Engineered Flooring - Versatile!

When looking to invest in long-lasting and attractive flooring in areas where humidity is an issue, one of the things to look out for is a flooring material that is likely to respond to 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 flooring.

Engineered 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. 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.

Most types of engineered 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.

Engineered 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. Along with the functional benefits it offers, engineered hardwood floors are often less expensive than their solid hardwood counterparts, making them worth serious consideration on a budgetary level.

The Engineered Floors Advantage

Engineered flooring has all the attributes of solid hardwood flooring with such an advanced design that makes it unique and dependable. It is composed of several layers with a hardwood species in the top layer.

Engineered floor gives you a wide variety of options in color, cut, finish, and surface texture in areas where solid hardwood is not recommended. The core layer of engineered hardwood is made up of high-density or medium density fiberboard.
Engineered flooring features a multi-ply layer that allows for expansion and contraction as changes in temperature and moisture levels occur. This design fundamental prevents changes in the shape and form of the flooring – no cupping, or bowing of the boards.

Engineered flooring is considered to be the most suitable and recommended choice for interiors with uncontrolled environment, and also in below-grade installations like basement.

Engineered floors are also the best choice of flooring to be installed over radiant heating systems. While solid hardwoods are not recommended and installed on radiant heat due to their more sensitive features, engineered hardwood flooring becomes an undisputable choice.

Summary: The engineered flooring is a great choice for homeowners as it has several advantages over solid wood floors. 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.