Engineered vs. Solid

One of the most important decisions you'll make when choosing a hardwood floor is whether to go with solid hardwood or engineered wood flooring. Each has its own pros and cons. Here is what you need to know to help make your decision:

Solid Hardwood Flooring

Each plank of a solid hardwood floor consists of a single piece of wood. The primary advantage of a solid floor is that, without a wear layer, solid wood floors can be sanded and refinished several times over the life of the floor. We apply the finishing on a hardwood floor during installation, so the homeowner has more flexibility in matching the wood species with the finish according to taste.

If you are considering a solid hardwood floor, there are a few important factors to consider. First, installation is a time consuming process, and because it requires repeated sandings, it is also messy. While this is not an issue for new construction, if you're living in your home during the remodel, the installation of solid wood floors can be very disruptive. For stability, solid hardwood floors require the construction of a sub-floor, which means if we're installing the floor in an existing home, all the floorboards and door moldings will have to be raised or trimmed to accommodate the higher floor.

Engineered Hardwood Floors

While the composition of a solid hardwood floor involves single, solid planks of wood, engineered wood floorings feature a layered composite of wood, topped with a finished wear layer. A common misconception about engineered hardwood floors is that they are not real wood. Engineered hardwood floors are, in fact, real wood. The top layer, or the wear layer, is a high quality, finished layer of wood. Below it lie several support layers, often composed of the same species of wood, or in some cases, a species chosen for its structural stability.

Advantages of Engineered Wood over Solid Hardwood Floors

Easy Installation
Because engineered hardwood flooring is finished at the factory, installation takes a fraction of the time demanded by solid hardwood flooring. Installation requires no sanding, and because of the support provided by the composite structure, we have no need to install a sub-floor.

Longer Finish Warranty
When we finish a solid hardwood floor during installation, we can offer up to a 10 year warranty. When we install an engineered hardwood floor, we pass the factory warranty on to you. A factory warranty can extend for up to 25 years.

More Stable Over Time
Over its life, a solid wood floor can crack and buckle as foundations settle, shift, and crack. Because of the composite structure of a engineered wood floor, this warping and distortion is less likely to occur.

How Thick is Your Wear Layer?

A major factor in determining the quality (and price) of an engineered hardwood floor is the thickness of the wear layer. On the highest quality engineered hardwood flooring, the wear layer goes all the way to the tongue and groove, which extends the life of the floor by making it eligible for just as many sandings as a solid hardwood floor. Less expensive engineered hardwood floors feature a thinner wear layer. When installed, engineered hardwood floors with thin wear layers are just as beautiful as those with thick wear layers. The difference is that the thin wear layer means the floor may only be able to be sanded and refinished once or twice in its lifetime. When deciding how thick a wear layer you need, the question to ask is "How long do I need my hardwood floor to last?"