Engineered Wood Flooring

By Jimmy Sturo

engineered hardwood flooring

Wood flooring has always been very popular. Wood flooring has a formal, beautiful and warm look that is ideal for all kinds of rooms. They are also eco-friendly, affordable and the best part is that there is a lot of variety available. Wood floors are also relatively easy to maintain. Additionally, wood floors increase the value of a house and are therefore an investment. These days, wood flooring is being done in unique and custom designs like borders, medallions, hand-distressing, painting, mixed media, stain and exotic wood.

Engineered Wood Floors are made from layers of wood that are pressed and glued together. Each layer is stacked on the other in a cross-grain configuration and then pressed using heat and pressure. The thickness of this kind of wood varies greatly. Three- and five-ply flooring are the most common engineered wood flooring.

Engineered Wood Flooring is suitable where solid wood flooring is not, including basements, kitchens, utility rooms and powder rooms that are likely to be moist or those which have high traffic. These floors can endure changes in humidity and temperature effectively and can thus be installed at any level in the house. Another advantage is the thickness of engineered wood floors which are just 3/8 to 5/8 of an inch, allowing them to be installed on existing floors.

Engineered Wood Flooring is available in finished as well as pre-finished forms. Pre-finished engineered wood flooring is very popular since it is very easy to install. All the sanding and finishing is done in the factory itself. The quality of the finish and the thickness of the wear layer are important aspects to be considered. Engineered wood floors are also categorized as parquet (series of flooring pieces arranged in a geometric design); plank hardwood flooring (linear and wider planks of wood); and strip (linear flooring that is not as wide) styles.

Engineered flooring is available as tongue-and-groove strips. There are also longer panels available for floating type of installations. Here, the boards are glued to one another and not to the substrate. The beauty of engineered floors depends upon the wear layer, which is actually the veneer. The veneer ranges from around 1/12 of an inch to ¼ of an inch. Engineered floors can also be abraded and recoated. Flat-cut veneers look better than rotary-cut veneers though they are more expensive and rare.

Engineered Wood Flooring – A Great Alternative To Solid Hardwood Floors

By Peter Leigh

Engineered wood flooring has been one of the great innovations in flooring to hit the market. Engineered hardwood is not made from solid wood. It consists of several layers and only the top layer is the actual hardwood that you always dreamed of having for the floors of your home. The layers underneath are specifically designed to give you maximum wear and tear and they give you practical flooring for just about every room of the house. Engineered wood flooring has advantages over solid hardwood that make it very attractive.

For one thing, engineered wood flooring is not as costly as solid hardwood flooring. The other layers of the engineered hardwood flooring are plywood or high density fibreboard. They are molded together under high pressure in a factory setting. Engineered hardwood floors will not expand and contract as solid hardwood does with changes in humidity and temperature. You can install it over just about any type of existing floor and by following special instructions you can install an engineered floor over radiant heat sources.

Engineered wood flooring in one of the most versatile choices that you can make when it comes to flooring in your home. It has many practical applications. You can install it over an existing concrete floor or one made with inferior grade wood. You can glue or nail it down and there are also forms of engineered hardwood floors that are glueless, forming a floating floor. It is an excellent choice in areas where there are drastic changes in temperature and humidity. However, engineered wood does not perform well in rooms of the home where there is an excess of humidity and moisture, such as in bathrooms or mudrooms.

One of the major reasons that many homeowners choose engineered wood flooring is its fantastic price. You have the same look and texture of hardwood, but it seems as if you are getting the hardwood at a wholesale price. Engineered hardwood floors are easy to install and the instructions are clearly printed inside each carton of flooring. You do have to make sure that the subfloor is clean of dust and dirt before you start so that any small pieces of rock won’t work their way up through the flooring.

In the line of engineered wood flooring, you can get various types of wood, stains and finishes. You can also choose prefinished and unfinished hardwood, but if you are looking for an easy project, then it is best to go with prefinished. This way when you have the engineered hardwood flooring installed, you don’t have to bother applying any stain or finish. You can just sit back and enjoy your engineered wood flooring.

Engineered Wood Flooring – A Beautiful Option

By Arturo Ronzon

You may want to install solid wood flooring, but your budget only allows Engineered Wood Flooring that can last just as long as a solid wood species can. You can install engineered wood flooring that is just as beautiful and will last just as long as a solid wood floor without the high price and the high maintenance that hard wood flooring can require.

Engineered wood flooring is made to be stable, and solid wood flooring can just not compete in this arena. You can install engineered wood flooring over many different surfaces including concrete, basement floors and radiant floors. You must be aware that the quality of engineered wood flooring can vary depending upon the manufacturer from who you purchase engineered wood flooring.

You can expect to pay prices of $8.00 to $11.00 per square foot for engineered wood flooring. That can exceed the price of solid wood flooring, but engineered wood flooring is easier to care for and install than solid wood planks that solid hardwood flooring entails.

You can choose engineered wood flooring from a number of species and various finishes. You can be sure your floor will look almost exactly like a real solid hardwood floor without the hassle and maintenance it takes to keep a traditional wood floor looking its best.

If you are looking to start and finish a home renovation project that will add considerable value to your home, you need look no rather than installing engineered wood flooring. Prospective buyers look at many things that can influence their decision and a new engineered hardwood floor may be just the thing to seal the deal.

For those who want the look and age of a traditional hardwood floor but can’t imagine keeping maintenance up for the proper look, engineered wood flooring may be just the answer you have been looking for. With ease of maintenance and a wide array of shopping venues, owning an engineered wood floor has never been easier.

Go online today and research your options for an engineered wood floor. You may find it is the perfect flooring option you have been searching for.