hardwood flooring boards. When looking to invest in long-lasting and attractive flooring therefore, one of the things to look out for is a flooring material that is likely to respond to these sorts of environmental changes without losing any of its structural stability, or its attractiveness. A solution that many have discovered for versatility, attractiveness, and with a robust design noted for structural stability is engineered hardwood flooring. But what is engineered hardwood, and what makes it so resistant to the climatic forces which usually spell doom for solid hardwood flooring?

Engineered Hardwood Flooring: Anatomy Lesson

Engineered hardwood flooring is made up of two main elements: the top layer and the core. The core is made up of stacked layers of medium or high-density fiberboard, or sometimes plywood, which most often range from 3 ply to 7 ply construction. This stacking design acts as a means to allow the flooring to counteract the effects of humidity on the natural wood, allowing each board to expand and contract without warping or cupping. As you may guess, this makes for a hardwood floor that is suitable for an installation in an area that is not environmentally controlled, or that is characterized by higher levels of dampness or humidity, such as a basement installation. The top layer of engineered hardwood floors is a species of real wood. In this sense, engineered floors are as "genuine" as any hardwood floor, with real wood that lends a space a decorative dimension that most people interested in hardwood are looking for. So, with engineered hardwood flooring, you get the functionality and toughness that the core allows, as well as the refined beauty of the real hardwood top layer that is indistinguishable to the eye from solid hardwood.

Installing Engineered Hardwood Floors

An advantage that engineered flooring has over many flooring options is that you can install it in any room, either above or below ground. It is also generally designed to be installed quickly and easily. This is advantageous not only for the do-it-yourselfer, but also to the hardwood flooring contractor who may offer engineered hardwood as a means of moving from one flooring contract to another quickly, but without sacrificing quality. With many engineered hardwood flooring lines, there is no need for nailing the boards down to the subfloor. This has a couple of implications. First, that a concrete slab subfloor is a suitable substrate on which to install engineered hardwood, unlike solid hardwood. Second, that many engineered hardwood flooring lines can either be floated, as you would a laminate floor, or glued down. As long as you subfloor is clean, level and dry, engineered hardwood flooring is a versatile option that can yield successful results without the need to consider whether or not a subfloor is suitable for a nail-down installation.

In the case of a floating floor, remember to use a reliable vapor barrier between the subfloor and your flooring. The adhesives used in a glue-down option often add the advantage of acting as a built-in vapor barrier. Ask the professionals about the details on your chosen line of engineered hardwood flooring.

Locking Systems For Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Most types of engineered hardwood feature a tongue and groove locking system. These are designed for a level of precision that makes for a refined flooring surface that is free of unsightly gaps between the boards. Once again, versatility and practicality are the distinguishing features of engineered hardwood flooring. Often, these types of locking systems allow you to take up the boards at a later date when necessary, if you've chosen a floating floor option. So, you can take your floor with you when you're moving house, or allow you to more easily replace any damaged boards. When making a purchase, it is a good idea to ask whether your chosen line of engineered hardwood flooring allows for this feature.

Radiant Heat and the Engineered Hardwood Floor

Radiant heat is a welcome feature to many households and commercial interiors. But, when choosing a flooring option, it is important to note the impact that radiant heating may have in the short term as well as the long term. For solid hardwood, radiant heat can have a significantly negative effect; the radiant heating can severely dry out the hardwood, which in turn causes the boards to warp and cup as they would if they were exposed to excessive moisture. Luckily, engineered hardwood has been designed to counteract this tendency, just as it has in the case of humidity and dampness in a below-grade or non-environmentally controlled interior. Once again, the core of the engineered floor expands and contracts accordingly, while preserving the structural stability of the board and the attractiveness of the top layer.

Freedom with Engineered Hardwood Flooring!

With engineered floors, you are free to consider the possibilities of using hardwood in areas that would mean disaster for a solid hardwood floor. Engineered hardwood floors allow you all of the beauty and organic feel, as well as a greater range of options as far as the location of your installation. With the dual features of an attractive top layer that is a real hardwood species, and a core which is designed to shift and move with climatic changes, engineered hardwood flooring is perfect for a basement installation, or an installation in a summer home or cottage that is not environmentally controlled all year round. Along with these functional benefits, engineered hardwood floors are often less expensive than their solid hardwood counterparts, making them worth serious consideration on a budgetary level. With all of its features that allow these advantages, engineered hardwood truly stands as being in a class by itself.

Here is a list of things to consider when purchasing, installing and maintaining your engineered hardwood floor:

Do:
# Consider the area where you will be installing your engineered hardwood floor in terms of moisture levels and foot traffic - use this to help you to choose the species of flooring that is right for what you have in mind
# Allow for a certain level of wastage per square foot when placing an order, depending on your level of expertise. You are the best judge of how much this will be, but a good range in general is 7-10% for non-professional installers
# Read all installation instructions and warranty information very carefully
# Consult any information about your radiant heating system in order to learn the best practice when using it under an engineered hardwood floor
# Inspect your batch of engineered hardwood flooring for any defects before you begin an installation
# Make sure that your subfloor is clean, dry and level before you install your engineered flooring
# Clean your engineered hardwood floors frequently, seeing to spills immediately using DRY or DAMP mops, vacuums, and cloths
# Use rugs and runners to protect high traffic areas and access points to the outdoors. This will minimize the amount of dirt and grit that can negatively effect the finish of your engineered hardwood flooring

Don't:
# Use wax-based cleaners, harsh detergents, abrasives, or steel wool to clean engineered hardwood flooring
# Apply finish to an engineered hardwood floor that has already been finished at the factory
# Overwet engineered hardwood when cleaning - excessive moisture can still have a negative effect on your flooring, just as it would with solid hardwood
# Wear spike-heels or athletic spikes on your engineered hardwood floors

This is of course by no means a comprehensive list. When making a purchase or caring for an existing floor, it can be a great benefit to consult with the experts. Local flooring contractors and sales experts in the industry are two great sources of information when you are seeking to make an informed purchase or when organizing a cleaning regimen. It is always a good idea to talk with the professionals and use their years of experience in flooring to your advantage.

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Engineered Hardwood Flooring - Differences You Must Be Aware of

Engineered hardwood flooring is a common type of wood floor seen on the market today. If you are a first time shopper for hardwood flooring, an engineered wood may be something you haven't seen yet or aren't aware of the differences between it and solid wood floors. You may also think that all engineered hardwood floors are created equal. The differences between engineered and solid can affect installation, value, and cost. You will also see after taking a closer look that there can be significant differences between the available engineered hardwood flooring offerings in the industry.

So what are the differences between engineered and solid hardwood floors?

1. The main difference is the construction of the boards. A solid hardwood board is made as a solid piece from a single cut of a specific wood species. An engineered hardwood flooring product is made of multiple layers of wood. The top layer is the actual species of wood that you see. This top layer, or veneer, as it is called, is available in almost any species imaginable. Oak, Brazilian Cherry, Maple, and Walnut are some of the more popular selections you will find that are offered. The other layers beneath the veneer are usually plywood based or other solid wood material. These layers are formed on top of one another in a perpendicular pattern. This type of construction gives the floor a very stable design and also gives added strength against expansion caused by moisture and humidity.

2. The structure difference between solid and engineered affects how the product is installed. Solid floors are usually nail down only. Engineered hardwood flooring is offered in a multitude of installation methods. You will find engineered wood products as glue down, floating floor (no glue or nails), and even an occasional nail down. Engineered can be installed over a concrete sub floor as well, which makes it a perfect option for dry basements.

3. One drawback to engineered hardwood versus solid is the refinishing capability. Solid floors can be refinished many times over the life of the product, whereas most engineered woods can be refinished only once or twice.

4. Engineered will usually cost less than a solid hardwood flooring product. Since the top layer is the only layer with the true wood species, the material cost is less, therefore the end product to you the consumer is less. Engineered hardwood doesn't add the long term value to a home that solid does but the lower upfront price gives shoppers a nice alternative for tight budgets.

When comparing engineered hardwood flooring you need to consider a few things.

1. Look at the cross section of the board design. If the layers are all solid wood, it is probably a good, solid designed product. If some of the layers look like a brown, recycled paper material, or fiberboard you will want to stay away from these products. Engineered hardwood flooring is supposed to provide a solid, structurally sound floor. These fiberboard layers do not give you the quality structure that solid wood layers provide. The large home improvement stores are the main culprits who sell this type of inferior product. Just be on the lookout for board designs that have inferior layers.

2. The number of layers will sometimes differ between engineered hardwood flooring designs. A 5 layer product is a good choice. You may run across 3 layer designs as well. The 3 layer versions are acceptable, but 5 layers are better. The added layers give extra stability to the wood which is extremely important if you are installing the floor where there could be moisture or humidity concerns.

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