Choose Engineered Hardwood Flooring for the Look of Real Wood without the Cost
Engineered hardwood flooring offers almost all of the traits of a natural wood floor, except for the one you're probably hoping to avoid: the price. Having an engineered wood floor installed can save you a considerable amount of money, and you'll still get everything that people love about real wood floors. Engineered hardwood floors are installed similarly, they look and feel the same, and can even be stained and sanded like the real thing. Perhaps most importantly, every plank of engineered hardwood has a unique grain pattern, as if it was cut from lumber in solid planks just like real hardwood.
So, what’s the secret to engineered flooring’s natural look? There's no secret—it actually is real wood. Engineered wood flooring is constructed with a thin top layer of real hardwood bonded to a core that’s made of either plywood or high-density fiberboard. The core allows for a lower production cost without sacrificing the warm aesthetic that makes people love wood floors.
An Engineered Hardwood Floor Increases Your Installation Options Compared to Solid Hardwood Flooring
The engineered wood core provides some additional benefits over solid wood plank flooring, besides just a lower price. Engineered hardwood floors are more resistant to moisture, making them a better choice in areas of the country with humid climates. And unlike solid wood, engineered wood flooring can also be installed over a concrete subfloor, making it suitable for below-grade applications.
The only real disadvantage to engineered wood flooring is that, because only the top layer is solid wood, it cannot be sanded and refinished as many times as solid wood. But most engineered wood products will still allow for at least one full refinishing cycle, and with proper care engineered floors should easily last 25 years or longer.
