What is the difference between solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring?
Choosing one for your project is both exciting and beneficial as there are so many beautiful and durable options for solid wood. Understanding the distinctions and similarities between the two types of hardwood flooring will help you decide which one is best for your home.
The constructed wood panels look like solid wood when placed on the floor. In fact, designer floors and hardwood floors look alike, but the behaviour is quite different. Simply put, engineered floors are stronger, but hardwood floors last longer.
1. Construction
Solid wood flooring: solid wood boards are cut from an individual, this makes it the simplest of all floors.
Engineered wood flooring: Several layers of wood are pressed together to create designer floors. The top layer is always solid wood veneer, just like regular wood floors. But beneath this top layer lies the core, which can be made of Engineered wood.
2. Humidity
Solid wood flooring: It dries up and shrinks in hot rooms, and in cold rooms, it can absorb moisture and swell. This means that greenhouses, basements and bathrooms cannot be covered with hard floors. With the exception of Junker floors, It is not recommended to use wood floors for underfloor heating.
Engineered wood flooring: All layers of Engineered wood flooring run in different directions, making the Engineered wood floor extremely stable and resistant to humidity changes.
3. Scratch
Solid wood flooring: Wood floors can be polished and finished several times if they have accumulated many scratches and dents over the years. That means they can last a lifetime, and that's why they have such a generous guarantee.
Engineered wood flooring: Most designer floors can not be polished and repaired if they have accumulated a lot of scratches and dents over the years. However, this process can often not be performed on solid ground.
4. Installation
Solid wood flooring: Solid wood floors work best in raised spaces such as living and dining rooms, kitchens and bedrooms.
Engineered wood flooring: The Engineered wood floor can be placed in the same room as solid wood, but its designed structure is also ideal for basements, radiant heat and concrete floors. Laminate flooring is a little thinner than most hardwoods, so Engineered hardwood floors should fit the height and bottom of the adjacent floors.
5. Durability
Solid wood flooring: Solid wood's longevity is mostly determined by the type of product, and the level of protective treatment applied. Choose a harder wood, such as oak or walnut, for better resistance to dents, and choose products with a longevity finish for better scratch resistance. In general, wood floors can remain durable for years, even after repeated sanding and finishing.
Engineered wood flooring: Usually, Engineered hardwood is not as many times as hardwood if the topcoat is thick enough, but it can be sanded and finished several times. Products with a long-lasting finish, such as solids, are more resistant to scratches. If you are concerned about humidity or temperature, e.g. in a basement installation, Choosing an Engineered wood floor over Solid wood is recommended.
6. Recovery
Solid wood flooring: Solid wood requires a higher price than Engineered wood flooring, but there are many varieties. A lifetime warranty, high levels of protective finish, special formulations or technical dyeing techniques can increase your overall cost.
Engineered wood flooring: Engineered wood flooring is usually inexpensive enough to fall into a separate group that resembles hardwood floors.
7. Method
Solid wood flooring: Oak, maple, and walnut are all solid wood options. These are the toughest and most resilient trees. You can find several methods to customise your space with a choice of widths up to 5 inches and a large range of colours and textures.
Engineered wood flooring: Engineered wood has many of the same design possibilities as solid wood. Additionally, designs that are only conceivable with plywood, such as softer exotic seeds, particular textures, specific finishes, colour effects, and extra broad panels, are available.
8. Construction
Solid wood flooring: Many homeowners consider Solid wood to be the "gold standard" for flooring. It is made of 100% solid wood and is known for its durability, reliability and timelessness. Solid wooden flooring is valued for its stability, color consistency and refined grains.
Engineered wood flooring: Engineered wood flooring is 100% natural wood at the top, wood at the bottom, and a very solid core in between. The core comprises 5-7 layers of plywood and is pressed to a cross shape. This reduces the potential for wood floors to shift, stretch or contract when exposed to changes in temperature and humidity.
Conclusion
Engineered wood flooring and solid wood flooring is differ from each other. Unfortunately, like with most things in life, some companies take corners by using lower-cost materials. Make sure you search for a reputable company that makes high quality engineered flooring with a guarantee and using sustainably sourced wood.
