Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered Hardwood Flooring Guide

Elevating Spaces with Engineered Wood Flooring: A Guide for Architects, Designers, and Contractors

In the realm of modern architecture and interior design, engineered wood flooring stands as a testament to both aesthetic versatility and sustainability. This flooring option has increasingly become a favorite among architects, designers, and building contractors, thanks to its ability to blend seamlessly into various design themes while offering environmental benefits.

Understanding Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered flooring is a composite product that typically consists of a thin layer of hardwood bonded over a high-quality plywood substrate. This construction method enhances stability, reducing the wood's natural tendency to expand and contract with changes in humidity and temperature.

Types of Engineered Wood Flooring

  • Oak Engineered Flooring: Known for its durability and classic grain patterns, oak is a go-to for traditional and contemporary spaces. Its color variations range from light to rich dark hues, accommodating diverse design palettes.
  • Maple Engineered Flooring: Maple's fine, uniform grain makes it ideal for modern, minimalist interiors. Its hardness ensures longevity in high-traffic areas, while its light natural color brightens spaces.
  • Hickory Engineered Flooring: Hickory offers pronounced grain patterns and robustness, making it suitable for rustic or country-style themes. Its hardness is an asset in areas subject to heavy use.
  • Walnut Engineered Flooring: Walnut stands out for its rich, deep color and smooth grain. It's a luxurious choice for formal areas or where a touch of elegance is desired.
  • Bamboo Engineered Flooring: Though technically a grass, bamboo engineered flooring is lauded for its eco-friendly profile and unique, linear grain pattern. It’s a fitting choice for contemporary, eco-conscious designs.

Engineered vs. Solid Wood Flooring

Unlike solid wood flooring, which is milled from a single piece of timber, engineered wood is constructed in layers. This layering provides engineered wood with greater stability, reducing the risk of warping or bowing in fluctuating climates. Solid wood, while offering unparalleled authenticity and longevity, can be less forgiving in environments with high moisture or temperature variability.

Installation, Durability, and Suitability

Engineered wood flooring excels in ease of installation, often designed for floating floor setups, allowing for faster and less invasive installation processes compared to solid wood. In terms of durability, engineered flooring is resilient, but its ability to be sanded and refinished is typically less than that of solid wood, due to its thinner top layer of hardwood.

For areas with high moisture, like bathrooms or basements, engineered wood is often the preferred choice due to its dimensional stability. However, in spaces where longevity and the possibility of multiple refinishing are paramount, solid wood may be more appropriate.

Sustainable Practices in Engineered Wood Flooring

Sustainability is a critical aspect of material choice in contemporary design. Engineered wood flooring often uses less valuable hardwood compared to solid wood flooring, making it a more sustainable choice. Additionally, many manufacturers are embracing eco-friendly practices, such as using recycled wood or sourcing from certified sustainable forests.

Technological Advances

Recent advancements in engineered wood flooring include improved finishes that offer enhanced resistance to scratches and stains, and more environmentally friendly adhesives and sealants. Installation techniques have also evolved, with click-and-lock systems making DIY installations more feasible.

Conclusion

In selecting the right engineered wood flooring, professionals must consider not just the aesthetic appeal but also the functional requirements of the space. Whether it’s the classic elegance of oak, the modern appeal of bamboo, or the rustic charm of hickory, each type brings its unique character to a project.

The choice between engineered and solid wood flooring hinges on considerations of stability, installation methods, and the environmental conditions of the space. With advancements in technology and a commitment to sustainability, engineered wood flooring stands as a testament to the harmonious blend of form, function, and environmental stewardship in modern architectural design.

For architects, designers, and contractors, understanding these nuances is key to making informed decisions that align with their project goals, ensuring that every space is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functionally sound and environmentally responsible.


Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information presented, we make no warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the content. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. We recommend consulting with professionals for specific advice tailored to your project’s needs, particularly regarding building codes, regulations, and product specifications.

Under no circumstances shall we be liable for any loss or damage, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information provided in this article.


Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Top 3 Types of Engineered Hardwood Flooring


Engineered Plank Flooring

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Engineered Plank Flooring

Engineered Plank Flooring offers an unparalleled blend of aesthetic appeal, durability, and ease of maintenance, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a stylish yet practical solution for their flooring needs.

See our collection engineered plank flooring brands like Mannington Hardwood Flooring, Bruce® Hardwood Flooring, Hartco® Wood Flooring, Mirage Hardwood Floors, Mullican® Hardwood Flooring, and more... Click below to see our whole selection of engineered plank flooring brands!

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Engineered Longstrip Flooring

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Engineered Longstrip Flooring

Discover the elegance and durability of Engineered Longstrip Flooring, perfect for creating open, stylish spaces. Ideal for both residential and commercial projects.

See our collection engineered longstrip flooring brands like Shaw Hardwoods Flooring, Anderson-Tuftex Hardwood, and more... Click below to see our whole selection of engineered longstrip flooring brands!

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Engineered Parquet Flooring

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Engineered Parquet Flooring

Engineered Parquet Flooring offers a stunning visual appeal with the durability of real wood, blending style with practicality; it's resistant to moisture and temperature changes, making it a wise investment for any home.

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Featured Brands

The Best 10 Engineered Hardwood Flooring Brands


Mannington Engineered Wood Flooring
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Mannington Engineered Wood Flooring

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Madison Oak Plank is a stylish new look with an outstanding low luster finish that is so sought after. The low gloss allows even more of the natural beauty of our hardwood floors to be revealed. Learn More

Bruce Engineered Wood Flooring
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Bruce Engineered Wood Flooring

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Find the Bruce engineered wood flooring that will transform your room. You'll find a luxurious selection of beautiful floors in a variety of wood species, colors, surface textures, and specialty finishes. For a distinctive, one-of-a-kind floor, trust the top- selling brand of hardwood in North America: Bruce. Learn More

Anderson-Tuftex Hardwood
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Anderson-Tuftex Hardwood

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Real wood floors made of Maple, Oak, Beech, Elm, and Pecan should be as familiar to you as the countless city streets that are named after these trees. Their rich natural colors and hand-crafted quality is what we have come to expect in our homes. Now, Anderson has taken wood flooring technology to a place it has never gone before—with Best-in-Class durability. Learn More

Mirage Engineered Wood Flooring
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Mirage Engineered Wood Flooring

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The Herringbone Collection, different shapes that create unusual patterns. Equal lengths to make symmetry come to life Learn More
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BR-111 Hardwood Flooring
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BR-111 Hardwood Flooring

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BR-111 is the exclusive U.S. importer of Indusparquet exotic hardwood flooring. Available prefinished or unfinished, Indusparquet is kiln-dried and precision milled providing natural beauty, superior durability, and flexible design options. Learn More

Mercier Engineered Wood Flooring
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Mercier Engineered Wood Flooring

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he grain of White Oak (Quercus alba) is similar to that of Red Oak. It also has clearly visible growth rings. In colour, it varies from pale cream beige to a greyish brown. The colour change of White Oak is moderate and it becomes slightly amber in hue over time. This wood has a Janka hardness rating of 1360. Learn More

True Engineered Hardwood Collection
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True Engineered Hardwood Collection

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The True Engineered Hardwood Collection is second-to-none not only in performance but in beauty and elegance too. Learn More

Johnson Engineered Wood Flooring
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Johnson Engineered Wood Flooring

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The hand crafted Roma series takes its name from the historic empire whose legendary stories were filled with romance and adventure. Rich and bold colors perfectly compliment the hand stained hickory's striking grain pattern. Multi-width boards are included in every box of material to create an impressive floor pattern. Learn More
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Zickgraf Hardwood Flooring
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Zickgraf Hardwood Flooring

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Zickgraf invested years of research and development to create a finish system that assures the floor you install today will still look like new tomorrow. At the heart of this comprehensive multi-step finish system is the Diamondized wear-layer. This unique formulation creates a state-of-the-art wear-layer that provides lasting durability against traffic, wear, soil and stains. applications. Learn More

Pinnacle Hardwood Flooring
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Pinnacle Hardwood Flooring

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Elegantly beautiful and exceptionally durable, Pinnacle Hardwood Flooring form the foundation of style and design for each room in your home or office. Rich and vibrant color, underfoot comfort, naturally hygienic, environmentally friendly and easy to care for, Pinnacle Hardwood Flooring is the perfect solution for those who seek fashion, function and affordability. Learn More

Engineered Hardwood Flooring Videos

The Top 2 Engineered Hardwood Flooring Videos


Robbins Hometown Elegance Collection Introduction
Introducing the Hometown Elegance birch engineered hardwood collection from Robbins Hardwood Flooring.

Robbins HydroGuard™ Waterproof Engineered Hardwood
Introducing the HydroGuard oak, maple and hickory engineered hardwood collection from Robbins Hardwood Flooring.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring News

Latest Engineered Hardwood Flooring News

Castillian Collection
...Mullican Hardwood Flooring has released Castillian engineered hardwood flooring products inspired by the old growth forests of Europe. The three new series, called Castillian Cottage, Castillian Estate and Castillian Premier, are a modern take on the classic beauty of the hardwood floors found in castles, cottages and manors across the European continent. Made with genuine European White Oak lu...
How to Choose the Best Plank Floor
...re floors to be significantly thinner than traditional hardwood floors, with WPC floors being thicker than SPC products. That doesn't mean all Rigid Core floors are made equally though. Just like how engineered hardwood flooring can inflate thickness, Rigid Core flooring can alter the overall thickness by increasing the size of the acoustical padding on the back. While this padding adds a lot of g...
About Engineered Hardwood
...Engineered Hardwood flooring is real wood from top to bottom that’s normally made using multiple wood veneers or slats of wood glued together at opposing directions. The word “engineered” just refers to the way in which it’s made. There are many benefits to choosing an engineered product over a solid product. Mannington only produces engineered hardwood and here’s why:<...
Ultimate Guide to Hardwood Flooring
...ooring:  Solid hardwood flooring is a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. The most popular species are oak, maple, hickory, and brazilian cherry hardwood flooring. Engineered Hardwood Flooring: Engineered hardwood flooring is real wood from top to bottom that's normally made using multiple wood veneers or slats of wood glued together at opposing directi...
Solid Hardwood vs. Engineered Wood
.... What installation methods are available with engineered and solid hardwood flooring? Solid Hardwood: Solid hardwood floors are installed using nails. Engineered Hardwood: Engineered hardwood flooring has multiple installation options: staple, glue or float, including our Lock&Fold® technology, available on some products. What's more durable: solid or engi...
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
...The Future Beneath Our Feet: Embracing Engineered Wood Flooring in Modern Interior Design In the ever-evolving world of interior design, the quest for both beauty and practicality has led professionals towards a remarkable solution: Engineered Wood Flooring. This innovative flooring type has revolutionized modern interiors, offering a blend of versatility, durability, and aesth...