If you’ve been waiting to replace your old carpet or linoleum because of last century’s boring hardwood flooring choices, look again. Engineered flooring can be the best choice. This type of flooring involves a real exterior of hardwood planks, with a base of manmade materials that are designed to be strong and durable, and resistant to water and moisture.
For this reason, they can be suitable for installation in the bathroom or kitchen, where yesteryear’s old laminate flooring was not suitable for moisture-prone regions of the home.
What is an Engineered Wood Floor?
A real hardwood plank is about 3/4 of an inch thick. With an engineered hardwood plank, it’s composed of about three different layers. The top layer is solid hardwood veneer, with a core and a base of either hardwood or plywood.
An engineered wood floor doesn’t differ in looks to most of the other types of hardwood plank flooring. They are easier to install and can be less expensive than hardwood because they aren’t hardwood all the way through. You can even install an engineered wood floor in the basement of your home, where it’s traditionally been not recommended, due to higher moisture and condensation.
But there are many different styles and types of engineered flooring. It’s important to understand the differences so you can make an informed choice for every room in your home.
What Engineered Wood Floor Materials Are Available?
There are as many color choices in engineered wood flooring as there are in solid hardwood flooring. You can buy grey, red, light brown to dark brown, and amber, and brown-black colors. You also have a wide range of wood choices: oak, cherry, hickory, maple, red oak, walnut, birch, acacia, and more.
What Other Installation Options Are There?
Besides choosing color and wood type, you can also choose the width and length of your flooring. There are also other choices to be made. There may be edging between boards that is beveled or smooth. You can also choose the thickness of the boards. This may be an issue if you already have baseboards installed in your home that you don’t wish to remove. The right thickness of board will slip neatly under the baseboards, simplifying the installation process.
Gloss or matte finish is another option. Do you want your flooring to look shiny, or have a matte finish? There may also be texture options to choose. Keep in mind that a nicely textured floor may hide some wear-and-tear for a longer length of time on higher traffic areas in your hallways, but it will be trickier to sand it and re-varnish in the future.
Many homeowners are opting for engineered wood floors for every room in their home. Not only are they attractive, but they can be a lot simpler to install than hardwood flooring that must be glued or nailed down. Engineered wood floors are also a lot easier to repair, as individual boards can be replaced, making it one of the best choices for homes with busy families.