Engineered wood flooring has been one of the more remarkable innovations to
hit the market in flooring. Engineered wood flooring is not made from solid
hardwood but may be your best substitute to
solid hardwood floor. It consists of
several layers, with only the top layer being the actual hardwood that gives it
a beautiful appearance. The layers below are explicitly designed to give you the
greatest protection and the most functional flooring for just about any room of
the house.
Engineered wood flooring has many advantages over solid hardwood that
make it very appealing. For one thing, engineered wood flooring is not as
expensive as solid hardwood flooring. Engineered is actually produced with three
to five layers of wood with the top layer being the genuine hardwood. Each layer
is stacked in a cross-grain configuration and bonded together under heat and
pressure in a factory setting. As a result, engineered wood flooring is less
prone to be affected by changes in humidity and can be installed on all levels
of the home. The other layers of the engineered wood flooring are usually
plywood or high density fiberboard. Engineered wood floors will not
contract or expand with changes in temperature and humidity as solid hardwood
does.
Engineered wood flooring can be installed over just about any type of
existing floor and is very adaptable to a number of diverse applications. For
example, an engineered wood floor can be installed on a concrete sub-floor and
below grade, either as a floating floor or a direct glue-down. Engineered
wood flooring is also an exceptional choice for geographical locations with
higher moisture and humidity levels. Nevertheless, engineered wood does
not perform well in rooms of the home where there is an abundance of moisture
and humidity, such as in mudrooms and bathrooms. Engineered plank flooring can
also be installed over a radiant heat source. Veteran installers vigorously
discouraged radiant heating when using solid hardwood, but it is not a problem
under engineered plank floors.
One of the foremost reasons that many homeowners choose engineered plank
flooring is its incredible price. You have the same texture and look of
hardwood, but it seems as if you are getting the hardwood at a bargain price.
Engineered plank floors are easy to install, do-it-yourself flooring option with
the instructions clearly printed inside each carton. Even so, you do have to
make sure that the sub-floor is clean of dirt and dust before you begin so that
any small pieces of debris won’t work their way up through the flooring.
Engineered plank flooring comes in various types of wood, finishes and stains.
You can also choose unfinished or pre-finished hardwood, but if you are looking
for an trouble-free project, then it is best to go with pre-finished. This way
after you have the engineered wood floor installed, you don’t have to hassle
applying any finish or stain. You can just sit back and take pleasure in
your engineered wood flooring.