For those of you who may be starting the process of choosing your flooring or looking at your options, the difference between engineered wood flooring and solid hardwood flooring might be a little difficult to understand. Engineered wood flooring refers to floors made up of strong—though sometimes less attractive—wood covered by veneer. We’ll go over some of the reasons engineered wood flooring is so popular so that you can see why more and more people decide to use it.
Affordability
Depending on the size of the room in which you want to add flooring, the job could get a little expensive. One of the biggest reasons engineered wood flooring is so popular is that it costs much less than solid hardwood flooring without sacrificing quality. Much of an engineered wood plank is made up of cheaper yet stronger wood; only a thin layer of the more expensive wood veneer goes on top. This allows manufacturers to save a lot of money on production, which they then pass on to customers in the form of lower prices.
Reduced Environmental Impact
Using wood for your flooring inevitably brings up the issue of sustainability and reducing damage to the environment. Engineered wood flooring is overall better for the environment than solid hardwood boards. Because engineered wood only needs a small, thin layer of wood for the veneer, one tree can provide many times more planks for engineered wood than it would for solid hardwood. This allows us to use trees more efficiently and reduce demand.
Resistance to Warping
Moisture of any kind is wood’s worst enemy. Even sealed flooring isn’t safe from regular exposure to water and moisture. Engineered wood was originally made to combat the effects that moisture normally has on solid hardwood floors. Excessive moisture makes solid hardwood bow and warp over time, but this isn’t nearly as big of an issue with engineered wood. Therefore, engineered wood flooring is an excellent choice for rooms that deal with a lot of moisture, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Looking for high-quality engineered hardwood flooring online? Hardwoods4less has a wide variety of hardwood options that are sure to match any room in any home.